The following is a guest post by Sylvia Bly, a Cleveland Working America member.
Recently, I went to a U.S. Senate field hearing in Cleveland about House Bill 194. I heard arguments for and against HB 194, a bill that’s a real stinker to me. Its main objectives are to make it much harder to cast your vote, count fewer votes and remove local control for each county.
The courtroom was pretty formidable, but once the hearing started, I was transfixed on the due process I was witnessing. This hearing went to the heart of the issue: HB 194 would impede voters from exercising their rights. Listening to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), our own Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) was inspiring, but it also dredged up some memories of a time of great turmoil in our nation.
I remember when I was a young girl and Jim Crow laws were in place in the Southern states. Jim Crow laws, which existed until 1965, were all about a “separate but equal” status for African-Americans. During the ‘60’s our nation was embroiled with civil unrest between those who wanted to keep minorities “in their place” with all the economic, educational and social inadequacies, while others fought to right these wrongs. I think about how my own mother was born a mere nine years after women won the right to vote. So now in Ohio and across the nation, we’re witnessing new legislation to turn back the clock and erase so much of the progress that’s been made to empower all of us to fully participate in our elections.
HB 194 was supposedly introduced to address voter fraud. But how come, when asked, none of the panelists in support of HB 194 could present a single documented case of such fraud? That reinforced my suspicion that the real reason for HB 194 is voter suppression. If I had my say, any legislator who wants to introduce a bill that restricts my opportunities to vote should have to prove the need for these changes. Otherwise whatever party is in office could finagle legislation in favor of their own party’s agenda. That’s not democracy, people.
Abraham Lincoln said it best in the Gettysburg Address when he wrote that our government is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Every provision in HB 194 is a huge step backward and undermines the very foundation of our Republic. I’m having such a difficult time comprehending how any legislator who takes an oath of office to ensure their constituents’ inalienable rights would work to get around not just the letter of the law, but more importantly, the spirit of the law. We pay their salaries with our tax dollars; these legislators are supposed to be working for us.
After Ohioans worked hard to gather over 300,000 signatures to put this bill to a vote, House Republicans voted to repeal HB 194. Not only did they prevent the people of our state from having their say, but the GOP also left in place provisions that eliminated voting the weekend before the election. Now it seems to me that if a bill is going to be repealed, it should be repealed in total. I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to buy a CD, burn your favorite songs and return it? That’s why return policies were written and are enforced. Meanwhile, our referendum is null and void. It’s amazing to me how our legislators have decided they have no rules and don’t have to answer to their own constituents.
I guess my fellow Working America members and I need to work even harder to make sure our elected officials in Columbus are listening to working families across the state. Join me and become a super activist in Ohio.
Tags: Ohio, Sherrod Brown, voting rights
Recently, I posted about House Bill 191, which would have limited the school year in Ohio from Labor Day to Memorial Day. You may recall that this proposal was the brainchild of amusement park lobbyists who care more about tourism and their profits than Ohio children’s education and future.
It was, to say the least, a laughable proposal, but one that launched Working America members into action: They gathered together to discuss the issue. They wrote letters to the editor to local papers, two of which were published – one was even published in two different papers, and one as a response to the first (letters in Akron Beacon Journal are the second from the top). And thanks to the incredible hard work of our field staff, they sent their local state legislators, including the main sponsor of the bill Rep. Bill Hayes (R-Harrison Township), hundreds of letters to express their dismay that tourism would be a higher priority for our elected officials than education.
All our activity appears to have paid off. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Rep. Hayes,
“dropped language that required school to start after Labor Day and wrap up before Memorial Day.”
And, according to StateImpact Ohio,
“all that remains is a bill that lets districts lengthen or shorten the school year as they see fit, within certain limitations, of course.”
Let’s be clear: the legislation isn’t in its final form, but it looks as though our efforts have led to a more rational decision – one that ensures our students will be in school, not running the Ferris wheel. And of course, we’re staying attentive, and will keep you posted on the status of the legislation.
For now though, we can all be grateful that our legislators seem to have heard our demand that kids remain in the classroom, and that we’re one step closer to a victory over corporate lobbyists. Plus, there’s still plenty of time left in the summer to take a ride on Millennium Force. (Not that I would ever do such a thing. Ever. Yikes.)
Photo of the Steel Dragon at Cedar Point by Altus on Flickr, via Creative Commons.
Tags: Corporate Accountability, Education, Jobs, Ohio
by Stephanie Harig – Cleveland, Ohio
Education seems to be popping up as a hot topic everywhere in Ohio. After Governor Kasich pushed through his radical agenda last year, including Senate Bill 5 which attacked our teachers, Ohioans have every reason to support education reform while being wary of proposals that deal with “education reform” – that is, policies that are sold as “reforms” when in fact they simply cater to corporate interests.
That wariness is definitely warranted with House Bill 191, which would shorten the school year. I will let that sink in for a second.
Okay. Yes, the legislation actually “prohibit[s] public schools from being open for instruction prior to Labor Day or after Memorial Day.” That could be about five weeks less than schools are currently open.
Who is behind this proposal? Hint: It’s not teachers! It’s actually corporate lobbyists – specifically for the amusement parks and tourism industry. They are more concerned with inexpensive child labor and their bottom line than with children getting a decent, adequate education.
Think this is a joke? I don’t blame you. There is general disbelief among the Ohioans we talk to at the doors that this bill could actually be a serious proposal (which it is), and that it would have enough support in the General Assembly to pass (which it does). But we can’t be fooled into thinking it won’t actually happen, because our Governor and legislature have shown they will stop at nothing to further a pro-corporate agenda at the expense of working families.
Fortunately, Working America members in the Greater Cleveland area recognize how detrimental HB 191 would be for our children and the future of our state, and they’re refusing to accept that this proposal is a done deal. We’ve collected hundreds of letters to State Representatives on the Education Committee, so they’re aware that their constituents are aghast at the idea that amusement parks would be allowed to set education policy. Our members are also writing letters to the editor to raise awareness about the bill and point out why this is bad education and labor policy.
On Wednesday, members from Lake County gathered in the home of Nancy Bihary and got down to business to mobilize against HB 191. We brainstormed all the myriad reasons this legislation is a bad idea, and began drafting individual letters to the editor on the issue. Nancy said:
“If anything our legislators should pass laws to improve education, not sabotage it. Three people like me took time out of our day to meet and plan a response to HB 191 to protect education in Ohio. Surely we represent the feelings of most of Ohioans, so our elected officials should take note.”
The seriousness of the proposal is best underscored through the story of Working America member April Sabol. Her work history is full of low-paying, dead-end jobs and periodic lay-offs, interspersed with attempts to improve her career prospects through education. She emphasized that she just wants her children to have a better future and that she believes education is the way to do that. (Incidentally, she also pointed out that even if her children’s summer vacation was longer, she couldn’t afford to take them to Cedar Point anyway.)
April’s story highlights the importance of a strong educational foundation in life, and that more time in the classroom – not less – is the beginning of a successful future.
House Bill 191 seems laughable, but if it passes it will be no laughing matter for working families trying to give their kids a better life, or for any Ohioan concerned about the economic future of our state.
Tags: Corporate Accountability, Education, Jobs, Ohio
Stephanie Harig – Cleveland, Ohio
This is the time of year for being grateful, hopeful, and joyful—and Working America members in Ohio have been wholeheartedly participating by expressing their thanks and appreciation for the folks occupying public areas our cities, including Cleveland.
Occupy Cleveland has been maintaining a constant presence on Public Square for over two months. There is a dedicated group of individuals involved in occupying, but also working peacefully to prevent foreclosures in the Greater Cleveland area and participating in community events.
Working America stands with the 99 percent. But our members may not always be able to join these protests—so Ohioans are finding other ways to show that they appreciate the occupiers in Public Square.
Less than a month ago, offices across Ohio began collecting thank you notes to Occupy Cleveland by going door-to-door and making phone calls. The response was inspiring. On Saturday, Working America’s Cleveland office delivered over 200 such letters from around the state to Occupy Cleveland at a potluck event.
I attended the letter delivery with Jim, a Cleveland Working America member. After spending some time enjoying the food and interacting with Occupy Cleveland organizers, we presented the thank you notes to the group. We had put the notes in a binder, so they are able to flip through them when they are feeling discouraged, lonely, or just plain cold.
In addition to presenting the binder full of letters (to murmurs of disbelief that we had collected so many), I read a few of the most poignant ones from each office out loud. In one memorable letter, a single mom from Columbus expressed her support for Occupy because she recognized that they are addressing her day-to-day struggles. In another, Phyllis from Cleveland expressed her appreciation and ended by imploring the protestors to keep warm (important advice in a Cleveland winter!). Our members are genuinely grateful that someone is giving them a voice.
The letters were met with an overwhelming appreciation by the participants in Occupy Cleveland. Some were moved to tears, while others struggled to find the words to express how much the notes meant to them. After the presentation, they passed the binder around, and continued to express amazement at the fact that Working America had collected so many great letters. Indeed, this simple show of solidarity went a long way in boosting the morale of the organizers.
Tags: Cleveland, Corporate Accountability, Ohio, OWS
