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Greetings,
Last week the Ohio House of Representatives Committee on
Financial Institutions voted 17-5 on HB151 which would require
Ohio's five public pension systems to divest investments with
links to Iran and Sudan. Next week this legislation is scheduled
for a floor vote in the Ohio House of Representatives. We are
asking you to contact your State Representative and urge them to
vote NO! on this piece of legislation.
Although systems such as OPERS and SERS are public pensions,
their dollars are not the property of the tax paying public.
They belong strictly to public employees and retirees. The
boards of these pension systems have the responsibility to get
the best return on their investment and not to attempt the
ill-conceived idea of setting foreign policy through our public
pension systems. For example, companies with links to Iran and
Sudan include Honda, General Electric, Cocoa-Cola, Boeing,
Toyota, and Ford. Divestment from companies such as these would
reduce OPERS returns alone by $244 million a year.
Again, please contact your State Representative and ask them to
vote NO! on House Bill 151. Thank you for taking part in this
important lobbying effort!
To find your State Representative, visit the website below and
go to the gray box on the AFSCME Power In Action Center
homepage. Enter your zip code, click the tag that says "state",
then click your State Representative's name. Here you will find
their contact information.
http://www.unionvoice.org/afscmepia/home.html
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