The city of Cleveland suffered this week due to Governor John Kasich who has socked it to us with his imposed budget. Thanks to Kasich, 466 people are now unemployed – this coming from a man who said we want jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

Thanks to Governor Kasich…

The city of Cleveland suffered this week due to Governor John Kasich who has socked it to us with his imposed budget. Thanks to Kasich, 466 people are now unemployed – this coming from a man who said we want jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

For a person who wanted to provide jobs, he also came up with Senate Bill 5 (SB5) which will hurt a lot of workers. With the worst economy in recent memory, there is no question that difficult decisions need to be made.

However, we need to recognize what makes us an attractive place for businesses to grow and for citizens to raise their families.

To gain the reputation again of the “Best location in the nation,” we need to continue to invest in creating jobs, good educational systems, keeping seniors in their homes, and consumer protections while recognizing the need for increased efficiencies and smarter spending. 

Keeping jobs in Ohio should be the top priority.

Businesses consistently site an educated work force as one of the top reasons they come and stay to do business in Ohio. It is unwise to short change our schools now and pay for it later as companies leave Ohio. 

Keeping seniors in their homes saves money and is good for them and their families. From making home visits in the community, I recognize the importance of programs that provide meals, medical assistance and housekeeping help to seniors such as PASSPORT, PACE and Meals on Wheels.

Kasich’s budget cut is significant money to providers and agencies that offer these necessary services and would have forced seniors into nursing homes. Again, the revised budget adds a minor amount of money to this objective but, as the governor and Republican House talk about their desire to keep seniors in their homes, the money must follow to support these programs.

Seeing the damage Kasich has done is more of a reason why it is so important to get out and vote. The lack of everyone going to the polls put the Republican slate in office. How can a man attack and try to change something the people have voted on?

That’s like coming to him and saying even though you won, we want to change this and find another person to replace you. The sad part about Kasich is he seems not to even care about the problems he’s causing.

Heard of the saying, ‘throw a rock and hide your hand?’

Well, that’s what Kasich is doing. He gets in the media and says, I will not raise taxes but taking money away from Cleveland and diverting it to rural areas like Westlake just isn’t fair. Then, to have his office say you can raise taxes keeps them looking good.

Kasich has said many times, he and Mayor Frank Jackson are close friends. With friends like Kasich, who needs enemies? No matter what you feel about the Jackson administration, he has balanced the budget each year. But now, thanks to Kasich and his 35.7 million deficit, people will be looking for jobs, jobs and more jobs.

Kasich has labeled his budget as major reform for Ohio. It is more like he is paying back his rivals, punishing those that spoke against him, and grabbing more power (ex: the firing of the State School Superintendent, removing state school board members before the end of their term, etc., etc.).

I have heard him say he is giving cities a tool (SB5)

What a tool?

Kasich’s tool box holds a chainsaw for cutting local services, a hammer for beating public employees, and a screwdriver to use on local taxpayers.

This bill is not going to make up the difference and is more than likely be on the ballot in November. Kasich’s budget is less about balancing our budget and more about a partisan political agenda. We will certainly see the loss of jobs for Ohio’s middle class.

Well, we got a taste of his way of thinking when he took office and one of his first acts of giving back $400 million in federal economic development funding for a project that was projected to create a lot of jobs throughout Ohio went on the express train to other States.

Look at the money spent for the security upgrades to his residence since he declined moving into the Governor’s Mansion. When he is no longer governor, does he keep the taxpayers gift of security upgrades to his house? You better believe he does.

Kasich is Wall Street. He’s out to make his rich buddies richer and the middle class poor! He sells off the state jails advising that he’s making us money when he’s selling them to his Wall Street buddies which will make them much more money in the long run.

The tax payers will now have to pay these private jails for each inmate for each day they are there.

Employers need to make sure to help keep their workers happy during these hard times, which is another key to surviving a downturn is your workforce. I’ve written often and in detail in past columns about the importance of cultivating a dedicated nucleus of employees. I’m not going to pull out that soapbox again, but rest assured that a sudden (or gradual) economic trend toward the negative is when you will very quickly find out if any of what I’ve been preaching has pervaded your managerial approach.

The economic crisis has created a host of problems for working people: collapsing wages, lost jobs, ruined pensions, and the anxiety that comes with not knowing what tomorrow will bring.

While the current economic maelstrom has laid bare, the web of greed, corruption, and propaganda are central to capitalism, only an aroused public, demanding the right to health care, decent employment, a secure old age, and a clean and healthy environment, can lead the United States and the world out of the worst crisis since the Great Depression and toward a system of production and distribution conducive to human happiness.

So thanks to Governor Kasich for taking away Cleveland’s money and giving it away has caused over 300 people to lose their jobs.