RH Jones: Legislation on 5% contribution increase not likely till after November

From RH Jones, June 28, 2006

Subject: Probably No Legislation on Employee/employer 5% Increase Until After Nov

To all:

The leaders at ORTA are more optimistic than the SummitCRTA Legislative Chair & VP, K. Fluke, PhD. and I. Dr. Fluke and I believe that the 5% employee/employer contribution increase for HC will not take place until after November. We base our prediction on the past performance, or lack of it, by the present ruling political party of Ohio: The GOP. Why would anyone expect them to suddenly change now? We both wish that we could be wrong and they would do the right thing and get it passed immediately. There is such a need. HOWEVER, THEY KNOW THAT NINE YEARS OF THEIR CHARTER SCHOOLS EXPERIMENT IS HURTING THE CHILDREN, THEIR ACTIVE AND THEIR RETIRED TEACHERS. Believe this! Our ORTA needs to be sending out letters to the various media in Ohio. Putting out letters by ORTA execs has a better chance of media support than individual member letters. In the past, ORTA has insisted on us writing. It is time the leadership leads the way and writes.

A while back, according to the Beacon, the newly elected OSBA President, Linda Omobien, said that the names of those politicians opposed to public education need to be published. Nothing has been done to support her on this. She should be strongly backed by us on this. My question to ORTA is: What has taken so long? Why be mum. The politicians, I suspect, are mostly GOP: but in all fairness, if any democrats are in the list, publish theirs too. Those consistently voting against, or for us, need identification. All teachers vote; youngsters under 18 do not. We need to remember them and our selves next Nov.. The time is nearing.

RHJones, SummitCRTA Legislative CMTE Mem. and CORE