I have worked with Bud Shaver for the last few years on the board of the SEANC 4th branch. The endorsement of Joe Boylan by SEANC was just a misinformed action.

If they had checked the record of General Shaver, they would have found out that he was a "mover and shaker" in the suit that allows the retirees among them to get their retirement benefits without any state tax being taken out.

He worked long and hard in the halls of the legislature and in the courtrooms to protect their constitutional rights in the tax cases.

The biggest consequence of SEANC's endorsement will be that they will not have General Shaver to work for them in the future.

They are probably not aware that the next generation of state retirees will have to pay taxes on their annuities, unless something is done in the legislature to correct that inequity.

We (the 4th branch) will continue to back the bill (this year it was HB1267) when it gets introduced in the next session, but I am afraid we will lose a strong supporter in General Shaver.

Shaver is no Johnny-come-lately. He has been working for SEANC employees for a long time. They made a bad political decision and just don't know how to get out of it. They should admit it and not endorse any candidate if they are not going to endorse General Shaver.

Paul E. Sams

Whispering Pines