John Curry re: Betty Montgomery: Watchdog or Napdog?

From John Curry

May 12, 2006

The 2006 November election is about six months away. Betty Montgomery wants your vote for Attorney General. Let's look at what Betty says and what Betty did:

From her Betty Montgomery for Attorney General Website Betty says and I quote: "Montgomery is dedicated to meeting her commitments to the people of Ohio -- to serve as a watchdog of public funds by aggressively rooting out fraud and waste of public dollars and to provide taxpayers with the highest level of professionalism, service and accountability."

What did Betty Montgomery do as a State Teachers Retirement System Board member -- well, during a 6 year period between 1996 and 2002 (during the years when Betty was your Attorney General) Betty approved (as a board member of the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) the increase in hiring staff at STRS from 414 to 725 employees. WHERE WAS BETTY?

In 2001 Betty approved 94.2 million dollars of taxpayer and teachers' monies to build a new STRS building of marble, sculptures, waterfalls and a multi-floored parking garage. WHERE WAS BETTY?

During that year Betty Montgomery approved (as an STRS Board member) the construction of a child-care center inside the STRS building that cost $818,000 and a fitness center inside the STRS building that cost $426,000. WHERE WAS BETTY?

Also during that year Betty Montgomery approved (as an STRS Board member) $869,000 for sculptures and artwork to adorn this building. WHERE WAS BETTY?

During the years of 2000-2002 Betty Montgomery approved bonuses for STRS employees (both investment and non-investment employees) totaling $15,454,408 when STRS was losing billions of dollars of investments in the Stock Market. WHERE WAS BETTY?

During the years 2000-2002 Betty Montgomery approved (as an STRS Board member) travel expenses for eight STRS Board members to globetrot to the taxpayer tune of $255,945. WHERE WAS BETTY?

In the year 2005, Herbert Dyer (former Executive Director of STRS) whom Betty voted in the affirmative to hire (as an STRS Board member) was convicted of an Ohio ethics violation (upon an STRS retiree's complaint to the OEC) for his actions as the former Executive Director of STRS during the tenure of Betty Montgomery. WHERE WAS BETTY?

This year, Hazel Sidaway (17 year STRS Board member) was convicted of multiple Ohio ethics law violations (upon a complaint filed by an STRS retiree) due to her acceptance of gratuities as an STRS board member during the time when Betty Montgomery was on the STRS Board. WHERE WAS BETTY?

In the year 2005, Betty was finally removed from the STRS Board due to the passage of Senate Bill 133 (Retirement System Reform Bill) thanks to the activities primarily due to the wasteful spending habits of both the State Teachers Retirement System and the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement System (Betty was also on their board). That was a nice way to tell Betty thanks, but no thanks. Do we really want Betty to become our Attorney General again?

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Note: Monitary findings above came from a report to the STRS Board by Dr. Dennis Leone in his 2003 presentation to the STRS Board. To this day, these figures have not been disputed. Betty Montgomery did receive a copy of Dr. Leone's findings -- DID SHE READ IT?