The Republican Party's worship of so-called local democracy and states' rights is a scam - and John Kasich just proved it.
On Monday, while most of the world was busy watching twin tragedies unfold in Berlin and Ankara, the Ohio governor signed a bill that effectively killed local democracy in his state's biggest city - Cleveland.
Until Kasich and his Republican allies intervened, Cleveland was set to hold a special election next year to raise its minimum wage to $15 - which while about 7 dollars less than where the minimum wage would be if it kept up with productivity - is still almost twice Ohio's current minimum wage of $8.10.
That won't happen now.
The bill that John Kasich signed on Monday - Senate Bill 331 - prohibits communities in the state from raising the minimum wage beyond the state's minimum wage rate.
So much for all that state's right's stuff - apparently.
There is absolutely nothing surprising about this.
Zero - zilch.
Republican support for local control has always been just a cover for the party's real purpose -- protecting the interests of big business.
When local control is good for big business they'll support it.
When local control threatens big business - Republicans will violently oppose it.
You can see this with North Carolina's bigoted bathroom bill - which also banned local minimum wage hikes.
You can see it with Tennessee congresswoman Marsha Blackburn - who wants to block municipal broadband to protect Comcast.
And you can see it with those Republicans in Congress who've tried to ban local GMO labeling laws.
When it comes down to it - Republicans will gladly run roughshod over small-d democracy if doing so means more money for the millionaires and billionaires who fund their campaigns.
You could almost call it hypocritical if it weren't so clearly the plan all along.
-Thom
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