Flashback; John Curry (2003): Leone not afraid to change 'good ol' boys' system

From: John Curry

Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Subject: Leone, long before Johnson (who's Johnson)

As I look at ORTA's recent endorsement of a person (Johnson) who is not familiar with investigating and exposing misspending at STRS I wonder where in the world 3 out of 5 officials at ORTA had their heads. Political patronizing is the reason these 3 ORTA officials decided upon not endorsing Dr. Leone. What debt did they owe Joe Endry? Maybe ORTA should be investigated. Where was Johnson when I wrote this article? Since this article below was written, I have learned that John Lazares assisted with Dr. Leone's investigation. John Lazares is now on the STRS board- DENNIS LEONE WILL BE NEXT.John

Leone not afraid to change 'good ol' boys' system

Editor, the Gazette:

It is with great pride that I write this letter about one of your school administrators and his recent accomplishments.

Chillicothe Superintendent Dennis Leone has single-handedly taken it upon himself to investigate the gross mismanagement of the State Teachers Retirement System. He has uncovered gross mismanagement of taxpayer and teacher contributed monies. He has stood up to those who denied any wrong-doing and who hoped he would go away.

His investigations have led to a barrage of newspaper reports from reporters, who like himself, were not afraid of ruffling feathers of politically entrenched lawmakers, administrators, and other media giants. His investigations have led to a statewide movement to investigate the STRS from the bottom up and to legislate change for more honest and ethical operation of an agency who controls billions of taxpayer and teacher contributed dollars.

Leone is an administrator who is not afraid of his political shadow as are some of his cohorts and other politicians with lack of intestinal fortitude.

By his actions, Leone has insured a change in the "good old boys" way of managing a retirement system whose love of "entitlement" stood in the way of service to its deserved recipients, the retirees of Ohio's public school systems.

John Curry

Wapakoneta

Originally published Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Chillicothe Gazette