Ritchie Hollenbaugh: "The system is unfair" (re: STRS former officials' convictions) 9-19-2006

From John Curry, September 19, 2006

Note from John: Below is today's quote from an attorney (Mr. Hollenbaugh) representing several of the STRS defendants in today's arraignment and guilty pleas and/or findings for violations of Ohio ethics law by four former STRS Board members: Eugene Norris, Michael Billirakis, Joe Endry, and Deborah Scott.

After the proceedings, the press interviewed Ritchie Hollenbaugh who told the reporters, " The system is unfair. The STRS Board members are not paid nor compensated."

If Mr. Hollenbaugh feels "the system is unfair," then he forgot to mention that the same criminal justice system that he uses to ply his trade also applies to the other four Ohio public retirement systems. That same "system" of justice also implicated and convicted two former Ohio Police and Fire Retirement System Board members (Harker and Bennett) for their actions while on the OP & F Board. They were part of a Board that approved and spent over $600,000 in travel during a period of a few short years while the OP & F fund was rapidly depleting its value due to stock market losses. Maybe this same system was unfair to them also.

....and Mr. Hollenbaugh -- what about the unfairness to the 130,000 plus STRS retirees (30,000 of whom are unable to afford the $700 monthly healthcare premiums) for themselves and their spouses) and skip doses of Rx and doctor visits because they can't afford healthcare insurance due to former STRS's Board members who failed to plan for the future of STRS retirees like the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System did and who also took quite a tumble in the same stock market. How about the thousands of STRS retirees in nursing homes or in the care of their families because they can't speak for themselves or even contemplate what has and is happening at STRS? Wonder what they'd say about expensive Broadway musical tickets and tickets to ball games that legally weren't supposed to be accepted and were not reported?

Today, these same 130,000 retirees obtained a little bit of justice to make their plight in life just a little more bearable, just a little -- of course, you don't have to worry about that, do you?

These same retired educators -- during their careers -- also were "not paid or compensated," for the thousands of hours that they volunteered during their teaching careers for classroom supplies they purchased, after school events, weekend events, and extra time spent at the end of their "teaching day" to help make the life of their students just a little bit brighter. They were the ones who expected their representatives on the STRS Board (your clients) to look out for their welfare and for the board members to take their fiduciary responsibility, clearly defined by ORC 3307.15, in a serious manner. They are the ones who have earned right to declare that the "system is unfair."

John Curry - today, a very PROUD member of CORE (Concerned Ohio Retired Educators) and STRS retiree