Workers Protest Ohio Gov’s Speech (Video)

Ohio’s Republican Governor John Kasich delivered his State of the State address in Columbus Tuesday, Mar. 8. As expected, demonstrators gathered by the thousands outside the Statehouse to protest Gov. Kasich’s speech and his plan to gut collective bargaining rights for Ohio’s public workers.

Unlike the anti-union legislation pending in Wisconsin, Kasich’s plan doesn’t exclude firefighter and police unions. In Ohio, however, Gov. Kasich didn’t have to worry about the state’s Democratic legislators denying him a quorum. A sufficient number of Republican state senators passed the measure last week. The Ohio House is expected to begin its hearings Tuesday afternoon, following Kasich’s speech.

According to an AP report, “Kasich’s speech was a rousing address aimed at Ohio’s problems, but jumped from point to point without offering many concrete examples of what changes he plans to make.” Also within the report was news that the protests weren’t limited to outside the Statehouse. Watch the clip below to see the scene in the Statehouse rotunda where hundreds of protesters were chanting “Kill the Bill” during the speech (h/t Ohio Daily).

Image is from Feb. 27, 2011 protests in Ohio, via flickr - Ohio AFL-CIO

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Judith H.

5:12PM PDT on Apr 22, 2011

Power to the people and their government needs to know that their role is to serve the people. Not the other way around. Remember, they are the servants and we the masters.

send a green star

Mary B.

1:07PM PDT on Mar 27, 2011

Helen, in all due respect, I get what you're saying, but,I also suspect that both the left and the right are being fed a lot of inflamed propaganda with just enough truth mixed in so we take the bait and get involved in these ongoing squabels and protests, which rob people of their time and attention [your life energy]My point is, how long will you allow that before you begin to ask yourself some 'bigger picture' questions and move out of the box and into imagination toward the kind of government you'd like to have. Keep in mind, we are moving into a post-industrial society because 'industry' as we've known it is unsustainable.It wastes too many resources,people, animals and the planet have been exploited for centuries.So how would we like the new culture to be designed? Baseing it on make-work jobs is just trying to keep the old way going. There will always be the real work to do, and these puplic employees are part of that. I prefer to look foreward and hold these polititions to the new vision.And part of that is, they work for us. In other words, ignore what your being told is the reality, and start insisting that WE call the shots, and our vision includes the well being of all our people, the whole Earth and her creatures. Energy is powerful stuff and you have to consciously use your mind to mold it. Don't let it get siphened off.And, by the way, how do people get paid to disrupt this site and how can you tell who they are?Besides they keep presenting the same solutions.

Helen D.

9:22AM PDT on Mar 26, 2011

Mary B they don't work for us anymore.. they work for big business... that's who pays their bills.. we no longer provide enough through our taxes to warrant anything other than contempt from them..

8:26PM PDT on Mar 13, 2011

"This is what Democracy looks like" is political propaganda. This is what it looks like to steal peace of mind, incite outrage,drain human energy, use valuable time, and rape peoples emotions for the purpose of feeding a sick need for power and dominence.
Our elected officials are expected to work for us,by working together to get things done, not to instigate revolt.Too many people in these crowds are beyond hearing any new information, and this makes them dangerous. A perfect excuse to declare martial law, ya think? Get a grip.

ruth a.

7:57AM PST on Mar 12, 2011

This is what Democracy looks like!

June H.

7:21AM PST on Mar 11, 2011

I wonder whether the police will protect him if he needs them. How fast would the fire department show up at his house? We need to overthrow the government.

Marie W.

10:34PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

Recall the Dictator!

Rosemary G.

10:25PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

He should be impeached and exposed!

Brian F.

5:51PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

We better all get in the streets like in Egypt soon or we will be working for the Koch brothers for 70 cents an hour with no union or barganing rights.

Nelson B.

5:38PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

Can hardly wait for Kasich and his Republican cohorts to be defeated in the next election. That's an going to be an awful long time to put up with them.