Ohio's next governor Ed FitzGerald supports women as well as labor.
Too often, we repeat like a mantra that voters have “short memories.”
Here in Ohio many Democrats have inexplicably adopted the position that negatives-laden governor John Kasich is a shoo-in for re-election, giving up before even fighting.
They insist that his contentious union-busting SB 5, which was repealed by a better than 60-40 margin in November 2011, will be long forgotten by next November — is in fact already ancient history to voters.
Apparently not to voters in Toledo, where a nonpartisan primary process put both Democrats out of the finals, pitting incumbent Mayor Michael Bell against city councilman Michael Collins, both independents.
Well, in the case of Bell, that should be “independent.” During the SB 5 repeal campaign, Bell snuggled up to Governor Kasich, insisting that the new law would give local governments more options to keep workers on the job — by cutting their pay and benefits without their input. In return, Republicans backed Bell.
The labor-friendly Collins won a 57-43 race, with strong backing from the Ohio Democratic Party. According to the Toledo Blade, Collins spent election night “celebrating with supporters at the Teamsters Local 20 hall in South Toledo.”