Letters from Duane: We ALL need to write letters to our legislators to fight HB 151, HB 152 and SB 161
From Duane Tron, June 20, 2007
Subject: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
Dear All,
I am asking for you to step up and fight against passage of HB 151, 152 & [SB]161. Please write letters and send e-mails to lawmakers and the governor. You know this legislation is shaky when a person (me) who has been a registered Republican for the past 42 years comes out against it. This legislation might be well intentioned but I personally believe it is an attempt to destroy "public" pension funds in Ohio. The impact it will have on fighting the "War on Terror," is minimal. A piecemeal attempt by a handful of state legislatures to leverage this issue is next to impossible. As I indicated in my following letter, matters that involve international banking, commerce, and trade rest squarely with Congress, and the President, and not the individual 50 state legislatures. I have read this legislation and it is a can of worms. Folks, we don't even want to go there! We'll be battling for the next 50 years in dealing with the provisions of these three Bills. They are a mess that will do nothing to fight terrorism but will open a Pandora's box for generations to come.
Duane
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Just a little information to provide some insight into how ridiculous and inane the divestiture legislation is and how little it will impact the larger picture in the the global war on terror. The Ohio General Assembly is overstepping its authority under the Constitution and existing federal commerce and trade laws. This issue belongs in the hands of Congress and not the Ohio General Assembly, or any other state legislature.
Sincerely,
Duane E. Tron
St. Paris, OH
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Dear Governor Strickland,
As a retired Ohio educator, Navy veteran, 20 year retired volunteer firefighter, and member of law enforcement I respectfully request that you veto HB 151, 152, & [SB]161 when they come before you. Although the three pieces of legislation may be well intentioned they are ill conceived and fail to accomplish little apart from damaging investments of Ohio public retirees. I wholeheartedly support the "War on Terror" but a piecemeal effort by several state legislatures, to punish Iran and Sudan, in this manner, violates existing federal banking and commerce laws. As a former government teacher it is my understanding that such action should come from the Congress and not individual state legislatures. The duties and responsibilities for overseeing US Foreign Policy, and international banking and trade laws, rests with the Congress and President and not individual states. Please have your legal counsel research this as I don't want to spend a lot of time explaining the different parts of the Constitution and federal commerce and banking laws at this time.
If Congress enacts legislation that applies equally to all 50 states and US territories, restricting commerce and banking with 'commonly' identified terrorist states, then I find that acceptable. What the Republican controlled Ohio House and Senate are attempting to do is a veiled effort to destroy our five public pension funds and force privatization.
I leave you with one question. If it is so imperative for state pension funds to divest themselves of doing business with companies doing business with Iran and Sudan then why aren't they imposing the same rules to the private sector? If the intent of the legislation is to stop doing business with companies doing business with terrorist states does this mean we will have to divest from companies doing business with China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE, Syria, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Yemen, Turkey, France, Germany, plus many more? Why these countries? Because they all do business with Iran; business that includes providing nuclear technology, refining Iranian oil into gasoline, supplying weapons systems (i.e ships, combat aircraft, missiles, radar, etc), providing financial backing, providing computer technology and micro chips, and much more.
How are these bills going to impact the larger picture when we have no control over dozens of countries, who happen to be US trade partners, and who continue to provide assistance to regimes who sponsor terrorism. The end result of this ill conceived legislation will be to cause further financial damage to an already floundering Ohio economy and its struggling retirees. Any legislation such as this should come from Congress and not a handful of state legislatures.
Sincerely,
Duane E. Tron
St. Paris, OH
Subject: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
Dear All,
I am asking for you to step up and fight against passage of HB 151, 152 & [SB]161. Please write letters and send e-mails to lawmakers and the governor. You know this legislation is shaky when a person (me) who has been a registered Republican for the past 42 years comes out against it. This legislation might be well intentioned but I personally believe it is an attempt to destroy "public" pension funds in Ohio. The impact it will have on fighting the "War on Terror," is minimal. A piecemeal attempt by a handful of state legislatures to leverage this issue is next to impossible. As I indicated in my following letter, matters that involve international banking, commerce, and trade rest squarely with Congress, and the President, and not the individual 50 state legislatures. I have read this legislation and it is a can of worms. Folks, we don't even want to go there! We'll be battling for the next 50 years in dealing with the provisions of these three Bills. They are a mess that will do nothing to fight terrorism but will open a Pandora's box for generations to come.
Duane
---
June 20, 2007 10:44 AM
Subject: Fw: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
Dear Mr. Marshall,Subject: Fw: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
Just a little information to provide some insight into how ridiculous and inane the divestiture legislation is and how little it will impact the larger picture in the the global war on terror. The Ohio General Assembly is overstepping its authority under the Constitution and existing federal commerce and trade laws. This issue belongs in the hands of Congress and not the Ohio General Assembly, or any other state legislature.
Sincerely,
Duane E. Tron
St. Paris, OH
---
June 20, 2007
Subject: Re: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
To The Honorable Governor Ted Strickland Subject: Re: HB 151, HB 152 & HB 161
Dear Governor Strickland,
As a retired Ohio educator, Navy veteran, 20 year retired volunteer firefighter, and member of law enforcement I respectfully request that you veto HB 151, 152, & [SB]161 when they come before you. Although the three pieces of legislation may be well intentioned they are ill conceived and fail to accomplish little apart from damaging investments of Ohio public retirees. I wholeheartedly support the "War on Terror" but a piecemeal effort by several state legislatures, to punish Iran and Sudan, in this manner, violates existing federal banking and commerce laws. As a former government teacher it is my understanding that such action should come from the Congress and not individual state legislatures. The duties and responsibilities for overseeing US Foreign Policy, and international banking and trade laws, rests with the Congress and President and not individual states. Please have your legal counsel research this as I don't want to spend a lot of time explaining the different parts of the Constitution and federal commerce and banking laws at this time.
If Congress enacts legislation that applies equally to all 50 states and US territories, restricting commerce and banking with 'commonly' identified terrorist states, then I find that acceptable. What the Republican controlled Ohio House and Senate are attempting to do is a veiled effort to destroy our five public pension funds and force privatization.
I leave you with one question. If it is so imperative for state pension funds to divest themselves of doing business with companies doing business with Iran and Sudan then why aren't they imposing the same rules to the private sector? If the intent of the legislation is to stop doing business with companies doing business with terrorist states does this mean we will have to divest from companies doing business with China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE, Syria, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Yemen, Turkey, France, Germany, plus many more? Why these countries? Because they all do business with Iran; business that includes providing nuclear technology, refining Iranian oil into gasoline, supplying weapons systems (i.e ships, combat aircraft, missiles, radar, etc), providing financial backing, providing computer technology and micro chips, and much more.
How are these bills going to impact the larger picture when we have no control over dozens of countries, who happen to be US trade partners, and who continue to provide assistance to regimes who sponsor terrorism. The end result of this ill conceived legislation will be to cause further financial damage to an already floundering Ohio economy and its struggling retirees. Any legislation such as this should come from Congress and not a handful of state legislatures.
Sincerely,
Duane E. Tron
St. Paris, OH
posted by Kathie Bracy at 2:55 PM
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