RH Jones: Why not a 13th check to help boost Ohio's economy?

From RH Jones, February 25, 2008
Subject: To help the economy a federal tax refund will arrive in May

To all:

In joyful hope, to boost the nation’s economy, we await the coming of our federal tax refund check, but what about a 13th check for Ohio’s retired teachers? That certainly would help boost Ohio’s economy. The conservative who sets in Washington’s Oval Office can see this; why can’t some of those conservatives in the Ohio Legislature see this? To accept the truth that changes our perspective requires humility. Are they up to it? Ohioans can only hope that they are.

HB 315’s passage would provide the steady stream of funding into the STRS health care fund and would also be spent in the health care facilities, pharmacies and medical doctor’s offices of Ohio’s local communities. These facilities, in part, then return these dollars to school districts through their property taxes. And they help local businesses through spending their profits, and earnings, in the surrounding commercial establishments. What is so hard for some businesses and some school boards to understand that? I learned this good business fact in the1½-yrs. that I studied business in college, starting way back in 1950. (Finding business accounting methods of that time too time consuming and boring for my personality, I switched to becoming a teacher instead.) Therefore, what is so wasteful of Ohio’s financial resources by putting some into the hands of those who taught you reading, writing and arithmetic? And may I add to that list those who taught you art, music, gymnasium, craftsmen shop classes, history, geography, social-studies and all the others skills needed to be a success in life? Putting a few “bucks” in the hands these retired educators is money well spent? Perhaps, then, some future college students will also be temped to change their majors to education. Business and education students learn that: The education of society will generate a prosperous society.

Perhaps, some conservatives would want to become like the economic elite free market fascists of the present times as in Red China or like the Nazis Germany of the past times - a few with everything, the rest with very little. Thank God we have a democratic free-market capitalist system whereby the public, and their retired teachers, can disagree and try to alter the unjust decisions of those holding powerful political positions. That’s my opinion.

RHJones, a retired Ohio STRS member