Tom Curtis to a CORE member: Great expectations for the new STRS Board

February 22, 2006

Hello Jan,

Molly Janczyk passed along your comments to all CORE members, concerning the positive direction the new board is headed. I too feel as you do and have great expectations of this new board, as they must decide on how to secure our future pension and health care for the rest of our lives.

You probably know this, but one of our candidates is from Medina Co., Mark Fredrick. CORE has endorsed Mark and will help to get him elected to the board in April. We must have candidates that are independent thinkers and will make all decisions based upon 3307.15 and not those who have political and/or organization agendas clouding their thinking, as in the past.

CORE will always attempt to replace those who allow their organization to influence their vote on the board This is the only way we will ever get our retirement system back on track and in control of the membership.

Our funds and retirement system are currently at the mercy of the STRS management and are being held hostage. They tell us what we will and will not do.

Thus far, the current management has accepted no new ideas from the membership, concerning changes that might lessen the cost of operation. Changes they have made were only made because Dennis Leone, John Lazares and CORE have been there every month since early 2003 pressing for those changes. Had we not been there, it is very doubtful the changes would have taken place.

However, there is still a need to replace those on the board that have other agendas driving their thinking. Conni Ramser and Mike Billirakis (past OEA pres. term expires in 2007) are both loyal OEA proponents and follow similar thinking of the past OEA dominated board. For exanple:

Conni Ramser, a current board appointed member is a past OEA executive committee member and current local union president. While neither of those positions should be an issue, concerning her being seated on the board, her affiliation with the OEA is what got her seated by the past OEA controlled board.

She did not get elected because of her experience, knowledge or the expertise needed to be a competent board member. She has little background that would be of much consequence in adding value to the STRS board. Conni was chosen by the past OEA dominated board to complete Jack Chapman's remaining term of 2- years, becasue she was a member of the OEA executive committee. Two of the five candidates for that seat were far more qualified for the position then was Conni Ramser. It made no sense to select her based upon qualifications.

One of those far more qualified was Thomas Hall, an Economics professor at the University of Miami. He agreed to run again this year. I feel he has a great deal of knowledge to bring to the board.

Conni Ramser is running for election by the membership this year. Due to her attitude, behavior and unwillingness to read about the abuses by the prior board, I personnally hope she is replaced this election. We need someone that is willing to at least read about what has happened with the past board, which she to date is unwilling to do.

Shockingly, Conni Ramser recently acknowledged in an email to a CORE member that she has never read Dennis Leone's papers and therefore will not comment on such.

I find this unbelieveable, as she was (still is) a local union president, when Dr. Leone's papers were written and distributed. I personally asked her to read Dr. Leone's papers many times. After learning that she has never read these historical papers, I provided her with copies of such on February 2nd at the STRS board retreat.

In my opinion, her failure to read these papers is because she is loyal to the OEA. The OEA president, Gary Allen, slandered Dr. Leone's firt paper, calling it full of allegations and misrepresentations and has never apologized for doing such. No one has found any of Dr. Leone's information to be false. She has been asked many questions concerning Dr. Leone's findings and past OEA board member actions. However, she has ducked all of these questions by saying she has no controll over Gary Allen and the OEA and will not comment on such. This is a clear confirmation of her loyalty to the OEA.

I have attached the flyer for each candidate CORE has endorsed. Please print copies and pass them out to any actives you know or can still have contact with.

Take care,

Tom Curtis

CORE Advisory Committee Member