Socialism has never been good for business or families

Proponents want Ohioans to view this state mandate as healthy for Ohio families. They even call it “The Healthy Families Act.” After all, who wants workers to go to work sick? Who could be against a mother staying home with a sick child?

These highly emotional arguments may make good TV commercials but there is another side to the story. Whatever happened to the free-market system? Is it the proper role of government to mandate the type of benefits that every business, small and large, should give their employees? Isn’t such a right to negotiate contracts the constitutional right of every employee and employer as citizens of the United States? Why should anyone forfeit their rights to a government dictate?

Paid leave is actually the most commonly provided employee benefit in the private sector, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It can take various forms. Most companies voluntarily have a policy that provides each worker with options. Company policies must meet the needs of the company, but they also must meet the needs of employees to stay competitive in the workforce.

For hundreds of years American companies and employees, including organized labor have been working these matters out without the dictates of big government. Why should Ohio move to a socialistic command-control model now? No other state is laying this job-killing mandate on businesses. Why should Ohio be at such a competitive disadvantage?