Signs of the times: Anti-Kasich signs sprout along, removed from Ohio turnpike

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CGE) - Signs along roadways generally offer drivers information that can be useful, while other signs only add to the commercial advertising that routinely clutter the view. The dozens of guerilla marketing signs that have sprouted along portions of the Ohio turnpike, and been removed as quickly as they have been spotted, reflect the love-hate relationship some Buckeyes are having with their first term governor.

 

But who's responsible for the distribution of dozens of signs along the Ohio turnpike saying Ohio's first-term Republican Gov. John Kasich has sold out middle class workers and wants more foreign investment is unknown. 

 

A reader who requested anonymity due to an employment situation sent a picture to CGE of one of dozens of identical signs that represent the sour assessment some have on Gov. Kasich's performance so far. 

 

Elected in 2010, when he defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland by a scant two percentage points or fewer than 78,000 votes statewide, Kasich, a Republican who prides himself on doing things differently no matter who takes offense, has completed the first of four years in office. Coming to office with a reputation as a change agent, Kasich earned his stripes by ruffling many a feather in his first year overseeing Ohio's recovery from a long and deep recession.

 

Among the many new wrinkles Gov. Kasich has brought to state government are two efforts that may be part of the effort behind the guerilla marketing plan to place several dozen printed signs, the kind attached to thin metal frames that constitute what are called commonly called yard signs, along portions of the turnpike that traverses northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania.

 

One effort Kasich liked - leasing the turnpike for decades in exchange for a billion or more dollars today that he and others say could be used for other infrastructure improvements in norther Ohio but which could also be used in other parts of the state - was launched when the former Fox TV channel talkshow host was a candidate running for governor.

 

A second one he showed great interest in as governor was the radical reformation of Ohio's nearly 30-year-old collective bargaining bill for public employees, a bill he pushed through a friendly Republican legislature and signed into law early last year over the objections of Democrats and even some Republican state senators who said it was a bad idea.

 

The bill (SB 5) passed the General Assembly with minor scrapes and dents, but it got clobbered by a 2-1 margin by voters at the polls last November, as Democrats, unions and their allies rallied to fend off what they called an attack on middle class Ohio workers. SB 4 sought to do what Republicans have dreamed of doing for decades, neutering the public unions that represent over 350,000 police, firemen, teachers, nurses and service workers through reforms that essentially said they could only bargain for wages and working conditions.

 

CGE contacted the OTC to ask what was known about the signs. Rick Hodges, OTC Executive Director, said they were made aware of the signs based on visual observation of them. 

 

"Notification of these signs trickled in through several members of my staff," Hodges told CGE via email, adding, "In total we may have removed and disposed of a couple dozen of these signs, but I don't know the exact number."  Hodges said the OTC remains unaware of who placed the signs.

 

Hodges added these signs within the OTC right-of-way were removed when OTC workers became aware of them. Lauren Hakos, OTC Public Affairs/Marketing Manager, confirmed that any signs, regardless of type that are placed within the Ohio Turnpike right-of-way without authorization will be removed."

 

Statehouse watchers have wondered whether talks of such a deal has caused any friction between the OTC and Kasich. According to Hodges, it hasn't. "The OTC is not concerned that these signs would have any influence or impact on the relationship between our agency and the Governor's Office," Hodges said.

 

Gov. Kasich, working with Director Jerry Wray at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), is expected to receive a report from consultants about what kind of revenue selling or leasing the turnpike would bring to the state.