Conservative policy group's Web site is Play Sick Ohio
The Ohio Roundtable lined up against the mandatory sick-days proposal yesterday, pledging to spend $1 million to defeat the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The influential conservative public-policy group set up a Web site, Play Sick Ohio, that seems to mock the formal name of the ballot initiative, the Ohio Healthy Families Act.
If approved by voters, the initiated statute would require all businesses with 25 or more employees to gave each full-time worker seven paid sick days each year. Part-time workers would receive a prorated amount of time.
David P. Zanotti, familiar to many Ohioans as a persistent opponent of gambling issues, argued that the sick-leave proposal is wrong on constitutional and economic grounds and would open the door to "enormous" abuse.
"This would be putting Ohio on the chopping block for job-killing," Zanotti said.
He also took aim at Gov. Ted Strickland, who has tried, without success, to quietly negotiate a deal that would keep the issue off the ballot.
"You can't compromise with a horrible idea," Zanotti said. "The governor needs to have the backbone to tell the unions … 'You can't have everything you want.' "
Strickland told reporters yesterday that he hopes a compromise can be reached, but he expressed frustration because the two sides have been unwilling to give ground.
"I can tell you that if it does go to the ballot, it will be because certain stakeholders decided to play chicken with this issue, not knowing what the final outcome would be, and that is not a wise course of action," Strickland said.
The deadline for submitting petitions for the fall ballot is Aug. 6. However, the proposal could be withdrawn before Sept. 5, the deadline for printing ballots.
Dale Butland, spokesman for the coalition of unions, churches and other organizations supporting the ballot issue, called the Play Sick Ohio name "grossly insulting to average, hardworking Ohioans."
"He's saying Ohioans are a bunch of closet liars and cheaters who can't resist taking advantage."
