Randi Rhodes: Ohio's Turn

What happens in Wisconsin doesn’t stay in Wisconsin. Even what threatens to happen in Wisconsin doesn’t stay in Wisconsin. The Ohio State Senate has just passed a bill that prohibits public employee unions from collective bargaining over health benefits and pensions. The union-busting Ohio bill is expected to pass the Ohio House and be signed into law by Governor John Kasich. The only difference between what’s happening in Wisconsin and Ohio is that it’s more likely to happen in Ohio. And soon.

In Ohio, Republicans sympathetic to the union were removed from key committees just before the vote was taken, and replaced by anti-union Republicans in order to advance the bill. They gamed the system to rig the results. Ohio Republicans conduct votes the way that Bill O’Reilly thinks that polls should be conducted.

Hour One Guest: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) – see video below.

Hour Two Guest: Journalist David Cay Johnston will provide you the truth about public pensions

Speaking of which, a new poll shows Americans are much more worried about jobs than they are about the deficit and government spending. If that conflicts with what the Republicans are doing right now, well, as John Boehner would say, “so be it.” While Americans find some budget cuts acceptable, they are strongly opposed to cuts in Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and education. People have no problem with trimming the fat. But Republicans don’t want to trim the fat, they want to trim the vital organs.

Schoolteachers are shocked at the scorn that the rightwing is heaping on them. According to conservatives, teachers are just glorified baby sitters. Of course, a lot of baby sitters make more than teachers do. Republicans say that teachers leave work at 3 in the afternoon and get summers off. Yeesh. If there’s anything that politicians can’t criticize anybody for, it’s short hours. If teachers only spent as much time at work as members of Congress do, people wouldn’t graduate from high school until they were 50 years old.

Finally, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a harsh critic of unions, now says “I love collective bargaining.” I’m sure he does, especially when the negotiators send out for pizza. Chris Christie definitely looks like the kind of guy who doesn’t mind taking a seat at the table. I’m just not sure it’s the negotiating table.

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Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) took to the House floor yesterday for some righteous truth telling, blasting the GOP’s efforts to lay the crimes of Wall Street on the shoulders of America’s teachers...

RANDI INTERVIEW: Rick Ungar of Forbes.com on Pensions

With all of false claims about pensions flying around, Randi turned to an expert on the topic, Rick Ungar. He shared with Randi the truth about pensions - and what Gov. Walker is REALLY up to in Wisconsin.
http://www.randirhodes.com/pages/videovault/videoplayer.html?uri=channels/345198/1202021