John Boehner: Unions Have A 'Machine Gun' Pointed At 'The Heads Of Local Officials'

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) weighed in on the labor protests rocking the Midwest on Sunday, saying that the current system of collective bargaining is too tilted in favor of labor unions.

"In some of these states, you've got collective bargaining laws that are so weighted in favor of the public employees that there's almost no bargaining," Boehner said in an interview with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network. "We've given them a machine gun and put it right at the heads of the local officials and they really have their hands tied. And I think what you're seeing in these states is they're trying to bring some balance to these negotiations that when you look at the pay of public employees today and you look at their retirement benefits they are way out of line with many other working Americans."

Boehner placed part of the blame for the current situation on the Obama administration, who, along with the Democratic-controlled 111th Congress, "bailed out the states where they could avoid making the tough decisions," he said.

"Well, there are no more bailouts coming from Washington," Boehner said. "We're broke. We're broke! We don't have money to dish out to the states, so all these governors are trying to find ways to balance their budgets, which they're required to do."

WATCH:

Boehner cited his home state of Ohio among those facing tough choices. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is pushing a bill that, like Wisconsin's controversial budget repair legislation, would eliminate collective-bargaining rights for state employees and curtail the rights of local-level government employees.

Ohio's current collective bargaining law hasn't been changed in the 30 years since its inception. As The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports, it gives state and local workers the "right to collectively bargain for their working conditions and allows police and fire officials a right to seek binding arbitration."

"I'm not anti-union," Kasich recently told The Columbus Dispatch. "I think unions are an important part of the American fabric, but what we're doing here is basically to start sticking up for taxpayers and private-sector workers who have made enormous sacrifices over the last decade."

Kasich added that the collective bargaining proposal is just "one piece of an overall reform agenda." He is slated to present his two-year budget on March 15.

Thousands have turned out to Ohio's statehouse to protest the bill, and the Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America (OFA) -- among other groups -- has been mobilizing in the state.

Last week, Boehner also criticized President Barack Obama for OFA's involvement, comparing protests to what was happening in Greece. "When the American people watched the people of Greece take to the streets to protest cuts to unsustainable government programs, they worried it might foreshadow events in our nation's distant future, but today, we see the same sort of protests on the streets of Madison, fueled by President Obama's own political machine," Boehner said in a statement.

Comments

[ConDsenXieN]

07:54 AM on 04/01/2011

"We're broke! We're broke!"

Screw you, Boehner. The country isn't broke. Get rid of your precious tax cuts for the wealthy and watch how much more money you'd end up with. Stop spending ludicrous amounts of money on "defense" and "security" and look how much more money you'd end up with.

Stop tanning every three hours and look how much more money you'd end up with.

[Syllogizer]

12:54 PM on 03/08/2011

Boehner never misses a chance to lie for his lobbyists, does he?

[JackStark]

12:47 PM on 03/08/2011

Boehner is right, we are broke. We need to cut expenses. Do we really need two Senators from each state? and all of those Representatives? We need to eliminate all government paid congressional staff. If the congressmen need help let them hire helpers. Eliminate 'franking' since the USPS is losing money. Eliminate free healthcare for congressmen and also make them pay the Social Security tax the rest of us pay. Close the medical clinic in the Capital Building and send the Navy doctors that staff the clinic back to help our servicemen. Turn off the heat and air conditioning, energy is expensive. Since being a Congressmen seems to be a part time job, with so much of their time spent working on their next election, pay them hourly. They actually should be paid by the states they represent. If the state is in the red then no pay.

[Syllogizer]

12:55 PM on 03/08/2011

No, Boehner is not right. Why, he couldn't be more wrong. We are NOT 'broke'. Far from it. On the contrary: as a percentage of GDP (which is the right way to measure it), our national debt is actually lower than it has been for quite some time.

But I like your proposals for where we should cut;)

[JackStark]

01:01 PM on 03/08/2011

Tell that to the millions out of work, the millions who are under employed, the millions who have lost their life savings, the millions who will not be able to go to college because their parents are broke and the millions who have lost their homes.
Remember when Mao told the Chinese to 'tighten your belts'? Many of the Chinese had already eaten their belts.

[chabuka]

01:42 PM on 03/08/2011

The United States is NOT broke...all the money is in the hands of about 400 hundred people...because they having been moving the entire wealth of this country (redistributing it) UPWARDS for thirty years....you don't have any money in your pocket because Wall Street stole it and the Corporations pay -0- (nothing in taxes) but Corporations (especially the "energy " Corporations recieve taxpayers subsidies, Defence Contractors recieve no-bid contracts, the wealthiest just got a 1 trillion dollar tax cut (Over a ten years period)...in some cases thes Oil Copration have paid nothing in taxes...but have stiloled recieved refuns...(tell me how that works?..if you or I pay nothing in taxes...we get nothing back) why..because we are just "workers"? I suggest you do some research and stop listening to the GOP...they want your money so they can give more tax breaks to big Corporations and thwe wealthiest top 2%...why can't you figure that out...the WI. shotfall that Walker keeps talking about is 140 million and mirrors exactly the amount of money he gave the wealthiest Corporations in Wisconsin (and the wealthiest individuals in tax cuts...!) as it does in Ohio, New Jersey, Indianna..etc...connect the dots...think for your self...this country is NOT broke...you and I are..and the Coprations are bust shipping American jobs over-seas for cheap wages....50,000 factories in the last ten years

[wyb]

10:44 AM on 03/08/2011

That is similar Jesse "Machine Gun" Kelly's campaign againt Gabbe Giffords in Tucson. The Repuplican candidate was firing a full auto AR at posters of the Congress woman at a rally. It is provocative and that kind of fear mongering brings out the nuts.

[skyewriter]

05:39 PM on 03/06/2011

And the elected GOP's Freudian psychosis with guns continues...

[SeattleSage]

04:03 PM on 03/06/2011

that pesky ol' democracy thing keeps getting in his way.
his idea of collective bargaining conjures up the image of a machine gun since
that's the method he uses to get his way.

[lulubelle1956]

05:51 PM on 03/05/2011

The whole GOP is violating the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, especially Walker, who refuses to collectively bargain.

[Siebenstein]

06:51 PM on 03/04/2011

We, the people, should stop engaging in any discussion that lends to either party's profit by distracting us from real issues !

[lulubelle1956]

02:54 PM on 03/04/2011

Mr. Boehner--were you the one who planted those bullets on the grounds of the WI capitol?

[Retrofuturistic]

10:50 AM on 03/04/2011

No, John. The GOP has a machine gun pointed at the head of the middle class.

[CornellDublier]

10:00 AM on 03/06/2011

correcto mundo

[Blackjackii]

01:20 AM on 03/04/2011

Anybody remember what happened in Ariz two months ago?

I recall it was something that might have something to do with the verbiage used by the speaker... gosh what was that? It was all over the news...

[buhhdaluvsallbutyou]

12:48 AM on 03/04/2011

and the republican party and people like him have a "machine gun" pointing at the american people when they would not budge on giving the richest people in america a HUGH TAX BREAK, so the rest of us have to pay for it..

[aosborneh2o]

08:49 AM on 03/04/2011

I think it was a HUGE TAX BREAK. Unless guys named Hugh are totally psyched about filling out their 1040 this year. :)

[fuel4thefire]

10:49 PM on 03/03/2011

WRONG! Boehner has a machine gun pointed at Social Security: The WSJ reported late today: House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that he’s determined to offer a budget this spring that curbs Social Security and Medicare, despite the political risks, and that Republicans will try to persuade voters that sacrifices are needed.

“People in Washington assume that Americans understand how big the problem is, but most Americans don’t have a clue,” Mr. Boehner said, speaking in his Capitol office. “I think it’s incumbent on us, if we are serious about dealing with the big challenges, that we go out and help Americans understand how big the problem is that faces us.”

He added, “Once they understand how big the problem is, I think people will be more receptive to what the possible solutions may be.”

Mr. Boehner also spoke forcefully in favor of raising the government’s debt limit, a move strongly opposed by many conservative House Republicans. He reiterated that the action would have to be coupled with significant spending cuts.

Now it's personal.

[buhhdaluvsallbutyou]

12:50 AM on 03/04/2011

here here!!! and if the republican didn't go on a spending spree to pay for their wars and giving money to bid corporations and their friends we would still a balanced budget like when CLINTON LEFT OFFICE.

[fuel4thefire]

10:48 PM on 03/04/2011

And her is a tidbit for you: I live in San Diego and all day at the Miramar Air Station they have been doing take offs and landings; they do that when preparing to go overseas; Secretary Gates yesterday stated in order to implement a No-Fly-Zone in Libya we would have to take out their air power. So, as you see, while we wind down one war -- Iraq -- we engage in another to stoke the war making machine which supports the right wing. On and on it goes. There is plenty of money for defense contracts BUT nothing for the people who pay the taxes to support the wars; CRIMINAL!

[gypsyette]

07:41 PM on 03/03/2011

Oh, Johnny, just quit with the histrionics, will ya? Just stick to what you know best, cocktails and ciggies. Let the non-emo boys play up on the hill.

[Buhe]

09:25 AM on 03/03/2011

John Boehner has shown that he has a lying problem.

He makes promises that he never attends to keep and tells people things that aren't true like they're idiots.