Jim Kimmel: An open letter to Speaker Jon Husted re: HB 151

From Jim Kimmel, June 9, 2007
Subject: HB 151

An Open Letter to Mr. Husted

The Ohio General Assembly is responsible for the preservation and protection of the State Retirement Systems. Please explain to me how HB 151 would help the retirees. That should be the only consideration. The whole idea of defined contribution ( which is the real goal here) will hurt retirees. But it WILL put dollars in the pockets of many who never taught, chased a criminal down the dark streets of mean neighborhoods, or who were shot in the act of police work, teaching, or died while saving someone's home from a fire.

I find it interesting that nowhere have the advocates of HB 151 ever said that it would improve the retirement systems. Did you ever, as this went forward, even consider how it would affect retirees ? And we both know it will not do a thing to stop terrorism.

Now it will be "voluntary". Again- how will this improve the retirement systems ?

James O. Kimmel
STRS Retiree