Bruce Hodges to Speaker Jon Husted: This is not the way to do it

From Bruce Hodges, June 13, 2007
Subject: HB 151

Dear Representative Husted,

Please work to defeat HB 151. This bill works to harm American companies, Ohio workers in those companies, and Ohio retirees who are the least that can afford to lose the income from their pension plans. We are not the enemy. Please help all representatives see that any legislative action taken to ruin American companies and harm Ohio citizens is not an appropriate way to defend America. The presenters of this bill have not thought this action through to fully understand the negative impact it will have on workers and especially Ohio retirees who are already suffering from the high cost of health care and medications.

It seems to me that in the free market system, all stocks divested by the public pension plans will only be purchased by other investors who will then receive the dividends from that stock. American companies will decide to leave Ohio and move to friendlier states for financial growth, and Iran and Sudan will not even know what we have done to ourselves. If they did know, they would probably laugh at us for harming our own population in a blind, poorly considered attempt to hurt them.

Sincerely, a loyal, American retiree of 40 years in education in the state of Ohio.

Bruce Hodges

Lima, Ohio