Molly Janczyk: Retirees: Make your voices heard with your organizations regarding STRS
From: Molly Janczyk
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Subject: Retirees: Be heard with your organizations
Some RTA presidents and retirees are concerned about the findings for the law suit and wondered why options to the settlement had not be made by the board. These persons had no idea:
* That Leone made an alternative motion requesting that Dyer and the former Board members responsible for the approved misspending pay the costs associated with the settlement agreement.
* That Lazares and Leone argued against the Board taking a vote on November 2 without having a document in hand to read prior to voting. It turned out that this was a good thing as a provision had gotten into the agreement that the Board never agreed to when discussing.
* That Lazares and Leone publicly criticized fellow board members for not sharing the settlement contents with the news media. This is a public system and the public has a right to know. Lazares and Leone are taking this out of the back halls and giving membership knowledge when it does not include Exec. Session items. Sometimes dissension helps broaden horizons.
* That Lazares and Leone have voted no EVERY time there is an unclear motion to spend pension money asking for specific numbers and line items vs. the old blanket budget tactics.
* That Lazares and Leone have fought fellow board members to ensure that things are discussed publicly per memberships' wishes. We have beseeched this board to discuss in front of us and with us when appropriate.
* That Brown has tried to silence Leone and even prevent him from answering a STRS member's questions at a meeting.
*That Brown and Ramser object to some of Leone's motions and do not follow proper protocal nor seem to know what rules of chairing a board are all the time.
We hope that ORTA membership will request a detailed analysis of board meetings and provide information specific as to how their retiree board members do or do not represent them. Active votes and motions should be included as well when they affect retirees. Recently a speaker, representing OEA, I believe, said this was the best board meeting he'd ever attended due to the give and take of the NEW board. Others around me have been noting how well they think the new board is discussing and questioning unlike ever before when we sat and saw blanket approval.
Please ask ORTA to acknowledge Leone's role in questioning and protecting retiree rights. Ask them to report on Lazares, whom they backed for election in 2004 and Brown whom they backed in 2003.
I can assure you that you will be very interested in hearing these reports.
We now have 2 board members who are forcing the other board members to ALWAYS consider the plight of retirees with the actions considered.
Ask ORTA, OEA-R and other retiree organizations and RTA's to invite Lazares and Leone to meetings for sit down discussion on retiree concerns.
Retirees wish a collaborative effort so it is reasonable to request information from STRS Board Meetings pertaining to retirees be included in the ORTA Quarterly so retirees know what is being done and how board members are voting on pertinent issues on their behalf or what is not being done by particular board members. Regardless of how things may have been done in the past, this seems a responsible way to inform retirees.
PLEASE PASS TO RTA's and retirees.
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Subject: Retirees: Be heard with your organizations
Some RTA presidents and retirees are concerned about the findings for the law suit and wondered why options to the settlement had not be made by the board. These persons had no idea:
* That Leone made an alternative motion requesting that Dyer and the former Board members responsible for the approved misspending pay the costs associated with the settlement agreement.
* That Lazares and Leone argued against the Board taking a vote on November 2 without having a document in hand to read prior to voting. It turned out that this was a good thing as a provision had gotten into the agreement that the Board never agreed to when discussing.
* That Lazares and Leone publicly criticized fellow board members for not sharing the settlement contents with the news media. This is a public system and the public has a right to know. Lazares and Leone are taking this out of the back halls and giving membership knowledge when it does not include Exec. Session items. Sometimes dissension helps broaden horizons.
* That Lazares and Leone have voted no EVERY time there is an unclear motion to spend pension money asking for specific numbers and line items vs. the old blanket budget tactics.
* That Lazares and Leone have fought fellow board members to ensure that things are discussed publicly per memberships' wishes. We have beseeched this board to discuss in front of us and with us when appropriate.
* That Brown has tried to silence Leone and even prevent him from answering a STRS member's questions at a meeting.
*That Brown and Ramser object to some of Leone's motions and do not follow proper protocal nor seem to know what rules of chairing a board are all the time.
We hope that ORTA membership will request a detailed analysis of board meetings and provide information specific as to how their retiree board members do or do not represent them. Active votes and motions should be included as well when they affect retirees. Recently a speaker, representing OEA, I believe, said this was the best board meeting he'd ever attended due to the give and take of the NEW board. Others around me have been noting how well they think the new board is discussing and questioning unlike ever before when we sat and saw blanket approval.
Please ask ORTA to acknowledge Leone's role in questioning and protecting retiree rights. Ask them to report on Lazares, whom they backed for election in 2004 and Brown whom they backed in 2003.
I can assure you that you will be very interested in hearing these reports.
We now have 2 board members who are forcing the other board members to ALWAYS consider the plight of retirees with the actions considered.
Ask ORTA, OEA-R and other retiree organizations and RTA's to invite Lazares and Leone to meetings for sit down discussion on retiree concerns.
Retirees wish a collaborative effort so it is reasonable to request information from STRS Board Meetings pertaining to retirees be included in the ORTA Quarterly so retirees know what is being done and how board members are voting on pertinent issues on their behalf or what is not being done by particular board members. Regardless of how things may have been done in the past, this seems a responsible way to inform retirees.
PLEASE PASS TO RTA's and retirees.
posted by Kathie Bracy at 5:34 PM
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