The Commonsense Job Creation Bill That Ohio Republicans Refuse to Take Up
As Mary Ann wrote earlier this week, our Ohio team has been focused on the Fair Districts amendment over the last few weeks. At the same time, we’ve also been taking on the big issue of outsourcing, and the impact it has on Ohioans.
You may be wondering how we got from redistricting to outsourcing. Well, it’s simpler than it may seem at first.
If we could get fair districts in Ohio drawn by an independent commission instead of politicians, and therefore have real and effective representation at the state and federal level, we will be able to hold politicians far more accountable on outsourcing and other issues key for working families. In short, to hold politicians accountable to working families, we need fair districts.
Until then, we have resolved to highlight important bills we hope our politicians will consider. One such piece of outsourcing-related legislation is H.B. 403, which would make sure state funds awarded to companies and people are spent on goods, services, and labor from the United States, whether the money is awarded via contract or through economic development assistance.
Sounds simple, right? After all, this is our tax money we’re talking about here, and yeah, it should be spent on goods and services made in the US. This is something our elected officials should be clamoring to support.
And yet…
The bill has been sitting in committee since it was introduced last December, waiting and waiting and waiting for the chairperson, Rep. Ron Young (R-Leroy Township) to decide to take it up. It’s as if my “I’m Just a Bill” disc was broken, so that it played the same line over and over. For some reason, this bill is stuck in committee with an unclear future.
What is the holdup?
After all, H.B. 403 would simply make sure the government spends our tax money wisely while supporting and strengthening U.S. jobs. And here in Ohio we could certainly use more jobs. Working families lose jobs and economic opportunities when corporations leave. It’s worse when companies move jobs elsewhere after they’ve been given tax breaks and other taxpayer subsidies to keep their headquarters here.
All of this outsourcing seems so clearly wrong to our members. In fact, our field team has been working diligently to talk with folks across Northeast Ohio about this issue. We’ve successfully collected photo petitions demanding that our politicians seriously tackle outsourcing by passing – or at least debating – H.B. 403 and other outsourcing bills. There’s no doubt that as we talk with folks in especially hard hit areas, their feelings of frustration about this issue are readily apparent.
It’s unconscionable that our elected officials in Ohio have yet to even hold a hearing on this bill, which addresses such an important issue for many Ohioans. Outsourcing doesn’t just affect the people who lose their jobs, although they obviously deserve a solution most of all, but it really affects the entire community and state. And our representatives should do something about it. Passing H.B. 403 would be a good start.
Want to join your fellow Ohioans and take a stand against outsourcing? Click here to become a Super Activist and get involved in this campaign.
Tags: Jobs, John Kasich, Ohio, outsourcing
