Wednesday, August 3, 2011 The Plain Dealer Breaking news: .com A7 LETTERS OPINION SB 5 ballot language must be clear and fair Terrance C.Z. Egger Debra Adams Simmons Elizabeth Sullivan Robert M. Long hio Secretary of State Jon Husted and the President and Publisher Editorial Page Editor Executive Vice President Editor Ballot Board will meet today to de- O termine two important issues pertaining to Senate Bill 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety. First, they must decide whether voter approval of SB 5 will be a “yes” or “no” question on the No- EDITORIALS vember ballot. We believe the answer to this question is clear. Article 2, Section 1c of the Ohio Constitution provides that where a referendum Debt agreement petition has been filed on a law passed by the General Assembly, the law shall not take effect until and unless approved by a majority of the is a reprieve, voters. Voters do not approve something by vot- ing “no.” It’s that simple. Second, the Ballot Board will finalize ballot not a solution language on the question. We believe that this language should be clear, fair and representative inally, after weeks of fitful negotiations of what SB 5 does, and should not be subject to and brinkmanship that damaged the political trickery in an attempt to thwart the F reputations of all involved, the House of power of the people. More than 1.3 million Ohi- Representatives on Monday evening and the oans signed the petition to exercise their right to a citizen’s veto. They should not be subjected to Senate a bit past noon Tuesday took the only tricks when they go to the polls on Nov. 8. responsible path and agreed to raise the statu- When Secretary Husted ran for office, he ran tory federal debt ceiling. At the very least, Con- on a platform of fairness. We believe that he has gress has made it possible for the federal gov- upheld his promise. We call on him to continue ernment to meet all of its bills and other to do so by following the Ohio Constitution and long-standing legal precedent and not to suc- financial obligations beginning today — and cumb to political pressure from political insid- presumably through the end of next year. ers. We believe he will do the right thing. But the legislative vehicle for preserving the Contact Jeff Darcy at: [email protected], 216-999-4445 View his cartoons on the Web at cleveland.com/darcy reputation and creditworthiness of the United Jay McDonald and Mark Sanders States of America — presuming investors aren’t Columbus already too appalled by the spectacle of Wash- McDonald, president of the Ohio Fraternal Order ington in knots — appears to satisfy almost no of Police, and Sanders, president of the Ohio As- one. Many Democrats are upset that it includes Delivering for women sociation of Professional Firefighters, are spokes- no new revenue to slow the growth of the debt men for the Protect Ohio’s Protectors Coalition. and the annual deficits that feed it. Many Re- pparently, the the heart of the hood, which Republicans in publicans wanted steeper, more certain cuts or federal debt problem the House of Representatives This deal does nothing an amendment to the Constitution to require a A ceiling crisis “I always get frus- recently tried to defund. has eclipsed big trated with discus- Which brings me to Sebe- balanced budget. news for America’s sions of cost, as if lius’ other salient point during o, the deficit-reduction bill has passed, the But if compromises are rarely popular, they women. there is no cost to our interview. president has signed it and all will be right are often necessary in divided government. So Let’s remedy that, doing nothing,” “It wasn’t that long ago S with the world. All except for one little de- cheers to those lawmakers — including Sens. please. Connie HHS Secretary Kath- when there was the huge de- tail: We will continue to run astronomical defi- Schultz and and Rep. On Monday, the leen Sebelius said in bate in the House and Senate cits as far as the eye can see. Obama administra- an interview Tues- floors — in the mid-70s and Steve LaTourette — who put the country’s im- The American people are being lied to by the tion announced that day. early ’80s — about including president, the leadership of both the House and mediate needs first and voted for this imper- insurance companies will “What happens if we con- women in health studies,” she the Senate and by most of the media. While pro- fect deal. have to provide birth control tinue with the number of un- said. “They were using men to claiming $2.1 trillion in deficit reduction, it is all In fact, it may take years to assess this deal’s services to women with no co- intended pregnancies? What study breast cancer. We’re smoke and mirrors. impact. As of now, the first increase in the debt pay. The new rules also elimi- happens to adolescent health still making up for lost time.” The only thing being reduced is the rate at nate the co-pay for other pre- for kids who get pregnant too Indeed. ceiling under the plan is accompanied by which future deficits grow. Our government will ventive health measures, such soon, and [then live] in pov- Finally, there is the radical continue to run huge deficits every year for the roughly $1 trillion in spending reductions over as prenatal care, counseling erty? What happens when right, which opposes birth- next 10 years. the next 10 years. But other than relatively and equipment for breast- women don’t get domestic vi- control coverage for all While the flames of our monstrous debt burn small cutbacks in the final months of this fiscal feeding, and screenings to de- olence counseling and stay women because it violates the our children’s futures, our nation’s leaders fiddle year and in fiscal 2012, most of the reductions tect HIV, gestational diabetes with their children in abusive religious practices of the few. around with meaningless bills that do nothing to in pregnant women or signs of situations? Those things add Emphasis on practices , not will occur in what Washington insiders call the resolve our problems. This bill grants the presi- domestic violence. up.” beliefs. Even among Catholic dent the authority to spend trillions more, delay- “out years.” This long overdue improve- Indeed, they do. Take preg- women, there is a wide gap ing meaningful reform once again. Mostly, that’s good: With the economy still ment in the lives of women’s nancy, for example. between church teachings weak, a sudden reduction in federal spending reproductive health is On average, women pay up against birth control and Bruce Drotleff could be disastrous. Recessions inevitably feed brought to you by the Patient to $50 a month for birth con- what goes on in the privacy of Parma Protection and Affordable trol pills, which is the most their own lives. deficits because revenues go down and ex- Care Act, sometimes called popular form of contracep- As the Guttmacher Institute Republicans have an unlikely ally penses to aid unemployed Americans go up. A “Obamacare” by those hoping tion. That’s $600 a year. reports, almost all sexually ac- hy are the Republicans concerned about strong recovery would be the best short-term you won’t notice that health Compare that total to HHS’ tive women in the United electing a viable candidate for the presi- solution to the red ink most Republicans decry. care reform was a good thing. estimated cost of an uncom- States have used a contracep- W dency? They already have a person who But in the long run, America still has to get The U.S. Department of plicated pregnancy and child- tive method other than natu- supports their agenda. He currently resides in Health and Human Services birth: $7,600. ral family planning at some the White House. its spending under control, and this compro- proposed the new rules in re- Even a math-challenged point. mise won’t do it. As well-intentioned as the sponse to recommendations journalist like me can calcu- Sixty-nine percent of them Kenneth Klocek White House and congressional leaders who by the nonpartisan Institute late the bare-minimum sav- report using a “highly effec- Parma cut this deal might be, some or all of them may of Medicine. The require- ings of avoiding an unplanned tive” method, such as the pill, The president punked out be gone in January 2013, and their successors ments kick in for insurance pregnancy: about $7,000. Of sterilization or the IUD. This plans that start on or after course, that’s just the starting includes 68 percent of Catho- fter observing President Barack Obama’s can amend those future spending targets. That Aug. 1, 2012. point when it comes to the lic women, 73 percent of negotiating skills with the GOP during the includes additional cuts that may be suggested There is an exemption for costs of raising a child, as any mainline Protestants and 74 A debt controversy, I am thankful that he by the 12-member “super committee” this leg- religious employers, but it is parent knows. percent of evangelical Chris- was not our president during the Cold War islation creates — or that would be imposed, if narrow. Churches and paro- Consider these two other tians. years. If so, today we would all be speaking Rus- the committee cannot agree on another $1.2 chial schools may refuse the well-documented statistics: These figures illustrate an sian. coverage to their female em- Nearly half — 49 percent — enduring truth about women: trillion in deficit reductions. ployees, but not hospitals and of pregnancies are unplanned. We have always been able to Ron Seketa To make a real difference, this super com- universities. Of those women who be- think for ourselves. Kirtland mittee needs to interpret its mandate broadly, There are predictable oppo- come pregnant, 95 percent re- Finally, we will no longer with long-term entitlement reforms and com- nents to this coverage for port using contraception only have to pay a penalty for our prehensive tax changes that begin to lower the women. One of them is the in- occasionally, or not at all. wise and responsible ways. Kucinich shows true colors surance industry, which Many cite prohibitive costs as reservoir of red ink America is preparing to claims the new requirements the reason. To reach Connie Schultz: pparently, Gerald Seidel (Letters, Satur- hand over to its children. That, of course, is will force everyone’s health “But wait,” opponents say. [email protected], day) has fallen victim to Rep. Dennis Ku- just the kind of grand bargain that both Presi- care costs to increase. “They have plenty of places to 216-999-5087 A cinich’s pretense to be a fighter for the un- dent Barack Obama and House Speaker John This is speculative, of go for free birth control.” Previous columns online: derdog. How can anyone believe that Kucinich cleveland.com/schultz Boehner said they wanted, but were unable to course, and it doesn’t address Places like Planned Parent- has an interest in the poor and abused after his apology for and support of the brutal, dictatorial accomplish — in large part because large seg- Syrian regime? ments of their own parties wouldn’t go along. The only way to move those partisans out of Gerald M. Saidel their trenches is for Americans to keep up the Pork? Earmarks? What do you mean? Cleveland Heights pressure for long-term fiscal reform. It can be done: The presence of Ross Perot and his insur- he road to Washington voted to slash military spend- helped secure the down pay- gent army forced both parties to rein in spend- is paved with broken ing and then voted for an ment on a $300 million har- ing in the 1990s, allowing an economic expan- T campaign promises. But amendment to quietly restore bor-dredging project back few are so rich in hypocrisy as the same money, including home. Not at all pork, said WRITE TO US sion to drive up revenues and actually balance those of House Republican $150 million for a warship to Scott, pronouncing the dredg- the federal budget. As this long, infuriating freshmen caught engineering be built in his district. Pork? ing a matter of national inter- To submit a Letter to the Editor: clash dragged on, many Americans seemed to hometown pork even as they Earmark? No, he insists, say- est. In the case of a new Online: log on to www.cleveland.com/ understand — better than their leaders at vow to slash the federal bud- ing he merely voted for a bridge in Wisconsin, Rep. plaindealer/lettertoeditor.ssf times — what was at stake and the need to get for the supposed good of package that happened to in- Sean Duffy reasons it’s no ear- Fax: 216-999-6209 the nation. clude that hometown goodie. mark since the legislation shore up America’s financial future. Mail: In March, just months after These gyrations have been listed no specific costs. Letters to the Editor, The Plain Dealer, Maybe the upcoming presidential campaign being sworn in, 22 of them detailed by The New York Minnesota’s Rep. Michele 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland 44114 will be a forum for a serious discussion of what plumped for more military Times’ Ron Nixon, who found Bachmann also supports the Guidelines: Include your full name, address Americans want their government to do — and spending in their districts nearly two dozen Republican bridge — and calls for a “re- and daytime telephone number for verification purposes. Letters must be fewer than 200 how they propose to pay for it. In the mean- than President Barack Obama freshmen pushing hometown definition” of what an ear- requested. projects ultimately worth bil- mark is. words long. We edit for length and clarity. All time, a bill no one really likes has backed Rep. Steven Palazzo, of Mis- lions. submissions become property of The Plain America away from the precipice. The chal- sissippi, who campaigned Rep. Tim Scott, a Tea Party This was excerpted from an ed- Dealer and will not be returned; they may be lenge is to use this breathing space wisely. fiercely against earmarks, favorite from South Carolina, itorial in The New York Times. published or otherwise reused in any medium.

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On the blog Letters to the editor PolitiFact Ohio , a joint venture of PolitiFact.com, The Plain Dealer and its online a!liate, cleveland.com, is a print and online service to help you uncover the truth in Ohio politics. A world without Chavez Have your say Our reporters and editors fact-check political TV talking Who might lead a post-Chavez Venezuela? With- R Moms should ignore people who get bent out points, speeches, interviews, press releases and mass out him, internecine strife would be inevitable, of shape over breastfeeding. They’ll get over it. e-mails, then the accuracy of the statements is rated especially among pro-Chavez factions, which are on PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter — True, Mostly True, as varied as they are divided. Some are heavily R Libertarianism’s disdain for government, em- Half True, Barely True and False. The most ridiculous Find the truth online at PolitiFactOhio.com or armed, and none seems to lack funding. brace of marketplace threaten basic freedoms. falsehoods get the lowest rating, Pants on Fire. cleveland.com and in print in The Plain Dealer.