RH Jones: A progress report on Ohio H.B. 315

From RH Jones, April 8, 2008
Subject: A progress report on Ohio H.B. 315

To all:

A legislator committed to traditional public schools just informed me that the last time he spoke with GOP Legislative Rep Oelslager (The Sponsor of H.B. 315), he had learned that Oelslager had not yet provided Sponsor Testimony. It seems Oelslager is still trying to line up support. One wonders, what is the delay? And one can assume that he is speaking of Republican support, for it is that sort of support that is needed in Columbus to pass ANY measure…as you readers may already know. Also, among the majority party, in general, one can then assume that there is little support for H.B. 315. In the next election, the 114,000 retired teachers need to cast their votes very carefully.

Because Oelslager is well respected by all, and the bill has bipartisan supporters, I wonder what would the GOP majority party in Columbus would be thinking when they are so slow in implementing a steady stream of HC funding for our STRS as supplied by H.B. 315? The Sponsor, Rep. Oelslager, and the other forward thinking co-sponsors are in tune with attracting business to Ohio. They realize that an educated population does just that. Why cannot the rest of the GOP legislators understand that? The founding fathers of Ohio understood it; and are not the GOP for tradition?

My individual opinion,

RHJones , a retired teacher member of the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System (STRS)