What's New is What's Old at STRS: Jim N. Reed's letter to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

From Jim N. Reed, August 29, 2006

Kathie and Molly, my recent letter to Fairfield County's "Lancaster Eagle-Gazette" will be published soon according to the Editor's staff. I was just notified today.

Attached is a copy.

If it is of any use to CORE you may communicate it as you see fit.

I sit down to write and have good intentions of being as gentle as possible with my words but I find it nearly impossible to say much complimentary about a system that has, and continues to do so, taken advantage of so many educators who have dedicated their professional teaching careers that seem to have been based on false premises and equally false promises.

I send my gratitude to both of you for your continued efforts to inform the "Sleeping Beauties" and "Rip Van Winkles" among our colleagues. Let's hope that John and Dennis will continue to carry the torch on the Board. We owe them so much for their sacrifices. Have you heard what the chances are for Dr. Thomas Hall's appointment to represent Ohio's executive branch on the Board?

Jim N. Reed

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Sent to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

Subj: What's New Is What's Old at STRS

Date: 08/24/2006

As a new school year commences in Fairfield County active teachers will be learning the names of thousands of new students under their charge. They should also familiarize themselves with the names of the eleven members on the STRS Board and its Executive Director. Too many present and past educators have no connect with these elected and appointed people who spend 10% of teachers' salaries. (Though you may not realize it, if you're a school district taxpayer this eleven-member Board also spends your tax dollars to the tune of 14% of staff salaries.)

The plethora of abuses in STRS Board spending of teachers' and taxpayers' contributions to the retirement system is disgraceful. The litany of shameful expenditures approved by the Board was exposed and published (by former Chillicothe Schools Superintendent and current Board member Dr. Dennis Leone) in 2003. Yet, tens of thousands of the 425,000 active and retired members of STRS are not aware of this embarrassment to their profession.

Though a former Executive Director and two Board members have been indicted and found guilty of ethics violations the beat goes on at 275 East Broad St. in Columbus. (Two others have recently resigned.)

Recently, the Executive Director and Board approved payment (from our funds) to attorneys who were hired as personal, legal counsel for three STRS staff members subpoenaed during the ethics trial of convicted ex-Board member Hazel Sidaway. You can fill in the cost of this misspending of your pension dollars but you can bet the figure would have paid for healthcare premiums, co-pays, and prescriptions of many retirees in your profession who are making choices among cutting back on needed medications, skipping doctor's appointments, or foregoing the medical insurance that would best protect their families.

Have you heard the one about the Board that just paid $315,000 to a Chicago real estate "scout" to find three or four experts to come on-board at STRS Ohio? Is that what you are contributing, or have contributed, your 10% or 14% to pay for?

As a taxpayer or educator, for or a more detailed description of your dysfunctional STRS tune in to www.concernedohio.org.

Epilogue: If you are as disgusted as many of us are, recommend to Governor Taft the name of Miami University economics professor Dr. Thomas Hall to fill the "governor's choice" vacancy on the Board.

Jim N. Reed

Baltimore, Ohio

On another topic, please do not consider pulling the daily cultural (editorial) cartoons from the "E-G" as part of your restructuring of that page. These cartoons are a wonderful tool for teaching young people about "current events." In 42 years of teaching I have found nothing better to help young people "tune in" to what's going on in their world.