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Still have a lot of
work to do
Kasich Keynote Speaker; Hemer Republican of the Year
By Bob Robinson
“We lost more jobs during those four years than any other state except
Michigan and California,” Gov. John Kasich said. “They wouldn’t fix the
deficit, they just walked around with a tin cup looking for money.”
In his speech to Republican supporters at the party’s annual Pig Roast
Sunday, Kasich referred to the previous administration, which left the
state with more than an $8 billion budget deficit.
Kasich told the group that you can’t fix a budget problem with “just
cuts,” you have to figure out a better way. One of his examples was
Issue 2, which he noted Sen. Keith Faber would be addressing.
Another example was with the nursing homes. He said the lobby took the
dollars, leaving home health care options with little funding. He
changed that.
“Now if Mom and Dad qualify and they want to stay in their homes, they
can do it at one-fifth the cost.”
Kasich told the group that Ohio still has a lot of work to do.
“We’re strangling people with too many regulations and too many taxes,”
he said. “We got rid of the deficit. We got rid of the death tax. We
still have Capital Gains… the federal tax is 15 percent. Ohio’s is 6
percent…
“Which would you rather do? Go to a state like Florida and pay 15
percent on your Capital Gains or stay here and pay 21 percent?”
Kasich addressed manufacturing and agriculture, noting there is nothing
wrong with people wanting to “build things” with their hands, and that
agriculture is the driving force behind Ohio’s economy.
“When agriculture does well, Ohio does well. Farmers, we love you!!” he
added, noting the excellent job Agriculture Director Jim Zehringer is
doing.
After talking about a number of successes, such as Wendy’s, Omnicare
and Bob Evans, Kasich reiterated there is still a long way to go.
“But we are beginning to win,” he said. “We are beginning to get ahead.”
Sen. Faber addressed Issue 2, telling the group that the fact that Ohio
has had to redistrict from 24 to 16 Representatives in recent years
tells the story.
“We are in trouble,” he said.
Echoing Kasich’s comments, Faber said Senate Bill 5 (which is what
Issue 2 addresses) is not an attack on unions nor is it unreasonable;
it is an attempt to level the playing field for the taxpayer.
“The average private sector worker pays 31 percent of his or her health
insurance coverage. Issue 2 requires government workers to pay at least
15 percent,” Faber said.
Issue 2, he added, also requires government workers to pay at least 10
percent of their “generous” publicly funded retirement benefits, noting
that many private sector workers have no retirement benefits at all.
Faber said that in a neighboring county, the changes required by Issue
2 would save the taxpayers enough money to have five more police and
fire fighters serving it.
“Which would you rather have?” Faber asked. “Public employees who pay
less than 15 percent of their health benefits or five additional police
and firefighters?”
Also noted was that Issue 2 allows job performance to be considered
when deciding whether to reward or retain employees. It puts an end to
automatic pay increases just for “showing up.”
“That’s something even a liberal president (Pres. Barack Obama) and a
conservative Senator (Faber) can agree on… merit/performance
compensation for government workers.”
Faber noted that government employees can still negotiate on wages and
working conditions, just as they have done for 30 years.
State Senator Bill Beagle said that when he ran for a seat the
Democrats had held since 1974, he was considered a long shot. He
thanked everyone in the room for their support in helping him win that
seat.
State Rep. Jim Buchy said that State Issue 1 needs to be supported
because it allows judges to run for office until they are 75. State
Rep. Dick Adams told that group that Issue Three should be supported
because it allows Ohioans to decide what kind of health care insurance
they want.
Long-time Republican and Darke County native Pete Hemer was honored as
the county’s Republican of the Year for his service to the party.
Previous Republicans of the Year congratulating Hemer were Joyce Long,
Donna Harter and Lyn Bliss.
Greenville Auditor Nancy Myers and Greenville Mayor Mike Bowers,
running unopposed, asked for the support of everyone in attendance.
Jesse Green asked for support in his challenge for Darke County
Municipal Court Judge.
Also talking to the group were Clarence Godwin, Republican Candidate
for Greenville City Council, Justin Hines, Republican Candidate for
Greenville Township Trustee and Susan Miles on behalf of her husband,
Maury, also Republican candidate for Greenville Township Trustee.
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