RH Jones: SB 191 & HB 315 for a forward moving Ohio

From RH Jones, December 9, 2007
Subject: SB 191 & HB 315 for a forward moving Ohio

To Ann Hanning and all:

In a way Senate Bill No. 191 will help keep government employees in Ohio spending their retirement checks here rather than Florida, Arizona, or any other state or nation. According to the Ohio Legislature web site, the following Senators have sponsored this bill: Coughlin, Schuler, Mumper, Buehrer, and Schaffer during the 127th General Assembly of 2007-2008. Its purpose is to amend section 57047.01 of the Revised Code to exempt from personal income tax local, state, and federal government employees and military retirement benefits.

Of course, you understand that this bill does not have the power to exempt retired Ohio government employees from federal income taxes. But the legislature does have the power to exempt us from local and state taxes, which would be a help to both us, and Ohio. However, I would not want SB191 to interfere with the passage of HB 315 (The employer increase for STRS HC) which is much more important for retired educators, like myself, and for Ohio’s forward progress.

I have not studied SB 191, nor do I get paid to do so, but I would think that this exemption from local and state income taxes would, especially for retired STRS members, help somewhat. We presently lack our fairly distributed, and inflation fighting, 13th check. Our simple STRS 3% Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) – not compounded -- does not keep us up with inflation, nor does it help much in filling the gap in our increasingly larger share of our costs for the STRS HC/Rx. Of course HB 315 is a better solution than SB 191, but Ohio needs passage of both of these bills. Although this SB191 would serve those government employees with the highest income the most, it still would be a good thing for Ohio. No government employee is wealthy by getting paid by the local, state or federal government.

However, government retired employees have demonstrated good citizenship with a dedication and loyalty to their jobs over their employed years. Therefore, Ohio will be better off if retired government employees live in Ohio. However, lack of the retired educator’s fairly distributed inflation fighting 13th check, the STRS retired members need to get a secure, paid-for HC/Rx plan as well as the tax break. With retirement HC/Rx, our nation's best educators will gravitate to stay in Ohio to educate Ohio’s children for the betterment of our great Buckeye State. Ohio will be better with the passage of both these bills. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company has now committed to Ohio, is the Ohio legislature as committed?

This is one free American citizen’s learned opinion,

RHJones, ORTA Life Member and SummitCRTA Legislative Committee Member