Building a Better Ohio is dedicated to promoting the reasonable reforms of State Issue 2.

Issue 2 makes some very fair and common sense requests of our government employees to give local communities the flexibility they need to get taxes and spending under control, while providing the essential services that we rely on. 

• It allows an employee’s job performance to be considered when determining compensation, rather than just awarding automatic pay increases based only on an employee’s length of service.
• It asks that government employees pay at least 15 percent of the cost of their health insurance premium.  That’s less than half of what private sector workers are currently paying. 
• It requires that government health care benefits apply equally to all government employees, whether they work in management or non-management positions.  No special favors.
• It asks our government employees to pay their own share of a generous pension contribution, rather than forcing taxpayers to pay both the employee and employer shares.
• It keeps union bosses from protecting bad teachers and stops the outdated practice of laying off good teachers first just because they haven’t served long enough.
• Finally, it preserves collective bargaining for government employees, but it also returns some basic control of our schools and services to the taxpayers who fund them, not the union bosses who thrive on their mismanagement.

Even under the reforms of State Issue 2, Ohio’s government employees will still receive better pay, better health care and better retirement benefits, on average, than the vast majority of Ohioans who work in the private sector.

Ohio’s economic recovery begins with reclaiming our schools, respecting our taxpayers and restoring our jobs.  State Issue 2 gives us some very reasonable opportunities to do just that

Sunset in Downtown Toledo

As we are about to enter this important election year of 2012, I thought it important to  hear the positions of others here in the Toledo area. Hence, I have decided to revitalize Toledo Speaks Out. Please be patient as this site develops. Things are sure to change as I tweak the design, content, rules, and subjects of this site. While this site is intended to address the local political climate, it will also include postings outside the political theater. All comments may be moderated so that I can make sure any slanderous, obscene, or comments revealing personal information such as “outing” an anoymous poster or divulging personal addresses are/will be subject to approval.

Please revist as the site take shape and off your comments on our thought provoking articles.