Tom Curtis to Lew Bachtel re: Speaking to Ross County RTA May 17

From Tom Curtis, February 11, 2006

Hello Lew Bachtal,

Thank you for the invitation to speak to your Ross Co. RTA. I accept your invitation and will call you closer to the date to discuss what your group would like me to convey to them. I have been a continual attendee at the monthly STRS board meetings for 3-years and even attended the 3-day board retreat at the beginning of this month. I feel well versed, (from a non-board member point of view) on issues and concerns of the STRS retiree.

As you may know, I have worked closely with Dennis Leone and started corresponding with him prior to his initial 13- page report that brought all of the STRS misspending into the public eye. Since that time I have grown to know Dennis much better and feel the utmost respect and gratitude for his efforts and have never found him to be anything but a true professional, even when he strongly has disagreed with someone else's opinion. I hold nothing but admiration for Dennis, which has compelled me to spend the amount of time I do being involved with this reform process. Though I have little interest in becoming a board member, I will attempt to help support Dennis Leone and John Lazares in their efforts to curb the spending at the STRS and to find ways to fund our health care situation. I am working on this issue with another retiree in the event the increase in contributions does not succeed.

I look forward to speaking to the Ross Co. RTA and will accept any stipend your organization might offer, as all CORE members have always paid their own expenses for the most part. We have only accepted reimbursement for printing and postal expenses during the election period for the candidates CORE has endorsed. However, if you offer no stipend, I will still gladly speak to your RTA, as a service to my fellow educators.

Sincerely, Tom Curtis
CORE Advisory Committee Member

From: Lewis Bachtal To: Thomas Curtis
Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Subject: Re: 012806 Curtis To All RTA's, Speaking To Your Association

Tom The Ross County Retired Teachers Association would like to invite you to speak to their organization at our May 17, 2006 luncheon meeting in Chillicothe, Ohio if you are available. We meet at 12:00 noon in the Trinity United Methodist Church on Main St.

Lew Bachtal, President