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John Kasich on Jobs

Republican Governor; previously Representative (OH-12); 2000 & 2016 candidate for President

 


Work is a good and noble thing, for purpose & satisfaction

I once read a study that said that people would rather live in poverty than live in a community where there was no work, and I gave that a lot of thought. Work is a good and noble thing. It helps people realize a purpose in their lives. It gives them satisfaction. But once that's addressed, I start realizing, a leader needs to start looking out for the people in his state or the people in his country the way a father would his children. Once your kids are educated and land a good job, you then help them with a myriad issues related not to money, but to the challenges they are made to face along the way. Too often these challenges can lead to fear, to a feeling that things are spinning out of control.

That fear turned out to be a driving emotion of the 2016 presidential campaign, and the front-runner tailored that image to stoke that fear. In response, the American people elected a strong-man who they believed could help them address that fear and get control of their lives once again.

Source: Two Paths, by John Kasich, p.207 , Apr 25, 2017

No local vote on $15 minimum wage; keep $8.10

Kasich signed legislation blocking next year's special election vote on whether to raise Cleveland's minimum wage to $15 per hour. Senate Bill 331 prohibits communities in the state from raising the minimum wage beyond the state's minimum wage rate, currently set at $8.10 per hour. State lawmakers passed the bill earlier this month at the request of Cleveland city officials.

Raise Up Cleveland, the group sponsoring the proposal with the backing of the Service Employees International Union, had aimed to get a $15-per-hour minimum wage proposal on the November ballot. But Cleveland City Council held months of contentious hearings on the proposal, and the issue narrowly missed that ballot deadline, buying city officials and other opponents more time to try to quash the measure.

Proponents of a minimum-wage hike have said it would help the local economy by putting more money in the hands of poorer Clevelanders who are likely to spend it. Kasich signed the bill without comment.

Source: Plain Dealer on Ohio legislative records: Senate Bill 331 , Dec 19, 2016

I created jobs in Congress & in Ohio; let's make it thrice

Our most important moral purpose as leaders in the political system is to make sure we create an environment for job creation so people can live their dreams and realize their God-given potential.

I've been an innovator my entire career. And I really don't care what special interests or lobbyists have to say. I have a job to do when I take over a public office. Now, we freeze non-defense discretionary for eight years. We also put an increase in defense spending. Our tax cuts balance out. And at the end of the day, we will get to a balanced budget.

And I want everybody here to know, when I was Budget Committee chairman in Washington, I stepped on every toe in that town, and we got to a balanced budget, and we had enormous job growth. And as governor of Ohio, we went from 350,000 lost jobs to a gain of 347,000 jobs. I'll do it in Washington. I've done it twice; I'll do it thrice for the United States of America.

Source: Fox Business/WSJ First Tier debate , Nov 10, 2015

When you balance the budget & cut taxes, people get work

When you balance the budget and you cut taxes, people get work. Our most important moral purpose as leaders is to make sure we create an environment for job creation so people can live their dreams and realize their God-given potential. For those at the bottom, we've got to do what we can to train them so they can move up. To look the other way is not acceptable. We've gotten it done in our state, and I will do it for America.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate , Nov 10, 2015

Don't raise minimum wage willy-nilly, & do it at state level

Q: You supported a "reasonable" increase in the federal minimum wage, but then you backed off.

KASICH: No, people were asking me about minimum wage and I said it's very important that we don't raise the minimum wage willy-nilly and we end up throwing out of work the most unskilled workers. I also said that if you're going to have a raising the minimum wage, it ought to be something that gets calculated between employers and labor. And I fundamentally believe it ought to be done at the state level.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Sep 13, 2015

Limit collective-bargaining rights for public employees

For his first high-profile crusade as Governor, he took on organized labor, championing legislation to limit collective-bargaining rights for public employees. The Legislature was happy to accommodate, and less than three months after being sworn in, Kasich signed Senate Bill 5 into law. The unions promptly struck back, launching a fierce campaign to repeal the measure via referendum. Activists mobilized. Money poured in from out of state. Kasich's popularity cratered. Come November, SB 5 was crushed at the ballot box, a defeat that garnered national coverage and humiliated the governor.

But then things took a turn for the weird. The pugnacious Kasich conceded defeat. Graciously. On election night, he issued an official statement noting that "the people of Ohio have spoken, and I respect their decision." And then, he let the issue go. For some Kasich-watchers, this was when the governor began to moderate.

Source: National Journal 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Mar 7, 2015

2011: Public employee union reforms overturned by voters

Unlike Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), Kasich was defeated in his clash against public employee unions during his first term. Kasich's efforts to reform state labor laws were overwhelming reversed by voters in a 2011 ballot initiative.
Source: Robert Costa in Wash. Post on 2016 Presidential hopefuls , Feb 11, 2015

No strikes allowed for public employees

Gov. Kasich passed collective bargaining reform legislation that outlawed strikes for public employees, banned arbitration, implemented merit pay for teachers, and gave cities and school boards greater flexibility. Thousands of union activists stormed the Ohio state capital to protest the changes about the same time as the protests in WI.

One big difference between our bill and the bill in Ohio was that we exempted firefighters and police officers from our collective bargaining reforms. Kasich had not. This allowed the unions to cast Kasich as an enemy of public safety.

Kasich never got a chance to implement his reforms. Kasich's opponents simply needed to gather 230,000 signatures to trigger a referendum. By July 2011, they had gathered 1.3 million. That meant his reform law was immediately suspended and put on the ballot, where it was repealed before the changes could take effect. Ohio voters never got an opportunity to see whether or not the reforms had worked as Kasich promised.

Source: Unintimidated (Walker), p.156-7, on Ohio Voting Record SB5 , Nov 18, 2013

Let employers hire replacement workers during strikes

Kasich voted NO on the Cesar Chavez Workplace Fairness Act: Bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to prohibit permanent replacement of strikers:

Makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer to hire a permanent replacement for an employee who, at the beginning of a labor dispute was in a recognized labor organization, or engaged in collective bargaining.

Source: Congressional Record, H.R.5, 103rd Congress; roll call #224 , Jun 15, 1993

Incentives to businesses create jobs & raise wages.

Kasich signed the Contract with America:

[As part of the Contract with America, within 100 days we pledge to bring to the House Floor the following bill]:

The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act:
Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages.
Source: Contract with America 93-CWA10 on Sep 27, 1994

Other candidates on Jobs: John Kasich on other issues:
2020 Presidential Democratic Primary Candidates:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 GOP and Independent Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (Libertarian-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Howie Hawkins (Green-NY)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich (R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
CEO Howard Schultz (I-WA)
Pres.Donald Trump (R-NY)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
V.C.Arvin Vohra (Libertarian-MD)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld (L-NY,R-MA)
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External Links about John Kasich:
Wikipedia
Ballotpedia

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
State Rep.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)





Page last updated: Dec 15, 2019