Duke Snider to Judge Reece: Some of the bonuses are more money than many retirees receive in ONE year for supposedly doing their jobs

Don't forget: that $54,000 bonus alone is THREE TIMES the entire annual pension of some!

"...retirees are going backwards getting less and less while others at STRS are being treated as kings and queens. Maybe we're second class citizens or maybe we should do as a former employee said we need to 'cut back,' eat out less often or words to this effect."

"There was a lady who depended on the 13th check for her special shoes. She was asked what she would do since she would not be receiving it, and she said she would have to do without them. Kinda sad isn't it?"

Nov. 4, 2005

Honorable Judge Reece:

My wife and I are STRS (Ohio State Teachers Retirement System) retirees as of 1998. We have a total of seventy years of teaching experience. We devoted our lives to educating the youth of the great state of Ohio (until certain corrupt people entered the picture). We have been given information throughout our teaching career that STRS was the best retirement system. We received one 13th check and then it was discontinued. We have had a steady increase in health insurance premiums which we have no control. We receive a 3% COLA each year, BUT it is based on 1998 retirement salary and is not compounded.

Now you probably couldn't care less about the 100,000+ retirees, their family, and friends AND the 300,000+ active teachers, their family, and friends; however, your decision to rule in favor of the noninvestment people getting bonuses do affect many people. You see, Judge Reece, my wife and I paid into STRS, and these people also paid into STRS, because whether they were educators or not, because they paid taxes which go to the school boards who in turn pay their share into the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio.

According to information the noninvestment employees at STRS don't even pay into STRS retirement, but into PERS retirement. They supposedly didn't even have a contract and are basically at will employees who can be replaced at anytime. The STRS board supposedly voted to NOT give them bonuses. Some of the bonuses are more money than many retirees receive in ONE year for supposedly doing their jobs.

Let us assure you that we NEVER received a bonus for doing our job of teaching; i.e., meetings after school, grading papers at night, reaching in our pockets to help unfortunate children, buying shoes or clothing for children, and on and on. The reward we received was the warmth in our hearts and seeing a smile on the little faces who had no idea who helped them. We didn't sue our school board. We were doing our job and enjoyed it. Believe me there were sad time as well as happy times, one child lost his leg to cancer, another child died when his father ran over him with a vehicle, a child who had brain cancer (our own daughter), and on and on. We didn't sue our school board.

Probably the saddest day was when the D.A.R.E. instructor dedicated his program to Jane and me. He, unknowingly to us, got many pictures from our children at home, converted the pictures to a slide show, and believe me there wasn't a dry eye in the entire gym. That was our bonus. We didn't sue our school board.

Jane and I have been attending STRS meetings in Columbus since 2003 (not every one). Columbus is app. 100 miles north of Sardinia, Ohio. We live in one of the poorest counties in the state of Ohio. We chose to come back to our county after our first two years teaching in West Jefferson, Ohio, because we felt Brown County Ohio children need a good education and we felt we were good teachers, We had a chance to teach in one of only three exceptionally outstanding schools in Ohio, but we chose our home town. We were paid $3800 a year. We didn't get any bonuses. We didn't sue our school board. We just did our job.

Do you have any idea why we have been attending STRS board meetings and getting involved? We want to help fellow educators and we want to be treated fairly. There was a lady who depended on the 13th check for her special shoes. She was asked what she would do since she would not be receiving it, and she said she would have to do without them. Kinda sad isn't it? And here are STRS employees who have been receiving BETTER benefits than the retirees. Maybe you should read Dr. Dennis Leone's thirteen page paper about the perks, alcohol parties, trips, and on and on that has been going on at STRS.

Judge Reece, retirees are going backwards getting less and less while others at STRS are being treated as kings and queens. Maybe we're second class citizens or maybe we should do as a former employee said we need to "cut back", eat out less often or words to this effect.

When our school board made a ruling we followed the rule and we didn't sue them. Now we just wonder how much it is going to cost us (STRS retirees), because I bet the lawyers don't work free and the employees will get bonuses in the thousands. Maybe we'll be asked to donate a month's check to help cover the costs of paying the employees and lawyers. And you know what, there probably be retirees who would do just that. And do you think they would sue STRS? Quite frankly, we think (as long as our retirement system would not be jeopardized), the at will employees should be fired and be replaced with (now here's a word that many people have forgotten) LOYAL employees.

Judge Reece, you are an educated person and we find it extremely difficult to understand why the noninvestment people are so deserving. The whole picture (and you have heard just a fraction) certainly has not been studied thoroughly, because we STRS retirees are the ones who have been losing and will be losing. But you know what, we have bonuses in the form of memories of those whom we helped during our professional career. And we didn't sue our school board.

Judge Reece, probably you couldn't care less how we feel and the 100,000 other retirees feel, but some day you'll retire, and as our oldest son said, "you were put out to pasture, and they forgot about you." We would imagine you wouldn't have to worry about retirement, because we're sure your salary is much more than an educators. Maybe the noninvestment STRS employees won't have to worry either, especially when they receive their "hard earned bonuses". They sued the board.

Respectfully,

Kenneth and Augusta Jane Snider