Sherrod Brown Voted to Raise Your Taxes, Failed to Pay His Own Taxes

Incumbent Ohio senator Sherrod Brown didn’t pay his taxes, but did vote to raise yours.  Challenger Josh Mandel has a new video about it:

Governor Kasich’s Latest Budget Proposals

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who famously did not shy away from controversial reforms last year, is back with more.  Reasonable Tea Party-conservative minds differ on his latest proposals.

Pro, COAST:

This Governor has been the best in our lifetimes, taking on Ohio’s entrenched special interests repeatedly for the betterment of this State and our children.

Ohio Issue 2: Vote Yes for Reform

(Jump to provisions of new law)

I remember John Derbyshire arguing years ago that public-sector unions shouldn’t exist, in his top-ten list of “Necessary but Impossible” reforms:

Outlaw public-sector unions

Why do public-sector workers need unions? The purpose of unions is to protect employees against unscrupulous bosses, who might seek to maximize profits by taking advantage of those who work for them. In the public sector, however, there are no profits to be maximized, no shareholders to appease. The work that is being done is being done in the public interest — against which, as Calvin Coolidge quite correctly declared, there is no right to strike. So what do government workers need unions for? If public-sector workers don’t like their pay and conditions, they can appeal to the tax-paying public, who are their ultimate employers. If that doesn’t work, they can go get jobs in the private sector, and take their chances with capitalism, like free citizens of a free nation.  

Thumbs Up Rob Portman, Thumbs Down Sherrod Brown

Just a quick report on my (Ohio’s) two senators, from my communications with them yesterday about the debt-ceiling fight:

I called Senator Portman’s office and immediately reached a real person.  The staffer seemed unprepared to discuss policy details apart from particular proposals, but as to the particular proposals currently on the table, he assured me that Senator Portman would support Senator Lee’s version of “Cut, Cap, and Balance”, and that he would not support the “Gang of Six” proposal (more on that here).