Molly Janczyk on Judith Fisher's resignation

From Molly Janczyk, July 12, 2006

STRS MEMBERS: Please feel free to contact the Governor and House and Senate leaders regarding STRS Board appointees. The Governor appointed Judith Fisher who resigned today. We need a much better choice as a replacement.

Judith Fisher has not been a good board member in many retirees' minds. She has called oversight 'micromanaging' when limiting budget spending without board approval came up for vote. Judith suggested a million dollar limit exemplifying her lack of connection to STRS membership and slapping them in the face with no regard for her fiduciary duty of overseeing pension funds. She also voted against having documentation in front of board members prior to voting on vendors. She has blocked emails from STRS Membership. She never responds to membership.

I have found her arrogant and she is the one I wrote to legislators about when she told John Lazares that she viewed misdeeds according to severity. "John, if a friend of mine runs a red light, I don't stop being friends with them. Who did it hurt? she asked over and over' referring to the company which was cited and did business with STRS. This was being compared to Lazares saying STRS shouldn't do business with vendors with ethics violations. John said, "Judith, it's the law and if you don't understand that, I don't know what else to say to you.' Lazares' proposal has since been enacted into STRS governing by laws.

Judith needs be replaced by a compassionate public minded individual. She and Geoffrey Myers have no clue about public pension systems and only reflect corporate thinking with big money wasted. They are non responsive, non communicate and arrogant.

Please consider asking for Geoffrey Meyers resignation as well.

I am very disappointed in Conni Ramser's praise for Judith Fisher. Ramser told me personally that they made a mistake when voting without documentation and it would not happen again though she then went back on this and voted against the motion to have documentation prior to voting. Conni has had an opportunity to connect with membership and seemed interested before her recent reelection. Recently her decisions have not always shown the same thought. She did however, vote for a $100,000 limit for budgets without board approval vs. the MILLION dollar one, I think she originally agreed with Judith on.

GOVERNOR! LEGISLATORS! WE NEED BOARD MEMBERS WHO WILL TAKE THEIR DUTY OF OVERSIGHT SERIOUSLY AS HAVE DENNIS LEONE AND JOHN LAZARES WHO HAVE TO PULL TEETH TO GET OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND EVERY DOLLAR OF RETIREES' MONEY IS IMPORTANT. THESE 2 BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE RESPECT OF STRS MEMBERSHIP STATEWIDE! WE NEED OTHERS TO JOIN THEM IN INTENSIVE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHICH WE FOUGHT SO HARD TO GET AND IS THE REASON WE ELECTED LAZARES AND LEONE!

Please consider carefully in light of all the ethics charges in this state and lack of oversight badly needed.

Fisher was wrong for this job. Meyers is too!