A blogger's commentary: Being watched from the Statehouse

Some observations from a retiree in support of the STRS Board's 5.0% health care initiative

November 8, 2006
Health care is uppermost in the minds of many of us these days, particularly since its very existence in the not-too-distant future is at stake. While we all want the best solution for health care, and while we are willing to push lawmakers to help, it is also critically important that we be highly alert to the fact that these same lawmakers DO observe what goes on down the street at STRS. And what are they seeing? Gross mismanagement and poor decision-making by a dysfunctional Board which does damage to its own credibility when:

1. Board chair Conni Ramser makes a public statement to the press that Dennis Leone does not act like an adult, that he needs parenting, and that he'd be suspended if he were a student in her class.

2. Board member Geoffrey Meyers tells Dennis Leone that it is a "waste of time" for him (Leone) to ask a question about the Ferguson contract.

3. Former Board chair Bob Brown tells Dennis Leone to "shut up" when he (Leone) questions the cost associated with Flannagan and Chapman's attending a conference in Florida.

4. Board member Mark Meuser writes that any board involvement in vendor contracts "impairs the staff's ability to negotiate."

5. STRS pays $55.00 each for Billirakis, Ramser, Puckett, Flannagan and Chapman to have their own personal credit cards. This is not to mention that the misuse of credit cards was a topic of Leone's 2003 report, or that 82 staff members were required to turn them in after his report came out.

6. The Board forks up $315,000 for a headhunter without so much as discussing the proposed contract.

7. Even though Dennis Leone and John Lazares say "don't do it," the Board pays for the personal legal fees of STRS employees when free legal advice was available from the State Attorney General's Office.

8. Damon is given a new contract without the action being on the agenda.

9. The Board angrily rejects a Leone motion, 8-2, that Damon have a $50,000 spending cap, and instead, votes 8-2 to give him a $1 million dollar spending limitation.

10. Board member (Zelman's rep) Steve Puckett expects the Board to pay his personal long distance phone calls during a trip to Florida, and Mike Billirakis expects the board to pay for a home Internet connection.

11. Against the recommendation of Dennis Leone and John Lazares, the Board votes 9-2 to approve a $3.4 million settlement agreement without having a document in hard, only to learn later that the law firm representing the board added a provision to the agreement without prior board approval. The icing on the cake: the Board pays this law firm $300,000 with no final review, despite Leone's begging that the Board at least discuss it.

All of this is just a sample. OEA doesn't get it. ORTA doesn't get it. (Or maybe they just don't WANT to get it.) Until the above nonsense stops, we are fighting an uphill battle. And of course, there are those in OEA who wish Dennis Leone and John Lazares would never say anything at all about the above items. *Finding a solution to health care is more important* is their mantra and their battle cry while blatantly ignoring the persistent bleeding of the retirees' funds and the continuing culture of entitlement on the STRS Board.

We need help badly to get legislation passed for the 5% health care initiative. But what are our legislators supposed to think when they see these kinds of antics going on at 275 East Broad Street? We have two Board members we can ALWAYS count on to Do the Right Thing: Dennis Leone and John Lazares. The rest of them need to shape up or ship out if we want even a PRAYER of getting legislation passed to save our health care. Which is it going to be?

Kathie Bracy
November 8, 2006
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A clarification on Point #9 (taken from an e-mail I sent 11/9/06 to a retiree)

The STRS Board ultimately did approve in June, on a 5-4 vote, a $100,000 spending cap for Damon after rejecting Dr. Leone's first motion in May. But this didn't happen till retirees in large number expressed their discontent about the May vote (here again, OEA sat quiet). It's appalling that the revision did not occur until RETIREES let the board know that Leone and Lazares were not alone with their opinion on the matter. It left many lawmakers scratching their heads, wondering what the heck is wrong with the STRS Board majority.

The same thing happened with Dennis' motion in May to prohibit future board actions on vendor contracts unless the board first receives summary documents before the vote. The board rejected this 8-2 in May, then came back in September and approved it 6-2 -- but NOT until after many retirees blasted the board at the August Board meeting. I wasn't able to be at the August meeting, but I sure heard about it. You and I both know these changes would never have occurred if it hadn't been for retirees, not OEA, speaking up. As always, we need to "keep their feet to the fire."

KBB