The campaign in Ohio for this November’s referendum, on whether to sustain or repeal Gov. John Kasich’s new law SB 5 — getting rid of most collective bargaining rights for public unions — just got a lot uglier.
Now, the Dayton Daily News reports, some TV stations are pulling an ad from the pro-bill campaign — and splicing it into an ad for the anti-bill campaign, and making it look like the woman in the earlier spot favored the bill.
Last week, the progressive group We Are Ohio released an ad starring a senior citizen, Marlene Quinn, talking about how firefighters saved the life of her grand-daughter.
“I don’t want the politicians in Columbus making decisions for the firefighters, the police, teachers, nurses, or any organization that’s helping people,” Quinn declares in the ad. “Fewer firefighters could mean the different between life or death — and that’s why I’m voting ‘No’ on Issue 2.”
In response, the pro-SB 5 group Building A Better Ohio has a new spot up, sampling from We Are Ohio.
The counter-spot begins with a snippet of Quinn: “If not for the firefighters, we wouldn’t have our Zoey today.”
Then an announcer cuts in: “She’s right — by voting ‘No’ on Issue 2, our safety will be threatened. Without Issue 2, communities will need to lay off hard-working firefighters, to pay for the excessive benefits of other government employees.”
Here is the original ad from We Are Ohio:
And here is the Building A Better Ohio counter-ad:
We Are Ohio released a statement from Marlene Quinn, saying in part:
“I think it’s dishonest and downright deceitful that they would use footage of me to try to play tricks and fool voters,” Mrs. Quinn said.
“It’s insulting to the brave firefighters that saved the lives of my grandson and my great-granddaughter Zoey. I’m outraged. They did not ask my permission. I feel violated,” Marlene said. “I want to stop Senate Bill 5. Everyone should vote No on Issue 2.”
However, as the Dayton Daily News reports, Building a Better Ohio is standing by their spot.
The pro-SB 5 group, Building a Better Ohio, believes it is on firm legal footing in running the ad, said spokeswoman Connie Wehrkamp.
Jason Mauk, another spokesman for Building a Better Ohio, issued a written statement that said in part: “Opponents of Issue 2 chose to use a personal story to make a political argument, but the same story makes an even more powerful case for supporting the reasonable reforms we’re asking of our government employees. Without Issue 2, our communities will continue to lay off police officers and firefighters because they can’t afford to pay them. By asking our government employees to pay their fair share of benefits and earn their paychecks based in part on performance, we can generate millions of dollars in savings that will keep safety forces on the job protecting the public.”
