Shirlee Zerkel to Rep. Willamowski: Stop HB 700

From Shirley Zerkel, December 12, 2006

Subject: HB700

Dear Mr. Willamowski:

I enjoyed meeting you and hearing you speak at one of the RTA meetings in Lima about a year ago. Thank you for supporting the retired teachers and the STRS in the past. Once again we are asking for your help.

Please do all that you can to block the hearing and vote on HB700 before Thursday, Dec. 14. If it passes, it will have a huge negative impact on two of the state's pension plans. These systems are STRS and SERS, both serving retired school employees.

If passed, HB700 will destroy the systems and the many thousands of retired and still active school employees. We will no longer have a pension that we paid into all our working years. We are not entitled to Social Security because of federal laws. So we will have nothing! No pension! No health care! That means that you and all other working persons in Ohio will be supporting us.

It is a known fact the Mr. Blasdel is an investor in his private life. By promoting this bill, it is obvious that he only wishes to secure a larger financial future for himself at the expense of all school retirees. If passed, this bill will destroy many many people who worked hard to educate the children of Ohio.

Sincerely,

Shirlee Zerkel

STRS retiree since 2002