SEIU 1199 Responds to Gov. Strickland's June 19 Ohio Budget Plan
The plan announced earlier today by Gov. Strickland comes as a response to unprecedented challenges. Though the Governor acknowledges with candor the difficulties he and we face, SEIU District 1199 does not agree with his assessment that the $2.43 billion in proposed cuts will preserve the core social safety net for the state's most vulnerable citizens.
This budget shortfall is clearly the direct result of the current recession combined with the previous administration's irresponsible mania for tax cuts, most of which haven't gone to average Ohio families at all. Therefore, any solution to this fiscal crisis must address that reality by including modest increases in tax rates targeted to those who can afford to pay them. The Ohio budget cannot be balanced solely on the basis of painful spending cuts and more gambling.
These cuts would include, to name a few: closing one or more Ohio Correctional Institutions, layoff of parole and probation officers, reduced mental health funding for communities and hospitals, cuts in behavior health services for children, cuts in community health services, reductions in health care facility inspections (including nursing homes), eliminations of meals and transportation for seniors and people with disabilities, and cuts in preschool and public library funding.
“We must oppose these revisions," said Becky Williams, President of SEIU District 1199. "Too many lives are at stake, so we urge our Governor and other elected leaders to increase revenues, and not to reduce vital safety net services, in order to get through this historic, economically dismal time in Ohio.
Our Union opposes these proposed cuts because they involve additional public-sector job losses and also eliminate vital services that we believe make Ohio a positive place to live, including libraries as well as officers who ensure that our neighborhoods remain safe and secure. To propose cuts of this magnitude at a time when more and more Ohioans are relying on these safety net services for survival is not shared sacrifice; it is unacceptable policy.
There are many options out there to secure these necessary revenues. If State leaders are willing to consider spending cuts which reduce funding to pre-2005 levels, then returning revenue sources to pre-2005 levels should at the very least be under equal consideration.
Please contact the
Ohio Governor,
House Speaker and
Senate President and urge them to pursue a balanced, fiscally responsible approach to this budget crisis, one that includes revenue increases beyond gambling and doesn't sacrifice the services needed the most.