CIN

As governor, John Kasich is legally required to balance the state budget. This is a known duty of his job, not something he should tout as an accomplishment.

If Gov. Kasich had balanced the budget without compromising our individual liberties and property he would have something to brag about, but he has not done that.

In a number of areas, Gov. Kasich, with his accomplices in the legislature, has sacrificed our rights and responsibilities as Ohio citizens, in exchange for federal government bribes.

Medicaid expansion is an example. He cemented our state to the federal trough, which allows them to dictate our health-care regulations.

As a result, we no longer decide for ourselves how to care for those in need, hence stuck in a system that is financially unsustainable and provides poor health care to the poor versus rolling up our sleeves and creating free-market solutions to the conundrum.

Education is another - parallel - example. The 10th Amendment places the “power” to oversee education in the states and in their people.

Gov. Kasich and Rep. Stautberg support the untested, experimental Common Core standards; (adopted before they were written) in order to funnel federal grant money into a hole in the budget.

As with all federal programs, however, this requires federal compliance, and Ohio schools must teach what the federal government prescribes.

Our teachers will have no choice but to teach this copyrighted material, the content of which was developed (and will be) dictated by unelected D.C. bureaucrats and crony-businesses that stand to make millions off of the “education” they sell.

This is a precarious position for any state or country that wishes to produce free-thinkers, let alone maintain some semblance of sovereignty.

To the power-hungry, big-government leaders of all parties, balancing the state budget is a distraction intended to divert our attention from the fact that in their quest for the almighty federal dollar they have turned us, and by extension our children, into federal pawns.

Ohio needs more principled leaders, like State Rep. Andy Thompson (sponsor of HB237 Common Core repeal bill) and candidate Tom Brinkman, who will stand up to this government expansion and refuse to vote for this tyranny.

After two years of meetings with and writings to Rep. Stautberg forewarning of this federal intrusion I condemn him for allowing the Common Core tentacles to root themselves in our schools.

Rep. Stautberg does not represent the will of his constituents. He is too busy groveling at the state Republican Party trough and advancing his career by climbing a ladder planted firmly on our children’s backs.

The Primary is our recourse. Moms and Dads, I urge you to become informed beyond sound bytes of a wayward Republican Party establishment, and send them a message on May 6. If you want to change the policy, you must change the people.

Please send a message to Rep. Stautberg and his cronies that we will not go any further down his road to serfdom.

Sue Hardenbergh is an Anderson Township resident.