It was.

I cried. I cried tears of joy and tears of relief. I had been holding a lot of anxiety in about this election process, about the results. And while I know that the journey isn’t over, that Kasich is still in “control” of our state, I am just SO PROUD of Ohio tonight.

My family thanks you, Ohio. I thank you, Ohio. You may be not be my home-state, but you’re a state that I’ve grown to love. Thank you for doing me proud tonight. Thank you for caring for my family today.

[No official word on our school levy yet. It's very, very close. I'll blog that tomorrow. Right now, I'm rejoicing in this important-to-us victory!]

Goodbye SB 5! We Have Defeated Issue 2 in Ohio! is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Or so we thought.

We were fans of the original ad featuring Marlene Quinn relating a story about how Cincinnati firefighters saved her great-granddaughter. She wants people to vote no on Issue 2 so that our firefighters aren’t stripped of so much — too much.

This ad? Was Marlene’s same exact story with voice overs explaining how voters should vote YES on Issue 2 in order to save firefighters. It is horrible confusing for viewers, for voters, for everyone. FireDad and I just looked at each other. “Is that even legal?” I didn’t know the answer, but I knew that “it” was about to go down.

Here’s a comparison of the two ads so you can see what is going on:

We Are Ohio put out a petition late this afternoon asking for the removal of the political ad. In the email they sent out, Marlene spoke up about how she felt that the supporters used her video footage to confuse voters.

I think it’s dishonest and downright deceitful that they would use footage of me to try to play tricks and fool voters. It’s insulting to the brave firefighters that saved the lives of my grandson and my great-granddaughter Zoey.

I’m outraged. They did not ask my permission. I feel violated.

I want to stop Senate Bill 5. Everyone should vote No on Issue 2.

Let’s be honest: A group of people who would use someone’s very personal words in a way that was the direct opposite of which she intended them to be used doesn’t care about voters. This wasn’t just a personal affront against an old lady who has an opinion. This is an assault on the voters of Ohio. This is their only way of making this seem like a good idea. And even people who believe that Issue 2 is a good idea should be deeply concerned that their leaders are acting in such a manner.

A Cincinnati firefighter who responded to the fire where Zoey was saved from the fire asked for the ad to be pulled as well.

Reports on Plunderbund show that Building a Better Ohio finally issued a statement, and that they don’t care that they’re playing fast and loose with voter’s understanding. They don’t care about their voters, their voters’ comprehension of what is going on or the morality of using someone’s words in a matter that they did not intend. They simply want to win. It’s disgusting.

Columbus stations — except for WBNS, owned by the Dispatch group — have pulled the ad. I urge my Ohio readers to sign the petition to get the ad pulled — and, of course, to Vote No on Issue 2.

Sign the Petition So Voters Aren’t Confused About Issue 2 is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Though, let’s face it, I had lots of red, white and blue outfits and I’m, well, decidedly not conservative. In fact, my family was known for putting on a lovely display of smoke bombs and one time my dad tried to set himself on fire with a little helicopter thing. And despite that, shockingly, I’m rather liberal.

I’d like to think that the red, white and blue shirts, the barbequed chicken, the corn on the cob, the snap-pops, the sparklers, the berry cake, the flags we’ll wave and the fireworks display tonight will not be the deciding factor in their future political decision making.

I’d like to think that they’ll look back on days like today and remember something beautiful about their childhoods. Maybe they’ll remember painting flags. Or eating foods that they liked two days in a row. Or how we let them stay up way, way past their bedtimes so they could chase fireflies in the park while waiting for the fireworks. Or how it was a day for us, as a family.

Do I want them to love our country? Well, yes. Do I want them to tear up a little bit as they hear “God Bless the USA” or even our national anthem? Sure. But I also want them to realize that life is more than politics and debates and we have been afforded the freedom to say so and act as such. The colors on their shirt should no more shape their political beliefs than the size of the fireworks tonight. Growing up in my family, we were taught to believe what we want but know how to back it up. I want the same for my boys.

Maybe someday they’ll be conservative men. Maybe someday they’ll be liberals. Or independents. Or whatever is all the rage in 20 years. But I hope — and pray and wish — it’s less about what they did on the 4th of July and more about what they’ve sorted through in their own hearts, minds and experiences and come to a conclusion on their own. Because that’s what America is about.

Happy 4th of July — no matter how your kids will someday vote!

Happy 4th! is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

And I also wasn’t discouraged.

I didn’t tweet much about SB 5 yesterday, choosing instead to follow twitter and Facebook quietly as the day progressed toward the eventual outcome. When it eventually passed the Senate again with the changes the House passed, I simply said:

Horribly disappointed in Ohio's elected officials tonight. Trying to remember that this is not over. We will prevail. #sb5

March 30, 2011 8:34 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@FireMom

Jenna Hatfield

That tweet got me multiple replies, some retweets and a handful-plus of Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio-loyal followers. Do you know what that says to me?

It’s not over.

Those who passed this bill with the rush to get it in by the end of the month did so with the hope that our referendum in November wouldn’t garner the same amount of voters as next year’s Presidential election. They have underestimated us. If people are following twitter search results after ten o’clock at night and following people with like-minded views on the passing of Senate Bill 5, then those in charge are greatly underestimating the power we have when we band together.

We will turn out in large numbers. We will get the required signatures to get the referendum on November’s ballot. And we will turn out in droves to vote. We will be heard. We will be seen. We will provide for the middle class what those in power have taken away.

I promised at an earlier date to keep those who are interested up-to-date with information on how you can help and be involved with the process. If you are interested in getting involved immediately, please email killthebillohio@gmail.com with your contact information to volunteer. I did when I saw it on the Ohio AFL-CIO page this morning. Or you can sign up via the SEIU page with a simple form. And the Ohio Democratic Party has a form up as well.The first step will be collecting signatures. Our family will be participating. If you have the time, I encourage you and yours to do the same.

An email from the Ohio Democratic Party just let me know the following:

• 231,149 – Signatures needed to place a referendum of the law on the ballot.
• 1,000 – Number of signatures needed for petition language to be approved by the Attorney General and Secretary of State, before additional petitions can be circulated.
• 44 – Minimum number of counties where the petition signatures need to be collected.

As I learn more information about the efforts, I will keep you updated. My blog isn’t going to become an All Politics, All the Time blog as my family still lives a balanced life, but I will let you know what we’re doing and how you can get involved. I’ll be creating a specific SB 5 section of the site which you can choose to follow or not. New in that section today is an email from Andy Thompson about why he supported the bill.

If you have any other information about local or statewide efforts, please leave a comment or contact me.

SB 5: It’s Not Over is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Via ProgressOhio and Save Ohio Firefighters and Cops.

Wordless Wednesday: Save Ohio Firefighters and Cops is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

We’re not going to leave Ohio.

It was suggested to me that, if we’re so unhappy, we could “just move.” Except that it isn’t an option for our family or other professional firefighters in Ohio. Why? Fire certification is state based. Some states will accept certification in another state, but not all. And it usually requires some additional schooling. Add in the fact that he’d have to compete (civil service test, physical test, followed by interviews) to get in with other firefighters, and it’s not just an easy pick-up-and-move type option. And then there’s the losing of seniority and pension for which he has already worked six years. When FireDad and I started dating, he had already finished his fire training in Ohio. As such, the decision on whether I would move to Ohio or he would move to Pennsylvania was already decided. Ohio it was.

I have learned to love the state of Ohio, though I will always be loyal to Pennsylvania and, more specifically, Pittsburgh. I will never cheer for the Bengals, the Browns, the Blue Jackets, the Reds or the Indians. But I will teach my children the history of Ohio. I will help them learn the geography of their home state. I will work hard to make my now hometown the best version that it can be. I will be active in state politics. I will encourage my children to pay attention to things that affect them when it comes to said politics, whether that’s locally, state wide or nationally. I may not agree with the majority of political viewpoints in my specific area, but I’m pretty sure that’s allowed by law.

But we won’t just up and leave. I know we would survive if it came down to a Worst Case Scenario, but it irks me that people think we can just up and move and make a new life for ourselves in the blink of an eye.

Ohio is home now. We can’t, rather, won’t just leave because some politicians got their way. We’re in it for the long haul. If you don’t like that, well, your decision is up to you. But I’m not simple-minded enough to suggest you leave just to make me happy.

I promise to keep readers, especially my Ohio friends, up-to-date on any political action to repeal if (er, when) it passes the house and is signed by our Governor. Until then, be kind to your neighbors. I always tell my boys that if someone is bullying them to just walk away. In this case, I still suggest walking away — but don’t walk too far. The fight is just beginning.

The Passage of SB 5 Won’t Make Us Leave Ohio is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

Video via Chasefire.

And another view from inside the march:

Video via mwy1984.

FireDad is somewhere in that group. They marched from Union Local 67‘s hall to the Statehouse yesterday. I so, so wish we could have been there yesterday, but as some kind friends pointed out, I’ve been helping in my own way.

No on SB5!

(Normal Wordless Wednesday should resume next week. I had to chronicle the videos here as this bill is such a part of our life right now.)

Ohio Firefighters March to the Statehouse is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

I’m proud of you.

I’m normally pretty proud of you, and you give my heart cause to fill with more pride than usual on occasion. But I’m really proud of you today.

I know it’s cold. And I’m guessing your dress shoes that go with your dress uniform aren’t all that warm. And watching the coverage on Facebook, twitter and the blogs about how you were locked out of the statehouse — and likely haven’t made it inside even yet — made me boil with anger. Interesting that they locked protesters out on the cold, snowy, sleety, slushy, nasty day; not last week during the unseasonably warm weather. Interesting indeed.

But know that I am proud of you today.

I am proud of you for standing up for Ohio. For your job. For our family. For doing what you believe in. For standing up for others and what they believe in. For participating in the core of democracy; the right to stand up for what you feel is right… or wrong.

For being you.

I wish I could have been there today, to stand with you in solidarity. But I will be waiting at home when you return. I’ll even make you a hot tea with whiskey to warm you up if you so desire. I’ll stop short at rubbing your cold feet, but I’ll let you wear my Snuggie if you want.

I kid, I kid. We both know the Snuggie is mine.

What I’m trying to say is that you remain my hero.

Be safe. I’ll see you later tonight. Chant a little for me, wouldya?

All my love (and solidarity),
FireMom
NO ON #SB5!

A Letter to My Husband is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

I love how they explained why they’re standing with the other unions.

“We appreciate the fact that Governor Walker recognizes the unique work that firefighters do. However the PFFW is unable to stand by while legislation moves forward that undermines the rights of our brothers and sisters in other public employee unions,” Mahlon Mitchell, State President of the PFFW said in a statement today.

“We work with these public employees every day and cannot support a two-tier collective bargaining system that treats them so different than we are treated.

“We are all dedicated public servants. We each have unique duties and responsibilities and all are important to making our communities better places to live, work and raise our families.

“We therefore call on state legislators to reject the portions of the Budget Repair Bill that would permanently undermine the state’s collective bargaining law,” Mitchell concluded.

We stand with you, Wisconsin.

That second video made me cry last night, I admit it. As someone else said on YouTube, “Solidarity is? better when it comes with bagpipes. Go Wisconsin!”

It looks grim, but we will keep Wisconsin in our thoughts and prayers while the vote remains delayed. Our family hopes that our Senators here in Ohio listen to the masses more than they have in Wisconsin. No on SB 5!

Wisconsin Firefighters March on the Capitol is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.

As a fire family, I staunchly oppose Senate Bill 5 (SB5; bill text here) which aims to remove collective bargaining from unions. Every time I think of this bill, sponsored by Senator Shannon Jones (R – Springboro), I get this mix of angry anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It’s not just the security of my husband’s job and thus our livelihood on the line. It’s the safety of the citizens of Ohio.

While Firefighters are affected, they’re not the only ones. Who else will be affected by SB5? Your police officers. Your teachers. Your nurses. Your government workers. People you rely on for safety, for security, for education, for your day-to-day stuff. The stuff you take for granted. The Middle Class. For those that think teachers or firefighters or police officers or what-have-you make too much money, I’d like you to live a balanced life on our budget.

There’s a video on Facebook making the rounds right now from Xenia’s Word on the Street. I wish it was embeddable, but it’s not. It shows the faces of your public workers who will be affected by SB5. About a minute into the video, FireDad is seen with both BigBrother and LittleBrother after the big downtown fire in 2009. (Warning: Music is bad/cheesy.) And speaking of Facebook, feel free to join Stand Up for Ohio to keep up to date with the news on SB 5.

The below video isn’t strictly about Ohio as it delves more into the problems New Jersey is facing, but it’s a must watch. Touch my husband’s pension, will you? I think not.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

“What they’re doing to firefighters is un-American. It’s a Raw Deal.”

For more information on the SB 5 and, even more specifically pensions, you should read this letter sent to the Springfield News-Sun by Brian Leciejewski is president of the Springfield Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 333.. Here’s some important information that the public should understand about firefighter pensions. It’s misunderstood and being misconstrued by those supporting SB 5.

It is clear to us that this plan is a product of the governor’s personal hostility toward Ohio’s firefighters and police officers, and not based on the facts.

Here are the facts: First, the idea that your public servants retire with a windfall or “golden” pension benefit is an overstated myth.

For fiscal year 2010, the average annual Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund benefit for recipients was $35,650. Keep in mind that your professional firefighters and law enforcement officers do not pay into, and therefore do not draw from, any Social Security retirement or disability benefits. As far as our pensions go, this is it for us.

We share the cost of our pensions with the city in just the same way that people in the private sector share the cost of Social Security with their employer.

The Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters (OAPFF) has issued an Action Alert. (Obviously.) They’re asking for supporters to show up for hearings, which are running this week. I encourage you, if you can, make your way to the hearing today.

SENATE INSURANCE, COMMERCE & LABOR
Tue., Feb. 15, 2011, 2:30 PM, South Hearing Room
Sen. Bacon: 614-466-8064

Columbus Local 67 is providing an assembly area ahead of time if you’re interested at 12:00 with a briefing at 1:00pm. Location: Columbus Local 67 – 379 W. Broad St. – Columbus – 43215. We can’t attend as I’m working today, but please go if you can. Also, heed the warning on the site to act as professional as possible. There will be opponents present. Be the professionals that you are, whether you’re a family member or a firefighter.

Lastly, go ahead and look up your Senator and share your thoughts on the issue.

The photo of FireDad with the boys in the Xenia video.

This doesn’t have to be a partisan issue though most of the coverage, even the video above, strikes a partisan line. If you care about those who work to serve you, you can oppose this bill no matter your party affiliation. Don’t let your compassion and care for others be dictated by a party. Ours isn’t.

I didn’t include information in this piece about the teachers’ union, police officers or other government workers. If you care to leave a link here to other posts, articles or information for those interested in how those unions are being negatively affected by this bill, I would be grateful.

Ohio SB 5: A Raw Deal for Firefighters and You is a post from Stop, Drop and Blog. Want more of Stop, Drop and Blog? Like our page on Facebook! If you have questions, contact me or hit me up via twitter.