A Kasich Of Serious Buyer's Remorse

Ohio Democrats are striking while GOP Gov. John Kasich's approval ratings just months into his term are already dismal across the board, calling for legislation that would allow for a recall of Ohio officials.

State Rep. Robert Hagan, a Youngstown Democrat, cited what he called "an attack on working people, an attack on organized labor, an attack on the ability to collectively bargain" as reasons he's co-sponsoring the measure. He said it also had to a lot to do with Gov. John Kasich.

"He's dividing the state," Hagan said. "He's hurting the people in this state and we think that this legislation that will be offered will go to the heart of those constituents and voters who have grown disenchanted with this governor."

Mike Dittoe, a spokesman for the House Republicans, said: "The reality is that this is nothing more than politics as usual from the minority caucus. We have a process in place in Ohio and the entire United States for keeping or replacing their elected officials. They're called elections."

Contentious debates over restricting collective bargaining have popped up in statehouses across the country. In Wisconsin, the governor signed into law last month a bill eliminating most of state workers' collective bargaining rights.

Kasich, a first-term Republican, has said his $55.5 billion, two-year state budget counts on unspecified savings from lifting union protections to fill an $8 billion hole. GOP leaders argue that Ohio's new law, which Kasich signed last week, will help city officials and superintendents better control their costs at a time when they, too, are feeling budget woes.

The Ohio law affects more than 350,000 public workers, including police officers, teachers and state employees. It allows unions to negotiate wages but not health care, sick time or pension benefits. It bans strikes and gets rid of automatic pay increases, replacing them with merit raises or performance pay.

"We're not going to dance around this," Hagan told reporters at a news conference. "This is in fact about what the governor has done, what the Republicans are doing with one-party rule."

 The recall legislation has zero chance, of course.  Kasich's not going to sign a bill that can be used against him even if it could pass the Republican dominated Statehouse.  But a petition to put the bill on a state referendum is a distinct possibility if it can collect the 440,000 or so signatures needed, and given Kasich's dismal approval ratings, I don't think that's going to be much of a problem.