Despite union attempts to blame Governor Kasich for local budget problems during the 2011 referendum campaign over Senate Bill 5, school districts throughout the state projected massive shortfalls in 2010 – before the governor was even elected.
Using the districts’ own October 2010 forecasts to the Ohio Department of Education and district population estimates from the US Census Bureau, I calculated the cost per resident of 2015 deficits projected in 2010. These data and the explanation of their importance that I wrote in 2011 follow; I’ve archived an interactive JavaScript tool I built for the same, because it’s not supported by the WordPress.com hosting I’ve switched to since then.
“We Are Ohio” is fighting to keep a broken status quo that gives government union bosses expansive power over taxpayers. Ohio voters should know what a No vote on Issue 2 could cost; without Senate Bill 5, deficits not covered by tax hikes can only be addressed with layoffs or program cuts!
Repealing Senate Bill 5 will hurt Ohio taxpayers and government employees – but it will protect the flow of taxpayer dollars to government union bosses. What do you think the union bosses behind We Are Ohio care about most: their own six-figure salaries, members’ employment, or your tax burden?
Based on 2010 school district forecasts, the need for reform is very real:
- 458 districts projected deficits greater than $100 per resident
- 260 districts projected deficits greater than $500 per resident
- 59 districts projected deficits greater than $1,000 per resident
- 17 districts projected deficits greater than $1,500 per resident
Opponents of Issue 2 who claim the status quo is not broken or blame the governor for local budget problems are, quite simply, lying. The fact that trouble loomed before the 2010 election is a matter of public record.