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Union Thug by LizaWasHere
Today the campaign, We Are Ohio, delivered over five times the number of signatures needed to put a referendum of anti-union, Senate Bill 5, on the 2011 November ballot. From Cleveland.com:
This afternoon, they said they were delivering 1,298,301 signatures in an 18-wheeler. The group said 6,200 people marched in the parade.
To put SB 5 up for a vote, We Are Ohio needs valid 231,149 signatures of registered voters from across the state.
The huge number of signatures gathered effectively assures that there will be enough legal signatures to get the referendum on the ballot.
Labor unions have already invested heavily in the effort to repeal SB 5 are are expected to spend big on the campaign to convince the people of Ohio to vote the law down. Given that public sector union busting has becoming something of a national trend over the past year, this referendum will be one of the most elections of 2011, that change the dynamics related to similar laws in other states going forward.
18 Comments
Aw sweet. I love stuff like this. Maybe my native Ohio accent can help me on the phones. I’ll just tell ‘em I’m from Lima :)
You forgot to tell the folks it’s pronounced Lime-uh, not Leema. :) But that’s a whole nuther subject, like Cadiz being pronounced Kay-Diz, Wapakoneta lacks a double tee, Bellefontaine is pronounced Bell-Fountain, My-lan not Milan… Fellow Buckeye teasing you. And my wife and I couldn’t sign the petition fast enough
Lima won’t work anymore.
Lima, Ohio was selected to be the backdrop of the show Glee.
Lima is the hot place to be now.
if they lose the recall election then its time for revolution. Theres no way that should be possible with an unrigged election.
When I was 11 I ran over a trash can and almost pitched front first into a creek with a golf cart at Wapakoneta Country Club.
Tee hee hee.
True, maybe diebold can make some touchscreen petition machines for the future.
It’s Ohio for bloody sakes.
I got money they just buy it. It’s not like they haven’t done it before.
Same for Wisconsin.
Same for Michigan.
Same for NJ.
Same for PA.
Same for Florida.
Same for AZ. Kentucky. Mississippi. Louisiana.
Any I missed?
heh… and we all know of elections that have been rigged in the great State of
DieboldOhio.Corporate headquarters of Diebold, Inc, happen to be conveniently located in North Canton, Ohio. That’s pronounced CANT-en… for those inquiring minds out there.
Wapakoneta has a trash can AND a golf cart??? :)
So does that mean the natives are… dare I say it, Cantonese?
Ducks and runs
They did in 1994.
LOL!
Oh great.
Big smile.
The Ohio Republicans will simply pass a law banning referendums and continue their march toward fascism. This is their moment. Does anyone really think they will let something like people get in their way?
/snark off/
Thanks for planning to help on the phone banks before the election- but don’t fabricate any present residency in Ohio, if you aren’t here now. Use the simple fact that you are from Ohio, or lived here at one time, and you feel Ohio is important to the whole country and care about Ohio workers and families as you talk to resident Ohio voters…etc. All we need is the Rovian Kochs screaming that we have hired outside activists to convince voters. (They can do it of course, though.)
Interestingly, the Teabaggers petition drive to place Obamacare on the state ballot (in hopes of repealing it) has supposedly sufficient number of signatures and was turned in as well. Every state should have the right to not take care of their citizens, don’t ya know. But there are just enough names- no “extra” names- so it is expected trained volunteer citizen activists will be able to weed out the fraud and prevent it from going on the ballot.
This is amazing! And I think this is just the beginning. We are going to see alot more of this. Greece doesn’t have nothing on us !!!
I’ve been wondering if progressives should start devoting all of our energy toward direct democracy actions, such as recall elections, ballot initiatives, constitutional amendments, etc. Representative democracy hasn’t turned out so well– we just aren’t getting great results by working hard to elect people who we believe will do the right thing once they are in office. Perhaps it’s better to just concentrate on kick-ass direct action similar to what is going on in Ohio and Wisconsin, and devote less time, money, and effort toward electoral politics ?