Jim Reed to Betty Montgomery: Please fix the problem

Subject: STRS still abusing ORC 3307.15 and I'm angry!

Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006

Mrs. Montgomery, first let me offer my sorrow and my caring for the loss of your father. I can empathize.

After 42 years as a public school educator I feel betrayed by my retirement system. Had it not been for the courageous whistle-blowing of Dr. Dennis Leone in his 2003 expose of STRS abuses of the pension fund we, as a profession, would be more embarrassed and ashamed than we already are for not paying close enough attention to our retirement system.

We have paid dearly for that apathy and trust.

Please help us begin to regain some of that trust by taking a strong position about the continued abuse of ORC 3305.17 at STRS by out-of-touch Board members and its Executive Director.

The current issue over the misuse of pension funds for payment of private, personal attorneys' fees for three nervous staffers during the Sidaway ethics trial is a symptom of the carry-over of their disgusting entitlement personality.

If it is indeed within your jurisdiction I would urge you to intercede on behalf of Ohio's prospective, active, and retired educators to bring a halt to this model of corporate arrogance and greed gone amuck in our profession.

As Dr. Leone's has requested I fully support he and John Lazares in their efforts to insist the Board and Executive Director be held accountable to the promise of ORC 3307.15 and "undo" this current embarrassing and abusive expenditure of my pension fund!

Thank you for your anticipated corrective action.

Jim Reed