Now that Ohio voters have rejected very mild limitations on so called “collective bargaining rights” for government workers, how do they plan to pay for the massive pensions and Cadillac health benefits government workers in Ohio now enjoy?

There are only two possible answers: 1) much higher taxes or 2) massive government employee layoffs. Yes, the people of Ohio have just ensured themselves a huge tax hike in order to pay for government worker’s escalating benefits, or they will have to be willing to accept many government employee layoffs in the near future.

Why would the voters reject simple limitations on the right for government workers to negotiate for health care and pension benefits? It might have something to do with the massive $30 million dollar union-funded propaganda campaign that was waged, claiming the new limitations were a threat to public safety, along with a barrage of TV ads filled with the sad faces of teachers, firefighters and police officers.

What the citizens of Ohio don’t seem to understand is that these kinds of public sector benefits are unsustainable, even in good economic times. Progressive hero F.D.R. rejected the concept of public sector unions, understanding that allowing the public sector to organize would most certainly lead to corruption. Government pays government union workers, who pay dues to the unions, who donate back to the same politicians, who vote the unions even more benefits, and so on, ad nauseam.

Clearly, this is pure corruption of the collective bargaining system. Unionized employees aren’t supposed to be in bed with their bosses. In the “real” world, a business would go bankrupt if the boss makes too sweet of a deal with the union employees (i.e. UAW). Unfortunately, in the case of the public sector, union controlled politicians simply raise taxes and fees to fund their government worker’s benefits and salaries, while at the same time, keeping their own campaign coffers full via union donations. This is the reason bargaining rights for Government employee unions should be severely limited, if not banned altogether.

Of course, it is up to the citizens and legislatures of each state to make these kinds of decisions. The big problems arises when the Federal Government gets involved. The Feds bail out irresponsible states with funds taken from more responsible states. It is very unfair to take tax dollars from “right to work” states and use those revenues to fund corrupt politicians and their union buddies in other states.

Ohioians can do as they please, but they must take responsibility for their own decisions, and not look to other states to bail them out when they can no longer afford the massive payouts and benefits going to unionized government workers. Ohioians have made their own bed. Now they must sleep in it.