Dave Speas responds to Paul Boyer and RH Jones

From Dave Speas, Sept. 9, 2006

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your words of respect. STRS members did not consult their legal experts before they made unethical and immoral decisions. I was one of many who wanted clarification of our ability to support political candidates. We were told by professional experts in the field of tax exempt organizations that we could not.

If the STRS board members had consulted the legal department and then gone against their advice, how would those of us in CORE, and etc. have reacted. You have known me for awhile and you know I will not do anything illegal, unethical, or morally wrong. What kind of leader would all of us be if we went against legal advise. No better than those who broke the ethics laws at STRS and maybe worse because we were told not to by legal experts.

Thank you for your friendship and I honor Bob's right to state his opinion and I want all sides so I can make educated decisions. I am here because I respect and admire the retired teachers who have given so much. Please know I will not stop working for them and welcome one and all opinions and feelings. I have attached my response to Bob Jones who I respect very much and value his sharings.

Your friend,

Dave Speas

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September 9, 2006

Bob,

Our membership has made it very clear that recovery of health care benefits is the most important thing. It is clear on every questionnaire and response we have gotten last year and this year. The 5% will make it possible to recover the coverage for our most needy teachers.

You may want us to sever the ties we have with the politicians that have to write and support the bill but where does that leave those of us who are most vulnerable? I have no argument about leading but over two years of hard work has been put in convincing legislators to back the idea that retired and eventually active teachers should have adequate healthcare.

I believe the locals can do more in their communities than any other entity can in defeating the very politicians that we want out. Priorities must be made. Some will not agree and I have no problem with that, however, as I speak around the state, the most asked for topic is recovery of healthcare in every local I visit. Over two years have been spent working to get the bill in front of both houses and the very politicians you want us to defeat may be reelected and be needed for passage.

As president of Clark County Retired Teachers, I instruct my legislative chair to keep our people informed and up-to-date on the politicians who are running. We will defeat those from our area if enough people agree and we work hard enough. I am not willing to have those of us who are hurting the most making decisions about taking medicine or eating hurt even more because we anger the very group ORTA, OEA, STRS, and CORE want to pass the legislation to ease the pain.

I am a member of both groups and CORE has the ability to do what it wants in this area because it is not a member of the Healthcare Advocates. The two top issues laid out to us in the four area meetings were healthcare and no social security.

We paid for a legal expert to advise us on whether we could endorse candidates. Using our stated purpose for existing and our constitution and bylaws, respected experts in the field of tax-exempt organizations advised us that we could not. It seems to me that STRS is still going through the problems of people who broke the law and did not ask for advice before they acted.

I was one who asked for clarification and now we have it. I will not walk down the road Chapman, Endry, and the others took. As organizations for retirees, we should use our combined strengths to get things done but I would never ask CORE to go against the advice of counsel as ethics and moral strength is what we were lacking at STRS. I will not go down that road as I was privy to the inside of the problems for awhile and it was not any better from that view than it is now.

You may disagree with me, speak against what I believe is right, castigate me as an officer, blast the organization I am trying to make stronger and I will die for your right to do so but do NOT ask me to go against the legal opinion and do what is unethical and immoral. I am working by butt off in my own community to see that public schools are protected and as a school board member, it is one of my most important priorities.

Thank you for your statements and I do not dismiss them lightly.

Dave