FLASHBACK -- 1 YEAR AGO -- Molly to ORTA's Richard -- Have things really changed in one year?

From: Molly Janczyk
To: Richard Stearns
Sent: Friday, December 31, 2004
Subject: RE: Response to CORE

Richard, Thank you for this response to date. Some misperceptions are iincluded and a ******* response is under each response of yours by me. Others may respond as they wish.

From: Richard Stearns
Subject: Response to CORE
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004

Dear Molly,

As I had promised earlier, I will have responses to the e-mails which you have forwarded to me. I had thought that I would do it all in one e-mail but it was becoming too cumbersome when I started to compile the information. Therefore, I will respond to one or two items when making a reply that you can forward to recipients on your e-mail list. Since I have named other groups in this e-mail, I will also forward a copy to those groups .

1. Request for ad hoc committee member names:

The ORTA By Laws does not permit disclosure of any member's information. These By Laws are voted upon by the general population of ORTA members at District Conferences, Area Conferences, or at the Biennial Meetings by those attending.This information has been requested before and ORTA had to decline the information for the same reason as stated above. The By Laws have not changed to date. This provision of the By Laws is to protect each member's privacy. A person's doctor, hospital, their bank, credit card companies (hopefully), and others have the same policy about every individual, including CORE members. That set aside, it is obvious and was stated in e-mails, some CORE members said that they would "get all over" the ad hoc committee members with their criticisms. Some of those criticisms that have been circulated are of the "poison pen" type. CORE has attacked the endorsements, the endorsed candidates, the ad hoc committee as a whole, the Executive Committee, and ORTA for the endorsements that were made. To subject those individuals to that anger will almost certainly generate hard feelings toward the CORE group and individuals in CORE in return. This will not benefit anyone.

********IT IS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WHO IS ON THE AD HOC COmmITTEE: NOTHING ELSE WAS ASKED: ONLY A LIST OF NAMES TO DETERMINE IF THE AREA WAS INDEED REPREENTED: NO PERSONAL INFO: JUST THE NAMES: IT IS STRONGLY FELT THIS COMMITTEE ACTED INDEPENDENTLY OF ITS DISTRICT SINCE SO MANY DISTRICT AND LOCAL RTA 'S DISAGREED WITH THE OUTCOME. THERE IS NOTHING SECRET NOR SHOULD THERE BE WITH PROVIDING NAMES ONLY! TO DO SO IS NOT RESPONSIVE TO MEMBERSHIP BUT ONLY ORTA'S WILL..

YOU BET, ORTA has met with criticism: THEY DID NOT REP THEIR MEMBERSHIP! SHOW US THE REAL NUMBERS ON THAT ONE VS INDIVIDUAL COMM MEMBERS RATING AS THEY FELT ORTA WISHED!

WHO says it will not help to respond to ORTA with real feeling? Besides ORTA?

It was questioned about where the ad hoc committee was from, was it representational. The members were from areas adjoining Lake Erie and the Ohio River and almost from the Pennsylvania/West Virginia side to the Indiana side of the state. When I called Dennis and told him of the endorsement decision I wished him well. That gesture of good will is something that is foreign to those of the CORE membership that attack almost anything and anyone that does not agree with them. Although ORTA does not agree with some of the methods of CORE, ORTA has not ridiculed CORE. The inverse is certainly not true. ORTA as an organization and as individuals, OEA as an organization and as individuals, STRS Board members and as individuals on the Board, STRS staff, Damon Asbury, and others have been on the receiving end of venomous rhetoric generated by persons identifying themselves as CORE members. We are not "the enemy" but have treated as such by some of the CORE members. We are all attempting to provide the best retirement system that is possible for the members of STRS.

*******AGAIN: JUST BECAUSE AREAS HAD INDIV FROM A LOCATION DOES NOT MEAN THEY REPRESENTED THEIR MEMBERSHIP. THAT IS WHAT WE WISH TO KNOW. REPS SHOUlD REP THEIR RTA'S WISHES AND WE DO NOt BELIEVE THAT OCCURRED DUE TO RESPONSES FROMYOUR RTA'S!

********ORTA HAS RIDICULED CORE: REMEMBER: "CONFUSED OHIO RETIRED EDUCATORS" AT PUBLIC MEETINGS! Statements made by IRVINE AND VAN TINE have been heard by many. UNDERMINING CORE by stating in letters to RTA's ,I believe, it was a waste to send funds to CORE and retirees should send the money to ORTA instead.

SHALL I GO ON???????

IT IS ALWAYS OK WHEN DONE BY THE OTHER SIDE ISN'T IT?

*********NOW OEA:
1. CORE ATTACKED OEA AND ITS LEADER ALLEN AFTER: I SAY AFTER ALLEN PUBLICLY WROTE A HUGE ARTICLE CALLING LEONE NAMES, SAYING HE MISREPRESENTED FACTS, QUESTIONING HIS MOTIVES AND ON AND ON! SHALL I SEND YOU THIS LETTER? I STILL HAVE IT. ALLEN IN SPITE OF MANY REQUESTS AND REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY MEMBERS, LEGISLATORS AND I AM TOLD 50% OF OEA NEVER WOULD RETRACT ONE WORD! LEONE WAS WILLING MULTIPLE TIMES TO MEET AND FORGE A NEW BEGINNING!
2. Bill Leibensperger ridiculed us to our face! I have witnesses where he smirked at us along with his young underlings laughing at us in the first months when we tried to speak with them. THEY REBUFFED US WITH "OEA HAS ACTIVE ON THE BUILDING (BILL L.)" "YOU HAVE YOURS: WE WANT OURS" (YOUNG OEA RESP WHILE LAUGHING AT US). AND OTHER COMMENTS. Bill gave his speech and we listened and he sat down and talked constantly during CORE speeches till I turned and said, "BILL , we listened to you!"

*********STRS: Smug, dismissive and unresponsive from the beginning. WE WERE A NUISANCE THEY WAITED TO GO AWAY! THEY STILL WAIT!

ENDRY:
1."We are a corporation" when I said they wanted to act like corporate America in stead of a pension system.
2. 'You know Molly, many teachers only worked to get their husbands healthcare.' To my asking about spousal subsidy.
3. "Why do they keep coming back?" re: CORE
4. Re: Leone, published in newspapers aobut Leone's research, "That doesn't necessarily make him a good board member."
(NOTHING positive.
5. When asked why STRS didn't spearhead movement to change the law about not allowing rehires to be on the board, "WHY WOULD WE DO THAT?"
6. Voted for non investment employee bonuses vs. voting against usuing retirees' money for such lavish business practices because they were promised EVEN THO THE PROMISE WAS WRONG TO BEGIN WITH thus against ORC:
3307.15, in my opinion. You don't vote for something wrong just because it promised something to someone which never should have been approved in the first place.
7. VOTING FOR RAMSER AND TELLING LAZARES TO HIS FACE IT WAS TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING ANY MORE VOTES FOR ISSUES ON THE BOARD! THAT IS GOOD RETIREE REPRESENTATION WITH SOLID FOUNDATION! SURE SHOWS TRYING TO DO WHAT IS BEST OVER PERSONAL MOTIVE , DON'T YOU THINK?
8. 'None of the money spent on building , art, etc. makes any difference. It wouldn't pay for HC' Isn't there something dismissive about that? It's ok to misspend YOUR money! WHEN DID IT BECOME OK FOR STRS TO SPEND ONE CENT ON THEMSELVES FOR PLEASURE AND PERKS? Those cents, (hundreds of millions) could have gone into pension fund, been thought of with legislation to estab. a needy HC fund.

SCOTT: TO LAZARES' FACE: WELL I AM NOT HAPPY YOU ARE HERE! (WHEN LAZARES WAS ELECTED TO STRS BOARD). -crying for employees vs. devastated retirees. -being one of the top spenders of memberships' money.
(to list a few).

MIKE: -- hiring himself out to an alleged friend in Perry Co. and yet never showing, I am told for one day's work YET having this district reimbursed for substitutes never hired for days of STRS business
(ILLEGAL? PERHAPS NOT DUE TO CRAPPY, LOOSE DEFINITIONS IN OHIO FOR THE WORD TEACHER BUT MORAL OR ETHICAL: I THINK NOT)! -'none of the money spent on building, art, etc,makes any difference.........doesn't change HC.' and more..........

Then there is Sidaway with her let them eat cake attitude and high spending of members' money along with Chapman and Norris (Norris also having his district paid for subs not used).

ALL THESE WITH DISDAIN for CORE from the beginning.

THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO ANS EMAILS or respond to constituents after all. SCOTT AND MIKE STILL ARE!

Damon: Personally, it is hard not to wonder about Damon. He is good at making one feel personal and in touch with him.

But, He continued with the bonus money for non investment employees.........HOW AGAIN DOES THAT WORK TOW THE BEST RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR US? He continues with part answers and takes credit for changes he made DUE TO BEING FORCED! HOW DO WE KNOW? BECAUSE WE SAT WITH HIM MONTH AFTER MONTH AND STILL DO TO FORCE THOSE CHANGES WHILE HE AND HIS STAFF SMIRKED AT US IN THE BEGINNING WITH SELF RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDES! BUT we keep coming back and got the legislators to change WHAT THEY WOULD NOT!

COMMENTS: SLATER: MOLLY: NOT ONE CENT OF ANY CONTRIBUTION HAS BEEN SPENT! ONLY THE INTEREST ON THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS! (OH! OK! IF MY BROKER EARNS ME MONEY: IT IS OK FOR HIM TO SPEND IT?)

MANY TIMES by many staff: IT WILL TAKE LEGISLATION TO CHANGE AND GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! WELL! NO ATTEMPTS WILl NOT BRING CHANGE! AND IT WILL BRING SOMEOVERSIGHT! BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR? YES! BUT, when one is not making one effort and smugly tossig our cocerns away each month....

EVERYONE FORGETS ONE THING: NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF: STRS hadn't taken our money! ORTA had overseen STRS. Endry had fought for US VS APPROVING EVERY LAVISH MISSPENDING! The list with Endry goes on and on with so many having bad experiences and he certainly doe not hide his disdain for CORE, in my opinion.

*******RICHARD: PLEASE DO NOT SAY WE HAVE NOT MET WITH RIDICULE BY ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS: WE HAVE MET WITH DISMISSAL, DISDAIN, RIDICULE and CONTEMPT FROM THEM ALL!

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD: "ONLY A FEW DISGRUNTLED RETIREES" FROM ORTA, OEA, STRS............................accompanied by smirks and laughing and remarks.......unkind........ You have heard them Richard. WE ALL H AVE!

There has been a request to know how the ad hoc committee voted. There was no vote per se. The six candidates (four retired and two active) were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 by each member on the committee . Each candidate was asked a set of questions and responded to them. The committee members rated the candidates and their ratings were compiled. A discussion was then held about the perceptions of the interviews. The committee members were then asked if they would like to re-rank the candidates using the same scale. The committee declined and moved that the results be forwarded to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee held a quite lengthy discussion on the recommendations and then, by majority vote, accepted the recommendations. No candidate was named nor a vote taken for or against anyone.

*******YET AGAIN: 16 individuals rated-the QUESTION IS: DID THEY REPRESENT THEMSELVES AND ORTA OR THEIR LOCAL VOICES IN ENTIRETY?

2. Communications sent in CORE's name.

CORE has said that they have no officers, only an "advisory board", and that communications which go out are seen by this board before being forwarded. In making inquiries, I know that this board does not see a lot of what goes out in CORE's name. Those individuals from CORE that make inflammatory statements agitate much of the anger that has been expressed. No structure is convenient to those individuals when there is something to be challenged. Someone with a different viewpoint has no place to which they can address that challenge. It is also known that not all CORE members condone everything that has gone out in CORE's name.

*********MISCONCEPTION: ANYONE FROM CORE MAY RESPOND IN A MANNER THEY FEEL APPROPRIATE. THERE ARE NO BY-LAWS! ONLY CORE ALERTS To COUNTY CONTACTS SENT BY ONE INDIVIDUAL AND APPROVED BY THE ADV BOARD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS YOU STATED ABOVE. NO ONE CONTROLS ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION OR PERSONAL VOICE WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY I DON'T WANT TO BE ON ANY BOARD.

ANYONE IN CORE CAN MAKE A STATEMENT WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED TO DISAGREE WITH ANY STAND AND SOME HAVE COME THRU BUT NONE TO DISPUTE ANY CLAIM THAT I HAVE SEEN OTHER THAN WE NEED TO BECOME ORTA AND NOT DISMISS THEM TOTALLY! BUT TO SLOWLY FILL POSITIONS AND TAKE THEM OVER! REGARDING ORTA: THAT IS THE MOST + thing said that I have heard or seen. WE HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS AT CORE MEETINGS AND DISCUSS EVERY REP'S PT OF VIEW WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN PRIVY TO AND SEEN ME DEFEND ORTA WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID! I WILL NOT DO SO ANYMORE AS I CANNOT DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE!

3. Joe Endry and his part in the activities of ORTA:

Joe Endry has been accused of orchestrating the operations of ORTA and most recently the endorsements of STRS candidates. Where this speculation came from is unfathomable as Joe has not been involved with ORTA since retiring from there. He was not informed as to who the candidates to be interviewed were, the time, place, date, nor whom was endorsed. Charges that members of CORE are making without foundation that assails and damages people's reputations are unacceptable. Someone or some group in CORE may find themselves as defendants in a libel suit when those on the receiving end have "had enough of it" and pursue damages.

********ANYONE CAN STATE THEIR PERCEPTION: NO ONE IS STATING THEIR VIEW IF CONCRETE FACT! THIS VEILED THREAT IS NOT OF CONCERN TO US. ORTA CANNOT EVEN SUE WHEN IT IS APPROP DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS WE ARE TOLD SO NOW THEY CAN OR JOE CAN AFFORD TO DO SO! PlEASE! IT IS "FELT" THAT ORTA AND JOE Are STRONGLY ALIGNED AND In STRONG AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER ON A CONTINUED BASIS WITH NOT MUCH WHICH IS NOT DISCUSSED. IF SOMEONE WISHES TO SUE ME ON THAT, SO BE IT! I CAN DEFEND MYSELF ON THAT ONE! Won't cost me a cent. Too many precise and obvious alignments and ORTA did not nor did Joe watchdog STRS for misspending of our funds. You want to say, suit, we have the grounds on this one, I would think. OUR FUNDS were stolen along with our retirements, IN MY OPINION (WORDS I AM CAREFUL TO USE BY THE WAY and advise others to do.)

4. ORTA's presumed "lack of looking out for our membership":

I will respond with information on this subject at a later time, hopefully in the coming week or two.

Richard Stearns, President Elect-ORTA

********MEMBERSHIP IS DISMALLY let down and turned off by ORTA's lack of movement toward STRS during this entire mess. THEY SHOULD HAVE been doing what LEONE has done but didn't. I think I heard it was said, (not sure) by ORTA that THEY COULD have done what Leone did but were too busy. THAT is repping memberhip? MULTIPLE ex's can be listed as well.

This is not meant to be inflammatory but is meant to be absolute honest feelings based on the past 2 years. I ,mostly alone, defended ORTA and took a lot of abuse over it. But I stood by my conviction tho it turned out to be false. I fought too many times to count to forge an alliance. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A DIFFERENCE OF OPINIOn, RICHARD! THIS IS A BETRAYAL FOR REASONS ORTA CANNOT DEFEND!

WHERE ARE THE EX'S OF JOHNSON'S MORE QUALIFIED HISTORY FIGHTING FOR RETIREES STATEWIDE? WHERE ARE THE ANS TO THOSE QUES? WHERE HAS HE BEEN WHILE RETIREES STATEWIDE CAME TO STRS : SPOKE TO MEDIA: GOT LEGISLATORS TO LISTEN AND FORCE CHANGES AT STRS FOLLOWING THE HEROIC EFFORTS OF LEONE WHO ASKED NOTHING FROM US IN RETURN?

RICHARD, YOU MAY NEVER SAY SO OUT LOUD, BUT I THINK YOU FEEL LEONE IS THE ONE WHO BOUND US; SECURED CHANGES FOR US AND THAT ORTA IS BEHIND THE TIMES WITH YOU WANTING CHANGE.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US IS: I WILL SAY SO OUT LOUD .

Lines should be drawn at ORTA. There is no place in our generation's thinking that one feels one way and yet votes another to make nice and for future gain which rarely or certainly too slowly comes.

I am sincere in my statements and do not wish them to be anything other than direct and honest. That is how we deal with each other as well AS YOU HAVE SEEN! We do not mince words and waste valuable time. We say it as we feel based on our history of this crisis and always COME TO AGREEMENT BY ONLY ONE METHOD: THE MAJORITY VIEW BASED ON ALL VOICES FROM CALLS, EMAIL AND REPS PRESENT. ASK ANY CORE MEMBER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL COMMENTS ARE POSTED AND HEARD AND RESPONDED to.

REPS SAY SUCH THINGS AS: SUCH AND SUCH A COUNTY WANTS ME TO SAY................... This comes from meetings locally and then a rep comes to STATE THAT FEELING OF ITS MEMBERSHIP . NEVER IS ONE VOICE THE DETERMINING FACTOR NOR ONE BOARD OR COMMITTEE. ALL IS POSTED AND ASKED FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT AND DECISIONS ARE BASED TOTALLY ON THAT COUNT ! HOWEVER ANYONE MAY COMMENT FOR OR AGAINST IT AND THEIR VIEW WILL ALSO BE HEARD!

I have forwarded many comments against what I felt but it was majority and some against me, personally, which I forw as that is the nature of CORE. Usually when one says, it goes against CORE so it raises anger or is met with dismissal, it is because theirs is a lone view (I have been in that position many times as one who put themself out there for ORTA) and simply not met with majority agreement. BUT NO ONE CAN HONESTLY SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD! It may be they are just not agreed with and that brings quick responses. I have been on the receiving end as have any of us who put forth statements at times not well received.

BUT ALL DO HAVE RECOURSE TO SPEAK AND PUT THEIR VIEW ON LINE OR STATE IT AT MEETINGS! AS I SAID: RICHARD YOU HAVE SEEN THIS FOR YOURSELF AND IT IS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY DISCUSSION BUT IT IS HONEST AND REPRESENTATIVE OF VOICES BACK HOME NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. ALL ARE WELCOME ALWAYS TO BE PART! NO predetermined decisions are made until open discussion and debate and vote. NO by laws so decisions can change WITH THE NEW TIMES AND INFO AND NEW PRESENTATIONS OF FACTS! WE ARE NOT STUCK WITH ANY OF THAT!

WE LOOK AT ACTION NOT TIRED RHETORIC AND ENDLESS "BE PATIENT" STATEMENTS! WE ARE ACTION ORIENTED TO GET THE MOST DONE IN THE LEAST TIME EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY! AS SCHURING SAID: "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN ONE YEAR?" We have been told it takes a decade to accomplish this much.

We have been told CORE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR: -Dyer's stepping down -changes in spending at STRS -SB133 (which suddenly it SEEMS ORTA does not like so much; hope I am wrong):
*removal of ACTIVE CONTROL ON THE STRS BOARD
*gaining a retiree on the board
*oversight of investments by investment experts VS STRS EDUCATORS
*not allowing any board member who overspent members' money to EVER SIT ON THE BOARD AGAIN

-child care, gym, cafeteria - cost neutral -discontinued car, credit card and entertainment on our dime -fewer trips and less lavish

AND ON AND ON!

WHAT IS IT ORTA DOES NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS AND WHAT HAND DID ORTA HAVE IN ACCOMPLISHING ANY OF THIS?

So while all are heard, some may not like the responses to their opinion is all. WE WILL NOT CHANGE THE MAJORITY OPINION THO AS THAT IS A PREMISE OF CORE: EVERY VOICE IS HEARD! THEN DECISIONS ARE VOTED UPON BY ANY WHO CHOOSE TO VOTE! AND THAT IS WHAT RULES! NOT DECISIONS BY A FEW FOLLOWING OLD BY LAWS NEEDING CHANGE.

ANSWERS CORE WISHES : A COMPARISON OF LEONE AND JOHNSON: where has Johnson been the past 2 yrs during this fight for retirees? what are his involvements with media, legislators, speaking to RTA's thruout the state, and all other questions which have been presented to you.

Let's get the specifics and real compariosn of qualifications. Not, he was seen as more qualified.