FOP Queen City Lodge, No. 69
FOP Ohio Valley Lodge, No. 112
Friends – I have worked my entire political career to keep taxes low and government small. Period.
The Hamilton County Commissioners (Monzel excepted) recently voted to increase the sales tax. I believe this decision is far too important to not be decided on by the people – especially in the high-tax environment in which we currently find ourselves.
That’s why I am part of broad coalition to gather enough signatures to get this issue on the ballot, for an up or down vote, by the citizens of Hamilton County.
Will you join me?
Friends – someone shared this simple, amusing and yet powerful video illustrating the absurdness of the pro-abortion crowd’s arguments. Enjoy and please share!
In late March, State Rep. Tom Brinkman attended Mariemont’s Town Hall meeting, an annual tradition for the village dating back to its founding in 1941. Another tradition of the village is their Town Crier who is considered an officer of Town Meeting whose official duties include opening the Town Meeting and leading the Memorial Day Parade.
St. Rep. Tom Brinkman and Mariemont’s Town Crier, Bob Keyes
Have you got your Brinkman sign???
The following appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer on April 13, 2016.
St. Rep. Tom Brinkman
Since I have spoken publicly about my intention to propose a right-to-work bill this legislative session, I have gotten numerous questions. Supporters want to know what it will take to win and finally make union membership an individual choice, not a job requirement.
Other concerned voices ask why I would resurrect this issue now, when it is sure to ignite passionate disagreement. To them, I can only say that this is the right thing to do.
The United States was founded on principles. Freedom of association – to belong or not belong to a religious, civic, social, or labor organization – is one of the most precious. But this right is violated every day by our current labor laws.
Over the past three-quarters of a century, unions have become the ultimate zombies. They are granted overwhelming protection under the law, such that a certified union remains in a workplace forever. The employees who voted it in retire and move on, but the union outlives them all.
The result is de facto employee disenfranchisement. Department of Labor statistics show that a mere 7 percent of unionized workers actually voted for the labor organization claiming to represent them. The rest were never offered a say.
The problem is compounded here in Ohio, because it is perfectly legal to require these employees to pay dues to a union they don’t like and have no way to get rid of. The only way out is to abandon a job they need to feed their families. Hundreds of thousands of Buckeyes fall into this trap.
Change is needed to remedy this injustice. Right-to-work laws put an end to mandatory union membership. That way, employees can vote with their dollars. If they believe the union is doing good things, they can pay dues and get actively involved, just as they can today. But if they believe the incumbent union has fallen out of touch with workers’ interest, they can opt to rescind their financial support.
Already 26 states offer employees such freedom. Not only is it welcomed by workers, it has proven beneficial to the economy. A Glassdoor Economic Research study found that of the 50 cities recovering most quickly since the Great Recession, 72 percent were in states with right-to-work laws. And most of them saw an increase in the average hourly wage as well.
Just look at the windfall right-to-work states are seeing right now in automotive, aerospace and high-tech manufacturing jobs, and you’ll see what Ohio is missing out on.
Right-to-work in Ohio is an essential step that can be made through the passing of Ohio HB 377, but another necessary change can only be made at the federal level. Congress must update the U.S. statutes that cover union certifications and operations. The Employee Rights Act is the best legislative vehicle being considered.
This bill would ensure that unions serve at the will of their members. One of its most important provisions is a periodic recertification election, which would at last give current employees a vote in whether or not their workplaces remain unionized. Other provisions would guarantee employees fair, democratic election processes and protect their paychecks from mandatory political giving. For the many Republican union members across Ohio whose pay is being docked to fund Hillary Clinton’s bid for president, this would be a welcome change.
To be clear, the message here is not anti-union. Neither a right-to-work law nor the Employee Rights Act would ban, restrict or inhibit unions in any way. Only labor organizations surviving solely because employees have been denied the right to choose their own representation have any reason for concern.
State Representative Tom Brinkman was a speaker at the FreedomWorks Morning in America Summit this past Saturday at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brinkman spoke to the thousands of conservative grassroots activists on hand about his leadership on the Right to Work issue in Ohio.
On Tuesday, December 1st, State Representative Tom Brinkman gave the following testimony to the Commerce & Labor Committee of the Ohio House of representatives.
Sponsor Testimony on HB 377
Good Afternoon Chairman Young, Vice-Chair Devitis and Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on HB 377, the Private Sector Right-to Work bill. Simply put this bill is about making Ohio more competitive and business friendly as well as supporting personal liberty.
Our neighboring states of Michigan and Indiana have passed Right to Work and Ohio would be the 26th state to do so, after Wisconsin in March of this year. In the global economy when companies are considering places to move or expand into; Ohio must be able to compete with Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin for those jobs. Right to work is long overdue here in Ohio.
Beyond the economic benefit right to work would create for Ohioans; this bill presents an opportunity to expand one of America’s most fundamental and cherished principles …freedom of choice. Why should someone be forced to join a Union in order to have a job? Why should someone have their hard earned money taken and used to support issues (political or social) that they may not agree with? If this bill passes then unions will have to compete on a level playing field for membership.
I believe this bill is good for Ohio and I ask for your support. Thank you for your time today, I’d be happy to answer any questions from the Committee.
Click on the image to download the testimony
A taxpayer lawsuit has been threatened against the city of Cincinnati over the $200,000 donation from the Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners toward the park levy initiative.
Minutes from 8/20/15 meeting
That taxpayer is Tom Brinkman Jr., a Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives from Mount Lookout, who has acted as a spokesman and chairman of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes, better known as COAST.
Brinkman sent a letter Wednesday to City Solicitor Paula Boggs Muething. He called the Park Board donation “an abuse of corporate powers and/or misapplication of funds within the government of the City of Cincinnati.”
Ohio law creates a provision for any taxpayer to challenge its government for such reasons.
The donation by the Park Board came to light on Monday, after The Enquirer uncovered the donation in a review of public board meeting minutes.
Under Ohio law, a donation to a political campaign would be illegal if the donation were made with public funds. However, park department and board officials have said the donation is legal because it was taken from a private endowment given to the Park Board and does not constitute public money.
Park Board President Otto Budig issued a statement on Wednesday that reiterated that the money was not given to the levy campaign for Issue 22, but to a 501(c)4 nonprofit called Great Parks Great Neighborhoods, incorporated by former Mayor Charlie Luken.
Brinkman quoted a section of the Charter of the City of Cincinnati – Article XIII, Section 3 – that he believes prohibits the board to spend any money toward a levy campaign.
“Notwithstanding anything in this Charter to the contrary, no monies of the City of Cincinnati or any of its Boards or Commissions, from any source whatsoever, or funds of any other entity disbursed by the City or any of its office, campaign committee or any candidate for any public office, political action committee, or political party, or may be expended for the purpose of advocating the election or defeat of any candidate for any public office, or for the passage or defeat of any ballot issue,” the section reads.
Muething said her office has set out to explore the facts of the situation at hand and will review the action by the park board.
“We have to take time to look at the statements of the letter and investigative if there is truth to the allegation,” Muething said.
A call for comment to Budig was not returned Wednesday night.
Ohio law requires that a taxpayer give the municipality or county government the chance to act first. In this case, Muething would need to file an injunction on the city itself, in court, to reverse the action.
“I hereby request that you, as City Solicitor, make application to a court of competent jurisdiction for an order of injunction … as well as the recovery of such funds on behalf of the City of Cincinnati,” Brinkman wrote.
If not, Brinkman’s attorney Curt Hartman said his client is prepared to file a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Hartman, who has his own practice Amelia but is of counsel to the Finney Law Firm in Union Township, has brought similar taxpayer lawsuits against local governments, including two from Brinkman and one from Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Smitherman, prior to Smitherman’s current term on council. The Finney firm is led by Chris Finney, another COAST leader.
In Brinkman challenged the “validity of the mayor receiving any additional payment characterized as an ‘automobile allowance,'” Hartman said. That case, filed when Mark Mallory will stay mayor, was dismissed when John Cranley took office because said he didn’t plan to take such an allowance.
Brinkman also challenged the “validity to the parking lease agreement when the city manager entered into an agreement that contained language different than that authorized by the city council,” Hartman said. That case was also eventually dismissed, although the parking plan was eventually dismantled by Cranley.
As an organization, COAST has been successful in the past when suing the city. Cincinnati settled half a dozen pending lawsuits with COAST by paying the anti-tax group $675,000 in January 2014.
COAST has announced its opposition to the parks levy.
The Board of Park Commissioners has its last regular public board meeting before the Nov. 3 election at 9:15 a.m. Thursday at its office at 905 Eden Park Drive.