LOOK OUT OHIO !! Lobbyist & Vendors driving Constitutional Amendment

A new political scheme has been hatched that is bent on mortgaging the future of Ohio's children to fill the pockets of lobbyists, unions and vendors seeking unrestricted profits. "Right for Ohio" is a group created for the sole purpose of passing a constitutional amendment this November. This would secure special interest an almost limitless source of taxpayer dollars.

The group "Right for Ohio" is now circulating petitions throughout the State of Ohio in order to place a constitutional amendment on this November's ballot. Designed to exploit the Ohio legislature's failure to address school funding, the amendment's propaganda claims that it is the ultimate fix for our children.

A closer look at the 13 groups behind this amendment reveals a mix of lobbyists, teacher unions and vendors. They seek only to gorge themselves by increasing the amounts of taxpayer dollars your school district sends them. They have desperately wagered everything on this bid for access to the public's purse vowing to spend between $5 and 15 million dollars on their campaign. COAST has learned that Ohio Education Association (OEA), the teachers union, with it's 130,000 members, will be issuing a demand for an additional $25 in dues. The OEA's efforts alone could translate into a possible $2,500,000.00 for the campaign. The Ohio affiliate of the National Educational Association is expecting a huge payback for their investment.

No Accountability, No Limit to Taxes, No Limit to Spending
The amendment, promising a 'high quality education", makes not mention of where additional funding will come from, how much money is enough for state bureaucrats, and no accountability for how these anticipated millions upon millions of new tax dollars will be spent. COAST maintains the majority of Ohio's schools suffer from a spending problem, not a funding problem. Newpapers all across Ohio have reported increased funding has not improved student perfomance. Ohio taxpayers agree as school districts across the state are increasingly failing to pass local tax increases without demonstrating efficient use of those funds already entrusted to them.

A High Quality Education Only for Some Ohio Students ?
Worse than the certainty of higher taxes and the lack of accountability is the false claim that the amendment will provide a better education for children. Only certain Ohio children will benefit because its focus is really on the special interests that seek to pass the amendment. The amendment fails to consider funding for charter schools, joint vocational, parochial or private schools and home schooled students.

Tax Relief ?
The amendment calls for tax relief for some in Ohio but fails to identify how to make up these "lost dollars". Proponents say local districts will roll back property taxes. However, "Right for Ohio" spokesperson David Varda recently stated this amendment does not force districts to decrease levies nor stops districts from asking for higher taxes. COAST asks citizens to consider when was the last time any school district in Ohio stopped asking for a levy?

Is Your Local School District Under Someone Else's Control ?
Jim Betts, speaking on behalf of the amendment, stated proponents are banking on the support of all 614 Ohio public school districts to assist in their campaign. A story in one Ohio newspaper boasted how a school board member made copies of petitions, gave them to principals who then distributed them to staff. School employees willing to use taxpayer resources to make photocopies and gather signatures during work hours to promote ballot issues, cheat Ohio children. Should they continue, districts may find themselves in violation of the Ohio Revised Code (3315.07) by using taxpayer resources to promote a political issue.

Decisions regarding millions of taxpayer dollars should be made by legislators, not un-elected  "ed'u'crats".

COAST will be providing updates to this amendment as they become available. If anyone has information concerning any public school district improperly using taxpayers resources to promote this issue, we want to hear from you using this email: legal@gocoast.org