Jim Kimmel: A few ideas for STRS to try

Jim Kimmel to Molly Janczyk, November 23, 2006

Subject: Re: Medicare: HCA
Molly: I don't think that it is the end of the story for us retirees who retired in the cohort of retirees in the 90's who were abandoned by not being in the 88% group and not told about the real health care story. They could do one or two ( or both) of these:

1. An ad hoc raise for those who could not get into the 88% because they had already retired but should have had the choice and those that have had an unsubsidized spouse for Health Care Insurance for many years, paying the full price for the spouse.

2. Make the COLA a real COLA by compounding it based on last year's check.

Also the 13th check could be reinstated.

There is still little consideration of the retirees compared to the employees (child care*,dining hall, bonuses) which I think are called something else now. It's like Bush I who said "no new taxes" and then when he raised taxes anyway he said it was only a "revenue enhancement".It is obvious to me that there is an agenda to ride the STRS fund into the ground and that those who cooperate in this, (employees and board members) except for Dennis and John of course, and in return they get perks and front row seats. And STRS employees can do it without fear or compunction because THEIR retirement is in OPERS so there is no real accountability. And they can perpetrate in their own minds ( and hearts if they have them) that teachers are second class citizens anyway so they are justified that we will remain poor souls with chalk dust on our sleeves clinging to our foolish idealism. There is a mentality at STRS and other places that there must be losers for there to be winners. How many times have you heard in political/economic discussions when "trickle down" or some Greenspan monetary plan is proposed that the proponent says, "well..of COURSE there will be winners and losers as in any plan."..I guess we have been selected to be in the loser category! But it all depends on who is in charge. and that is changing.

*Didn't Damon promise that the Child Care facility be "revenue neutral" by July 1 of 2003 or 2004 ? I don't think it is yet. ?? Just more of his prevarication!
Jim Kimmel