John Curry to Tim Myers: You are living through a revolution you did not help to create; buckle up for a bumpy ride!

March 15, 2006

Tim,

I haven't communicated with you since last summer when you appeared before the Allen County Retired Teachers Association as a guest speaker. When the question and answer part of the program arrived, at the end of your presentation, you dodged a question presented to you by me. The question: Why has Gary Allen not apologized to Dennis Leone for calling Dr. Leone's motives into question and saying that Dr. Leon's logic was hard to follow? Your answer, "I can't speak for Gary Allen." I think you remember that moment.

Since then, I come upon correspondence (today's) in which you relate to fellow Allen Co. RTA and CORE member, Paul Boyer, that "changes were underway long before he (Leone) stirred things up." Your email is below:

From: Tim Myers
To: Paul Boyer
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:39 AM

Subject: Re: article

“W” is President George “W” Bush.

And I obviously disagree about Mr. Leone. Changes were underway long before he stirred things up.

Well, Tim, you might want to read the attachments (3) that contain information about Dr. Leone and Paul Kostyu that appeared in the BGSU Retirees Association Newsletter -- Volume 11, No. 2 November 2005. What is there is a history of Dr. Leone's quest to expose and to reform the operations of the former entitlement hungry STRS Board which was dominated (5 out of 9) by OEA members. An STRS Board which cared more about entitlements, misspending, and mismanagement than caring for the welfare of the retirees of STRS. This lack of planning for the future healthcare of our retirees is now thrust upon current retirees in the form of ungodly monthly healthcare premiums -- healthcare premiums that pale by comparison to all of the other four Ohio public retirement systems.

The BG newsletter relates Dr. Leone winning the "First Amendment Award" which was bestowed upon him by the Central Ohio Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for his exposing the actions of the former STRS Board. It also mentions the "Ethics in Government Award" which was bestowed upon Dr. Leone by an Ohio body known as the "Government Finance Officers." This award was also in relation to Dr. Leone's exposure of the former STRS Board actions (or lack thereof). Neither of these groups owe a debt to any teacher or administrative educational organization, in short -- they could view this situation without bias.

I will add that in addition to above, Dr. Leone is referred to in the District Administrator's Magazine as "The Catcher of Thieves" in relation to his "whistleblowing" re: the Ohio STRS. If you wish, I can furnish you a copy of that article. Nowhere in the BG newsletter is there a mention of how the OEA was planning to clean up the corruption that occurred at STRS. It is easy to take the claim for someone else's work, especially after they did it, but documentation is needed...and not documentation after the fact (Dr. Leone's exposure of the STRS fiasco).

This "stirring things up" has started a revolution that you are now living through. "Buckle up," Tim, you and the OEA are in for a bumpy ride. Truth and documentation will prevail. Many of your OEA Executive Council cohorts are now beginning to see the light and are realizing what REALLY has happened at Ohio STRS and who really dropped the ball. They certainly didn't get this information from their parent organization.

Sincerely, John Curry

A Proud CORE member

An Allen County Retired Teachers Assn. member