Paul Boyer to Conni Ramser: Why don't you just resign from the board and count it as a bad time in your life?

From Paul Boyer, November 4, 2006
Subject: STRS
Conni:

The last I remember, you stated that you had not read either of Dennis Leone's reports on his investigation of the STRS operation in 2003. If that is the case, and you do not know what he wrote, then as far as I am concerned, you are "dead in the water". That should have been your first assignment, even before you were appointed to the board. Why don't you just resign and look on this as a bad dream?

What reason do you have for wanting to be on the board so badly that you would somehow secure the questions before being interviewed so you could answer them more intelligently? And please do not say that this is not so. You weaseled your way onto the board with someone's help. I do not know whether you got the questions from OEA or someone else but you showed everyone there that you had them and you became the laughing stock of the retirees present.

As I said before, after you had been on the board for awhile I began to hear better things of you and congratulated you. That, however, did not last long. You have really made a symbol of yourself with some of the actions you have taken since becoming the chair of the board. What gives you the right to make a motion for an item that is not on the budget, such as extending Damon's contract? What gives you the right to put down Dr. Leone just because you do not like a motion he wants to make? Do you think your position is that of a dictator? Oh no, Conni, you are just another member of the board who is to chair the meeting and see that it is run in an orderly manner. As I stated in my last letter, no member of the board has any more power than another member of the board and no member of the board has any right to find fault with another board member during a board meeting. And always remember that as a board member, your power to do things exists only in a meeting of the board. You have no power over anyone outside of a board meeting.

I am wondering, Conni, if you have read SB 133 recently. I would like to call to your attention a couple paragraphs that I have cut and pasted from the internet, as follows:

· Provides that a member of a state retirement board charged with committing a felony, a theft offense, or an ethics law violation is suspended from the board while the charges are pending and terminates the suspension if the charges are resolved in a manner not resulting in the member being convicted or pleading guilty to the offense.
· Deems vacant the position of a suspended member who pleads guilty to or is convicted of the offense.
· Makes ineligible for election to a state retirement board a person who has pleaded guilty to or been convicted of an offense for which a member would be suspended.

Civil action

· Authorizes the AG to maintain a civil action against a state retirement board member who breaches the member's fiduciary duty to the retirement system for harm resulting from that breach.

I, for one, along with many others, will be watching you very carefully from now on to see if you get out of line sand if you do, I will try to be the first one to file a complaint with the attorney general. Notice very carefully the last paragraph.

I will say again, Conni, why don't you just resign from the board and count it as a bad time in your life? Whatever power play you had hoped to have when you applied for appointment just isn't going to work. Consider yourself forewarned.

Paul L. Boyer

Retired since 1985

Life member OEA/OEA-R,

NEA, ORTA, CORE

Proud to be named

“Core” of CORE