Ohio's mandated sick days are all about 2008

As I've said in numerous posts, the so-called Healthy Families Act, better known as mandated 'sick days Ohio,' is all about driving voters to the polls for the presidential campaign, more than it is about actually providing a 'benefit' (that is anything BUT a benefit) to Ohioans.

I guess they still don't get it: imposing more mandates on the job providers only means that they'll cut out something else in order to afford the new mandate - often jobs or other benefits. That's not 'healthy' for job growth in Ohio and this certainly doesn't lead to a business-friendly environment in Ohio.

A message to Obama and the 'Sick Days Ohio' supporters: please - we're begging you - stop trying to 'help'!

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dale Butland, 614-783-5833 or Brian Dunn, 614-286-7763

Obama Endorses Paid Sick Days

Presidential Candidate Says They're Vital to Women's Economic Security

Ohioans for Healthy Families, the state-wide coalition behind the paid sick day ballot initiative in the Buckeye state, expressed delight today that Illinois Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has decided to make seven paid sick days a key part of his campaign for the White House.

At campaign events yesterday and today in New York, Virginia, Michigan and Missouri, Sen. Obama and his wife, Michelle, are highlighting paid sick days as part of a plan to bring economic security to America's working women. According to the Obama campaign, the plan is designed to help women and families deal with a range of work-related challenges.

In a statement accompanying the plan's release, Sen. Obama said:

"I don't accept ... an America that makes women choose between their kids and their careers. It's unacceptable that women are denied jobs or promotions because they've got kids at home. It's unacceptable that 22 million working women don't have a single paid sick day. When I'm President, we'll take these critical issues head-on and help women and families thrive in a changing economy."

Coalition spokesman Dale Butland offered this reaction:

"We're delighted that Sen. Obama recognizes the importance of paid sick days and is making it a key part of his Presidential campaign. With Ohio polls consistently showing over 70% support for the Healthy Families Act, we hope Sen. McCain will do likewise. In any event, it's now clear that the Presidential campaign dialogue will include paid sick days. As a result, voters will be learning a lot more about this family values issue in the weeks ahead."

Note: In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Obama is a co-sponsor of S.910, a federal bill that would mandate allowing workers to earn 7 paid sick days per year. Sen. McCain is not a co-sponsor, and his position on paid sick days is unknown.

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Note to Sen. Obama: America doesn't force women to choose between their jobs and their children, the women do that on their own when they decide to either have children and/or have a job. If you want to devote full attention to your children, you cannot distract yourself from that task by having a job. If you need to work in order to afford to support your children, perhaps that's a consideration you should have made prior to actually having children. If you're in a situation where you are now a single mom supporting your family, I feel for you, but that doesn't mean that the state must create a law that says you must be paid for any time off work that you must take. You had the child(ren) and must now take responsibility for that decision, incurring all the joys and consequences of it as well.

On a similar note, I find it "unacceptable" that Sen. Obama believes people should be paid for time not worked, regardless of the reason. Why is acceptable to expect a company to pay someone when they are not at work earning the compensation? Why doesn't he find it 'unacceptable' that people want something for nothing? Or, in keeping with his socialist tendencies, does he think people are 'entitled'??

In the end, if Sick Days Ohio passes in Ohio, we can expect companies to respond - and not in a favorable way. They will either increase the price of their goods sold, eliminate some other benefit or reduce the numbers of workers in order to pay for this mandate for the ones left. None of these outcomes will "help woman and families thrive" in Ohio or in the nation.

Other Commentary:

Obama demonstrates lack of business sense