Ohio lawmakers met at 1:00 in the morning Friday to sneak their pay raises into a Widows and Orphans bill. Besides providing cover for their raid on the taxpayers, the action also prevents Governor Kasich from using a line-item veto . which is only available on appropriations bills for special projects. He is now forced to either veto the bill completely and expose himself to charges that he is against widows and orphans or give the politicians their pay raise. Under the bill legislator’ salaries would rise automatically over the next 10 years from $60,584 to $73,167, the politicians thus spare themselves from having to vote each year to increase their pay. This is good money for a part time job. The legislature is only in session a few months of the year and most of the lawmakers hold full time jobs outside politics. These same lawmakers who can not find funds to repair Ohio’s roads and help the homeless  had no trouble finding money for themselves. By trying to use widows and orphans as a vehicle for their pay raises, politicians only confirm the opinion of most Ohioans that they are using their offices for personal enrichment not public service.

George Moss