Duane Tron responds to Jim McGreevy

From: Duane Tron

To: Jim McGreevy

Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006

Subject: Dayton Daily News Article

Dear Mr. McGreevy,

In what I wrote I in no way implied or accused OEA of siding with the Xenia Board of Education or being complicit in any offer being made to active teachers.

I support the Xenia teachers 100% and will support them if they choose to strike. I will support any other active teachers facing the loss of the spousal subsidy in their health insurance.

What I was saying and continue to say is that OEA has failed miserably to make actives aware of the conspiracy that was hatched at STRS, by what was an OEA-controlled retirement board. Nothing more, nothing less! My comments to OEA are that if the shoe fits wear it. In the case of the lost benefits at STRS I say emphatically that OEA was complicit in the loss of the spousal subsidy which is costing my wife and a whopping 39.43% of my gross retirement check each year since 2003. In looking at our income tax returns for 2005 it is again going to account for about 40% of my gross retirement check.

This was unacceptable when it was dumped on those of us who have non-teaching spouses and it is unacceptable from any school board who tries to maneuver this same plan and enact it for actives. What I am saying is OEA isn't any better, or different, than school boards who are trying to follow the STRS example put in place by an OEA-controlled STRS Board in 2002. There isn't a dime's difference as far as I am concerned and I am entitled to my opinion the same as you are entitled to yours! In my article I expressed my opinion of OEA and I am now supporting OFT in the hope they run OEA out and shut you down!

After the OEA-controlled STRS Board trashed my retirement I will NEVER trust OEA again! There isn't any spinning and weaving in anything I am saying. The truth is the truth and OEA controlled the Board when these events took place. The OEA-controlled STRS Board brought Herbert Dyer in to run STRS and he orchestrated the abuses that we are now having to live with.

I just got home from WORK at 9:45 p.m., since I have had to return to work, so I can afford to remain retired! This is definitely an oxymoron if I ever heard one. With the loss of the spousal subsidy at STRS many of us had to return to work, and our spouses continue to work, so we can maintain a moderate lifestyle. With the loss of the spousal subsidy I will have to work until my wife and I can get Medicare, that is if there is Medicare when we reach the age of 65.

OEA should have been warning actives and now they look like the farmer who is trying to get the horses back in the barn after leaving the gate open all night. In my opinion OEA needs to go out of business! I am totally supporting OFT and will continue to encourage actives to oust OEA and sign on with OFT for the future!

Duane Tron