Ohio’s Minimum Wage Goes Up; Does Congressman Kasich Still Think It’s Too High?

COLUMBUS – Today, as it was announced that Ohio’s minimum wage will rise to $7.40 in January, the Ohio Democratic Party called on Congressman John Kasich to explain both his long record of opposing increases to the minimum wage, and his suggestion a month ago that he would cut Ohio’s minimum wage.

“Congressman Kasich, who made as much in 2008 as it would take a minimum wage worker 95 years to earn, has some explaining to do,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern. “Does he still think that the minimum wage is too high, and would he prefer to deprive minimum wage workers of this increase, as he has effectively promised to do?”

“Given that Congressman Kasich made $4,000 per session at OSU, up to $40,000 for paid speeches to special interest groups, hundreds of thousands of dollars from FOX News and a $432,000 bonus from Lehman Brothers the same year that firm collapsed, he owes it to Ohio’s minimum wage workers to explain himself and his record,” said Redfern.

BACKGROUND

Kasich Voted Against Raising, Enforcing Minimum Wage. From 1988 to 2000, Kasich voted at least six times against raising or enforcing the minimum wage.  [HR 3846, Vote #45, 3/9/2000; HR 3846, Vote #43, 3/9/2000; HR 1227, Vote #192, 5/23/1996; HR 5, Vote #70, 1/30/1995; HR 2, Vote #16, 3/23/1989; HR 2, Vote #86, 6/14/1989; Congress and the Nation, 1989-1992 (Vol. 8), CQ Press 1993; Congress and the Nation, 1985-1988 (Vol. 7), CQ Press 1989; Amy Hanauer, The State Of Working Ohio 2008, Policy Matters Ohio, September 2008]

Kasich Was Paid The Equivalent Of About $4,000 A Visit For Guest Lectures At OSU. According to the Dayton Daily News, “As a candidate for governor, Republican John Kasich has called on colleges and universities to cut costs and force professors to teach more courses. Yet for seven years Kasich served as a “presidential fellow” at his alma mater, Ohio State University, in a role that paid him the equivalent of about $4,000 per campus visit…The job was among the many hats Kasich wore in the years after he left Congress in 2000. Although other politicians, including Republican Senate candidate Rob Portman, have taught courses at OSU for no cost, Kasich’s role paid him $50,000 a year. Then-OSU President Brit Kirwin invited Kasich to serve as a fellow in August 2001. Starting with the 2002 winter quarter and ending last year, Kasich worked roughly one to five days a month — guest-lecturing in political science, economics, finance and psychology courses, posing a question of the month to first-year Mount Scholars, and serving as a panelist at banquets and forums.” [Dayton Daily News 8/16/10]

Kasich Says State Laws Should Be No Stricter Than Federal Laws. Announcing his regulatory initiative, Kasich said, “we should not engage ourselves in a business of making… Ohio laws tougher than the federal laws.”  Later, asked “Are you suggesting that Ohio’s regulations should be no stricter than federal regulations,” Kasich said, “Oh absolutely…   for Ohio to have tougher rules and laws, particularly as it applies to a great operation like Timken, makes no sense at all.  Absolutely, our rules ought to be more flexible and more manageable than what they send us out of Washington.” [Common Sense Initiative press conference, Ohio Capital Blog, 8/25/10]

2011 Ohio Minimum Wage 15 Cents Higher Than Current Federal Minimum Wage. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, 15¢ less than the Ohio minimum wage after the change announced today.  At the time of Kasich’s Common Sense Initiative rollout, the minimum wage was $7.30, 5¢ higher than the federal minimum wage. [Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, accessed 9/30/10; 2010 Minimum Wage, 2011 Minimum Wage, Ohio Department of Commerce, accessed 9/30/10]

Kasich Charges $10K-$40K For Speaking Engagements. Websites advertising John Kasich as a public speaker cite fees between $10,001 and $40,000:
•           $15,001-$20,000 [Washington Speakers Bureau, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $20,001-$30,000 [All-American Talent & Celebrity Network, accessed 9/30/10]
•           Over $20,000 [Dynamic Speakers Bureau, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $20,000-$30,000 [Keynote Resource, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $20,000-$40,000 [Brooks International, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $10,001 to $20,000 local or east coast, $20,001 to $30,000 west coast
[Leading Authorities, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $20,000 to $25,000 [Speakers Platform, accessed 9/30/10]
•           $15,001- $25,000 [National Speakers Bureau Inc., accessed 9/30/10]
•           $25,000 [Speakers' Network, accessed 9/30/10]

In 2008 Alone, Kasich Made Over Three Times Ohio Median Income From Speaking Engagements.Kasich was paid $165,719 for “delivering motivational speeches.”  In his speeches, Kasich provided insights on the financial crisis, even blaming it on Paris Hilton and Britney Spear.  Kasich commanded fees up to $40,000 for each speech.  The median household income in Ohio was less than three times that, only $47,988. [Columbus Dispatch, 4/2/10; Las Vegas Journal-Review, 10/8/09; Data compiled from U.S. Census Bureau, accessed 9/30/10; Brooks International, accessed 9/30/10]

Kasich Made $265,000, Over $6K A Day, On FOX News In 2008. Kasich was paid $265,000 in 2008 as a commentator on FOX News. According to the NEXIS Database, Kasich appeared on FOX News at least 42 days in 2008.  Kasich was paid roughly $6,309.52 for each day he was on FOX News.  [NEXIS database, accessed 4/2/2010; Columbus Dispatch, 4/2/10]