From RH Jones: Canton Repository's Wrongful Endorsements

From RH Jones, October 24, 2006

To all:

Unbelievably, the Canton Repository, home of distinguished Pulitzer Prize nominee, journalist Paul Kostyu of the STRS ethics scandal, has endorsed two Grab Our Pension (GOP) losers, Betty Montgomery and Mike DeWine. As everyone is aware, these two Charter School advocates have caused so many problems for our public school districts and our STRS. Sadly, the Akron Beacon Journal also, mistakenly, endorsed DeWine, as well. All of you will remember that DeWine has voted to support the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) that has dearly cost all of us who receive, or will receive, public pensions.

Personally, I think that the Social Security WEP has hurt the 12-states that have state employee retirement systems. Had Ex-President Ronald Reagan, and his GOP, not established the WEP, Ohio and the other 11-states with public pensions would not be having so much trouble finding state money to support their retirement systems. This SS benefit was earned by us and promised to us, and was relied on to plan our retirements. Most certainly this earned SS check would help us to buy newspapers, and to spend on newspaper ads, among other things, here in Ohio and our U.S.A.

An additional note: Not trusting the new voting machines, as a Summit County voter, I applied for an absentee ballot. That ballot will be due back at the Election Board on Nov. 7. And, having not been sent out in a timely manner, I have not received the ballot in the U.S. Mail yet! The Chair of the Summit County Board of Elections is a Republican. I wonder, since Gubernatorial Candidate, Blackwell (R), is tied in with the voting machine manufacturer, could the GOP trying to control absentee ballots as well? Also, I wonder if there is problems with absentee balloting delays across the state?

Robert Hudson Jones, a STRS of Ohio retired teacher

Note: My sister & her husband (Cynthia & Chuck Kreiner of Alliance), both STRS retirees received their absentee ballots in the last day or two. KBB