Columbus Dispatch...
Private groups back supporters of SB 5
By Darrel Rowland and Alex Stuckey  
October 10, 2011 

Even though the battle over state Issue 2 centers on public employees, Ohio’s private sector apparently is weighing in with its wallet. 

“We support Issue 2 because we believe the policy is important to preserving the well-being of the state of Ohio,” said Paul Richards, spokesman for Motorists Mutual Insurance Co. 

The Columbus-based insurer has given $50,000 to the Building a Better Ohio campaign, which is backing the state issue that would preserve collective-bargaining limits on state and local government workers in Senate Bill 5. 

One of the questions going into the fall campaign was whether private Ohio businesses would ante up for the campaign to restrict public employees’ bargaining rights. 

Richards said company officials wanted the two sides to come to a compromise, but contributed to the proponents of Issue 2 when no agreement was reached. 

Although Building a Better Ohio has not publicly divulged its donors or how much they’re giving, hints of the group’s support are evident in a handful of filings with the Ohio secretary of state required of corporations or unions giving directly from their treasury. 

“We enthusiastically support (Issue 2),” said Carol Caruso, the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s senior vice president of advocacy. “It speaks to the problem of too much government spending costing taxpayers too much money.” 

Last week, the coalition contributed $35,000 to Building a Better Ohio because members see the campaign as a way to change the status quo in government spending, she said. 

The Associated Builders and Contractors contributed $50,000 to the pro-Issue 2 effort because most of its 22,000 workers across the country are non-union contractors, said Chris Singerling, the group’s director of political affairs. 

“Free and open competition creates jobs,” he said. “It helps the economy. It’s what Ohio and the country needs right now.” 

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s 6,000 members across the state overwhelmingly support Issue 2, said Andy Doehrel, president and CEO of the business group. 

“Reoccurring themes among our business members are: ‘Why can’t government run more like a private industry?’ and ‘Why can’t they reward the good employees and get rid of the bad?’  ” Doehrel said. 

“It’s cost saving and efficient. (Business owners) think the government should have been doing this years ago.” 

The National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio says 91 percent of responding members said they were in favor of Issue 2. The organization represents 24,000 small-business owners. 

Roger Geiger, vice president and executive director of the group, said small businesses support the controversial issue because it levels the playing field. 

“(Small-business owners) have to compete with the government for employees,” Geiger said. “There’s a growing disparity between small businesses and the government in terms of benefits (offered), that puts them at a disadvantage in gaining employees.” 

Building a Better Ohio spokesman Jason Mauk said fundraising is “going well” and contributors are stepping up to counter “very powerful special interests who are willing to spend whatever it takes to defend their grip on our tax dollars.” They have pledged to make the financial information public before next month’s election. 

“Our supporters see the connection between a sustainable government and a strong, vibrant, private-sector economy. They pay taxes, and they employ people who pay taxes, so they have a stake in the outcome of this issue,” Mauk said. 

“The bottom line is they know we can’t expect to put resources toward job creation and economic development if nearly every penny that goes into government is spent on unsustainable labor costs.” 

Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio, pointed out that every dollar Issue 2 opponents have raised and spent has been disclosed to the public. 

“The longer Building a Better Ohio waits to disclose its fundraising activity, the more it becomes clear that they want to hide who’s really behind their campaign,” she said. “Until financial information is disclosed, their promise doesn’t mean much. When will Ohio voters get their ‘right to know’ what special interests are funding attacks on firefighters, teachers, nurses and police officers?” 

Meanwhile, filings from Issue 2 opponents show unions representing some private-sector workers are backing We Are Ohio in a big way, such as $1 million from the Communications Workers of America. Even the union representing university professors in Michigan has jumped in with $25,000. 

Michael Bailey, executive director of the Michigan Conference/American Association of University Professors, said the AAUP has several chapters throughout Ohio and the Michigan group backs those chapters. 

“We support their position to retain collective-bargaining rights,” he said. 

Ohio AAUP chapters together have added more than $270,000, and the national AAUP poured in an additional $200,000. 

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