Saturday, September 23, 2006

Problem getting a response from the ORSC

From Kathie Bracy, September 22, 2006
(Sent to Sen. David Goodman and Rep. Linda Reidelbach)
Subject: Problem getting a response from the ORSC

Dear Mr. Goodman,
As a retired teacher, I am very much concerned that another retiree, John Curry, has made repeated requests to Aristotle Hutras, director of the Ohio Retirement Studies Council, for information pertaining to a study which the ORSC commissioned several years ago by the Independent Fiduciary Services of Washington, D.C. This was to be a study of the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio.
Mr. Curry has not seen the results of the study posted anywhere, nor have I or anyone I know. It is very distressing to think that the ORSC office is not responding to Mr. Curry's e-mails, let alone making this information available to him to share with retirees, most notably the members of CORE (Concerned Ohio Retired Educators), an active statewide organization which make it its business to know what is happening at organizations such as STRS and the ORSC.
If you can help us get this information from Mr. Hutras and/or the ORSC, many retired educators around the state would be most grateful. The e-mail address we have for them (provided on their website http://www.orsc.org/) is: info@orsc.org.
I will paste Mr. Curry's messages to Mr. Hutras below this message. Thank you for any help you can give.
Kathie Bracy
Columbus, OH 43229-1424
www.kathiebracy.blogspot.com (A blog for retired educators of Ohio)

Molly Janczyk re: Individual HC insurance

From Molly Janczyk
Subject: Indiv. HC
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006
(Written in response to an e-mail)
That is exactly what I mean. Sometimes things sound a way in a general article or a sales approach, but it is to draw folks in much as what happened to some re: selling medicare RX coverage. It was found not to be as good as what we have. Also, my husband has run into this often with disclosed info the underwriters decline when no health problem exists and data shows it overwhelmingly will not. He fights hard for those and sometimes wins on their behalf but it is difficult when underwriters look at numbers only and never individuals.
People are smart but if never experienced in an area, may be misled and act without knowing based on info read. It is always best to call STRS or your provider regarding billing remembering the bill never is what you pay and it is always hugely less as costs must be approved by medicare and then by provider and in network providers must accept what they dictate. A $50,000 bill is nothing more than hoping someone will pay without checking. After medicare and provider allowed rates, that will probably be approx. a couple of hundred more or less until you meet deduc. and out of pockets and then STRS pays at 100%.
Also, STRS RX coverage IS as good as or better than other programs if you thoroughly check. If approached with something that sounds too good to be true, it usually is and call STRS for the numbers.
HC can be complicated if not encountered before. Having an ill husband and doing the bills for my mom who had OPERS and Medicare, I learned quick never to pay a dime until both had run the bills first thru medicare and then thru OPERS. There are 2 yrs. for medicare to process so don't worry about continual bills. Have your provider call the billing source and it will stop or tell the billing source you know better than to pay anything before medicare and your provider approve costs and THEY will tell you your responsibility which means you owe no more than what they tell you.
Many will try to send dramatic and threatening bills which seems like they have gone to collectors. I rec'd a huge bill like this and called Mother's provider and it was stopped immediately. OOPS! OUR ERROR , they said, and wiped it out while I was on phone. How did they know so quickly it was an error except that it was repeated attempts to get more money hoping I'd be scared, worry my credit would be hurt and pay. Happened 2-3 times over and over. Finally , it stopped when they saw I went to hospital billing, and her provider who contacted them.
Most of us learn thru experience with HC issues and lots of phone calls to decipher bills. Take articles with a grain of salt and thoroughly ck out info with STRS and YOUR HEALTH PROVIDER: MED MUT OR AETNA OR WHICHEVER PROVIDER YOU HAVE. They will tell you immediately as they keep running total which you can request.

Friday, September 22, 2006

John Curry: A request to all of us

From John Curry, September 22, 2006
Subject: A request from me to fellow CORE members

I have still received no reply from the Ohio Retirement Study Council re. the correspondence below. I know that many of you personally are acquainted with a state senator or representative. I ask that you let your local representative or senator know your feelings on this matter and forward this info to your local representative or senator for their input and/or suggestions. In this case, our government is not being responsive to its constituents. Thank you.
John
[From KBB: Click to find contact information]:
Aristotle Hutras: info@orsc.org
-------
From John Curry to Aristotle Hutras (info@orsc.org), Director, ORSC
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006
Subject: Mr. Hutras and the Ohio Retirement Study Council

Mr. Hutras,
I have already sent two previous emails to your agency in an attempt to ascertain the status of a study ordered by your agency as stated below. Neither of these emails (below) were ever replied to. These emails did reach your agency as they were not returned. They were sent to the address on your site that your site advised to use for communication with your agency. In fact, here is a quote from your site re. communicating with the ORSC is listed in blue text below:
"Any comments or suggestions regarding this site may be directed to the Director of the ORSC." Your site lists no other email address for you personally. When one clicks on this link, one gets the ORSC address that is and was being used now. I am starting to develop a belief that your agency is not being responsive to legitimate questions directed to your agency. Is there something in this report that your agency does not wish to share? I feel that, as an Ohio taxpayer, I have a right to at least a response. Thank you.
John Curry
-------
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006
Subject: Mr. Hutras

Mr. Hutras, I haven't received a reply to the letter below. I am wondering if it ever reached your desk. Thank you.
John Curry
-------
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Subject: Independent Fiduciary Services report re. Police & Fire & STRS

Mr. Hutras,
Several years ago, the O.R.S.C. commissioned a study by the Independent Fiduciary Services of Washington D.C. This was to be a study of both the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio. I have not seen the results of this study posted anywhere.
Could you please share with me the current status of this report. If it has been completed and released, how may I obtain a copy? Thank you.
Sincerely,
John Curry

Wal-Mart to Test Price Cuts on Generic Drugs: Article and News Analysis

September 21, 2006
New York Times

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, will test a program to sell generic prescription drugs to its workers and customers at sharply reduced prices, according to people briefed on the plans.

The giant discount chain, which has used its size to knock down the costs of toys, clothing and groceries, will sell generic versions of about 300 widely prescribed drugs for as low as $4 for a standard prescription, these people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of the new program. On average, generic drugs cost between $10 and $30 for a 30-day prescription.

The company, which is frequently criticized for its employee health benefits, is expected to announce the program today. A company spokeswoman declined comment.

Wal-Mart will test the lower prices first in the Tampa, Fla., area and, depending on consumer response, may expand the program around the state and the country, these people said.

The experiment appears to mark the first time that Wal-Mart has used its unrivaled influence in the American economy to lower the cost of health care for its customers.

In the past year, the company has introduced several programs to improve its benefits for workers, like extending insurance coverage to the children of part-time workers and starting a benefit plan with monthly premiums as low as $11.

Still, critics complain that at Wal-Mart health insurance is out of reach for many of its 1.3 million employees in the United States, forcing thousands of them to turn to state-sponsored programs or forgo health coverage altogether.

Several states even considered legislation that would force the chain to increase its spending on health care but only one such bill, in Maryland, became law. The law has since been struck down by a judge and its future is in doubt.

For Wal-Mart, the lower generic drug prices could blunt criticism of its health care coverage and prove a boon to business. Wal-Mart’s chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., has identified the chain’s pharmacy business as an area that needs improvement, and $4 generic drugs could turn the chain into a destination for those seeking the best prices on prescriptions.

It is unclear exactly how Wal-Mart obtained the lower prices. The chain has at times sold products like toys at a loss to entice consumers. But given its size it is possible the company has negotiated lower prices with health care providers and drug companies, industry experts said.

The new generic drug program is expected to be announced this morning at a Wal-Mart store in Florida, with senior company executives and elected leaders in attendance.

September 22, 2006
News Analysis
New York Times

At first glance, Wal-Mart’s plan to sharply cut the cost of generic drugs, to $4, seems like a signal event in American health care. It could make scores of treatments affordable to the uninsured, reduce the burden on Medicaid and bring competitive pricing to the pharmacy industry.

Even company critics have praised the plan, conceding that it represents a case of the giant retailer using its size and ability to wring out costs to improve the lives of regular Americans.

But a close examination of the program, with details confirmed by the company yesterday, suggests that its impact could be blunted by several factors.

The plan, which is said to cover 300 drugs, includes only about 124 separate medicines in various dosages, like 12 versions of the popular antibiotic amoxicillin. It leaves out some popular drugs altogether, like the generic version of the cholesterol-lowering treatment Zocor.

And while uninsured people should benefit from the program, those with insurance may save only a dollar or so, making a trip to Wal-Mart not worth their while, analysts said. In Florida, where the program will have its debut, most people on Medicaid pay nothing and may have little incentive to shop around for cheaper prescription drugs.

“It is not as significant as it first seems, in our opinion,” said Joseph Agnese, an analyst at Standard & Poor’s, who expressed surprise at investors’ reaction to the Wal-Mart announcement, which sent shares of its competitors CVS and Walgreen down sharply yesterday.

As it has for dozens of consumer products, Wal-Mart reduced prices of generic prescription drugs by attacking the few remaining pockets of inefficiency in its operations. For example, it cut out third-party distributors that stood between the chain and drug manufacturers.

“There is a huge profit margin in the generics” for the middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers, the distributors and the pharmacies themselves, said Patricia Wilson of Associates & Wilson, a Rosemont, Pa., health care consulting firm. Wal-Mart appears to be taking some of those profits from the traditional middlemen to lower the prices it is charging for these generic drugs.

The company also introduced rapid, automated machines into its pharmacy distribution centers that had long relied on workers to fill orders. In doing so, Wal-Mart reduced the amount of time that costly drugs sat in warehouses, rather than on store shelves where they could create revenue. “It is not glamorous,” said Bill Simon, an executive vice president at Wal-Mart. “It’s pennies at a time.”

Wal-Mart said that by covering one-fifth of the generic drugs it prescribes at its more than 3,000 United States pharmacies, the new program would make it possible for thousands of people to buy drugs they either cannot afford or currently ration, sometimes by cutting pills in half, to cut costs.

Under the plan, which will begin in the Tampa, Fla., area — and the company says will eventually expand to the rest of the country beginning next year — the $4 fee charged by Wal-Mart will be paid by a combination of consumers, insurance companies and the federal government, depending on a person’s health coverage. On average, generic drugs are now sold at retail for $10 to $30 for a 30-day supply.

An insured customer will not pay more than $4, no matter what the co-payment is, the company said. Wal-Mart would bill the insurer for the difference if the co-payment was below $4. Customers whose co-payment is above $4 are unlikely to use insurance, but pay for the drug out of pocket. Where required, Medicaid users would still pay a small co-payment for a prescription drug, with the government billed the balance. In the past, Wal-Mart might have billed the government significantly more than $4 for a generic drug. “It’s a tremendous savings for state Medicaid,” said Mr. Simon, the Wal-Mart executive.

But Christa Calamas, secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, said the state would probably save money only on those Medicaid consumers who already fill prescriptions at Wal-Mart. Since most Florida Medicaid users pay nothing for their prescriptions, they are likely to choose convenient pharmacy locations over lower prices, experts said.

Wal-Mart said it would not lose money on the low-cost generic drugs — and, in fact, several industry analysts predicted the company’s pharmacy business would benefit from the new plan. Unlike CVS or Walgreen, which rely on prescription sales for most of their revenues, Wal-Mart’s pharmacy business represents less than 10 percent of its total revenue and the company has identified it as an area that needs improvement.

By luring customers of all incomes into the store at least once a month to fill generic drug prescriptions, Wal-Mart could increase overall pharmacy and store sales, these analysts said.

Health care analysts were quick to point out that Wal-Mart has carefully chosen which drugs it will cover — 300 out of roughly 11,000 generic drugs available. Moreover, it is not offering some expensive drugs, like any of the cholesterol-lowering statins, at the $4 price. And some of the drugs covered, like generic ibuprofen, cost very little and may be currently available for less than $4. “They are not losing money on all these products,” said Ms. Wilson, the health care consultant.

But she praised Wal-Mart for bringing attention to the cost savings available from generic drugs, which are significantly less expensive than their branded counterparts. Wal-Mart could also introduce much greater competition to the marketplace by pushing the concept of discounts into what has traditionally been an inefficient market. “People will begin to compare prices,” she said.

Wal-Mart has come under fierce attack for its employee health benefits; critics contend the benefits are too costly, given the typical Wal-Mart worker’s wages, and frequently force employees to rely on state programs or forgo coverage altogether. With the lower generic drug prices, which apply to its workers as well as customers, the company appears to be trying to address those concerns.

Still, critics say this plan does little to confront the high costs of health care for the uninsured, including Wal-Mart employees, since they still face the expense of going to a doctor to get a prescription, for example. While the plan is a good first step, “it is clearly as much a public relations effort as a substantive change,” said Ron Pollack, the executive director of Families USA, a Washington consumer group that has often criticized Wal-Mart’s health care offerings.

Wal-Mart’s chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., said that “competition and market forces have been absent from our health care system, and that has hurt working families tremendously.” The company, he added, is “excited to take the lead in doing what we do best — driving costs out of the system — and passing those savings to our customers and associates,” as Wal-Mart refers to its employees.

Endorsements from OFT and OEA

From Molly Janczyk, September 21, 2006 2:25
Subject: FW: OFT endorsements "straight up"; OEA online
For OEA's endorsements go to: www.ohea.org. Enter the number on the back of your Ohio Schools Magazine: IT IS A 10 digit number and add the first 4 letters of your last name.
Both OEA and OFT endorse Strickland and Brown.
Ck OEA for other endorsements on line. I imagine when Nov. approaches they will list them as well.
-------
From John Curry, Sept. 21, 2006
Subject: OFT endorsements "straight up"
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006
OFT Expands List of Endorsed Candidates
(June 10, 2006) Attorney General candidate Marc Dann is among 57 additional endorsements made by the Ohio Federation of Teachers June 10 for the fall general election. Dann is the Democratic candidate facing Republican Betty Montgomery. OFT also added William O'Neill to the list of endorsed candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court; Ben Espy was endorsed previously.
-------
OFT endorsed Zack Space in the 18th Congressional District race against Bob Ney, who is currently under a cloud of scandals involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff. OFT also endorsed former Congressman Bob Shamansky against Pat Tiberi in the 12th Congressional District north of Columbus.
-------
This round of endorsements broadens the list of education-friendly candidates supported by the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Several endorsements were approved after OFT's 2006 statewide convention in Cincinnati March 9-11 following earlier endorsements for Ted Strickland for governor and Sherrod Brown for US Senate.
-------
Additional Ohio Senate candidates endorsed by OFT June 10 included Ray Miller (District 15), Shirley Smith (District 21), Dale Miller
(District 23), Schuring (District 29) and John Boccieri (District 33).
-------
Additional Ohio House candidates endorsed by OFT June 10 include Bruce Burnworth (District 2), Dennis Shreefer (District 4), Armond Budish
(District 8), Barbara Boyd (District 9), Sandra Williams (District 11), Michael Foley/Bill Ritter (District 14), Tim DeGreeter (District 15), Marian Harris (District 19), Jim Hughes (District 22), Joyce Beatty
(District 27), Connie Pillich (District 28), Steve Driehaus (District
31), Dale Mallory (District 32), Tyrone Yates (District 33), Stephen Silver (District 34), Karen Adams (District 35), Guy Fogle (District 37), Carolyn Rice (District 38), Fred Strahorn (District 40), Vernon Sykes
(District 44), Robert Otterman (District 45), Mark Dansack (District 46), Edna Brown (District 48), John Johnson (District 50), Scott Oelslager
(District 51), William Healy (District 52), Matt Lundy (District 57), Ken Carano (District 59), Robert Hagan (District 60), Mark Okey (District
61), Sandra Harwood (District 65), Kathleen Chandler (District 68), Jay Goyal (District 73), Ben McCullough (District 74), Angie Byrne (District
75), Chris Redfern (District 80), Darrell Opfer (District 81), Shawn Allen (District 83), Connie Crockett (District 84), Raymond Pryor
(District 85), Bill Horne (District 86), Clyde Evans (District 87), Todd Book (District 89), Dan Dodd (District 91), John Domenick (District 95), Raymond Ku (District 98), George Distel (District 99).

An STRS thought to ponder

From John Curry, September 20, 2006
Subject: An STRS thought to ponder

Recently (this week), the Dispatch featured a front page article re. the Huntington building that STRS owns controlling interest in.
Speaking of interest-how about a conflict of interest? FORMER STRS appointed board member Judith Fisher was a retired executive from Huntington Bank. Should she have been challenged re. a possible conflict of interest with her Huntington connection, would that challenge have stood up? I think it might have. Maybe she "bailed out" because of the potential of someone bringing this issue up - maybe. Ponder on, I am.

Mr. Hutras and the Ohio Retirement Study Council

From John Curry, September 21, 2006
Subject: Mr. Hutras and the Ohio Retirement Study Council

Mr. Hutras,
I have already sent two previous emails to your agency in an attempt to ascertain the status of a study ordered by your agency as stated below. Neither of these emails (below) were ever replied to. These emails did reach your agency as they were not returned. They were sent to the address on your site that your site advised to use for communication with your agency. In fact, here is a quote from your site re. communicating with the ORSC is listed in blue text below:
"Any comments or suggestions regarding this site may be directed to the Director of the ORSC." Your site lists no other email address for you personally. When one clicks on this link, one gets the ORSC address that is and was being used now. I am starting to develop a belief that your agency is not being responsive to legitimate questions directed to your agency. Is there something in this report that your agency does not wish to share? I feel that, as an Ohio taxpayer, I have a right to at least a response. Thank you.
John Curry

K. Fluke and Bob Jones: No STRS honor awards for convicted Board Members

From RH Jones, September 21, 2006
Subject: No STRS honor awards for convicted Board Members
To all:
Dr. K. Fluke, SummitCRTA VP. & Leg. CMTE Chair, has asked me, one of his Leg. CMTE Members, to strongly request support for: No honors be awarded to the STRS Board Members who have been convicted of misdemeanor ethics crimes. The bronze honors plaque, that is placed on the wall in the STRS Bldg. Board Meeting Room, should rightly list their names for their service on the STRS Board, but have an asterisk by each name with a footnote that they were convicted of STRS ethics violations in the Columbus Court .
Forevermore, the STRS Board Members serving both in the present, and in the future, need to be reminded, by these asterisks and the footnote on this plaque, that they are expected to follow Ohio law in all aspects of their service while on our STRS Board. And further, outside of the our expenses of paying for the wording on the plaque, only a paper acknowledgement of their time of service should be given them. To do otherwise would be to dishonor the long tradition of all those honest, knowledgeable, and upright members who served before them.
My thoughts are in harmony with Dr. Fluke on this most serious matter. Law breaking, while serving on our board, should never be awarded.
Robert Hudson Jones, a STRS Retired Member

Want to go out and find reasonable health care insurance on the open market? - Good luck!

Study Says Individual Insurance Too Costly
Eighty-nine percent of health-coverage shoppers can't afford policies or are rejected.
L.A. Times
By Lisa Girion, Times Staff Writer
September 14, 2006

Individual health insurance — often touted as an alternative to employer-based group coverage — may be an option for the healthiest and wealthiest. But a study due out today suggests that the poor and sick need not apply.

The overwhelming majority — 89% — of working-age adults who shopped for health coverage in the individual market over the last three years were rejected for health reasons or found it too expensive, according to the study by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that sponsors independent research on health and social issues.

Coverage was not affordable for 58% of the applicants, and 21% who had a medical condition were turned down, charged a higher premium or sold a policy that excluded the existing problem from coverage, the report said.

Individual insurance also is less affordable than employer-sponsored coverage, the study found. Two out of five people with individual coverage spent 5% or more of their income on premiums, compared with one out of seven people with employer coverage.

The study is the latest assessment of individual insurance, which is seen as an increasingly important form of coverage as employers drop health benefits for workers and their families because of the cost.

Most of the increase in the number of uninsured Americans — who now total, by some estimates, 46.6 million — was because of a decline in workplace coverage, said study author Sara Collins, an executive at the New York-based foundation.

"Although the individual market is a last resort for those shut out of employer-sponsored coverage, it is by no means a safe or secure haven for everyone," Collins said.

America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry group, took issue with the study and its methodology — a telephone survey of more than 4,000 consumers — saying their impressions were not as reliable as the trade organization's survey of insurance companies last year. The group also pointed out that its survey showed that 16 million people had individual health insurance and that the policies they purchased were more affordable than the Commonwealth report suggested and with richer benefits than employer-sponsored coverage.

"Many people shop all the time, but don't always buy," said Mohit Ghose, a spokesman for the industry group.

He said individual insurance "may not be for everyone, but, for a certain person, it's an important choice."

In California, the companies that dominate the individual health insurance market are under fire for revoking coverage after some policyholders become seriously ill.

Several lawsuits accuse Blue Cross of California and its rival Blue Shield of looking for any excuse to dump people with costly medical problems in an effort to escape their obligation to pay the bills.

State regulators are investigating the allegations. The companies have denied wrongdoing, saying the cancellations are usually because policyholders did not make full disclosure of prior health problems that would have made them ineligible for coverage.

Unlike group plans, which must accept everyone, individual plans can deny coverage based on preexisting conditions.

The Commonwealth study did not look at the revocation problem. But it did find that people with individual insurance coverage tended to have higher deductibles, along with high levels of dissatisfaction with their healthcare.

The report is based on findings from the Commonwealth Fund's latest biennial health insurance survey.

The study found that more than a third of adults with individual insurance had to spend $1,000 out of pocket each year before coverage kicked in. More than half of those with individual insurance pay at least $3,000 a year in premiums and about a third pay $6,000 or more.

People on such plans were more likely to report that they did not get needed healthcare or prescription drugs because of prohibitive out-of-pocket expenses.

One in five people with a high-deductible plan reported taking on credit card debt to pay medical bills, compared with 8% of those with lower deductibles.
-------
From Shirlee Zerkel, September 20, 2006

Subject: Re: Want to go out and find reasonable health care insurance on the open market

John, Interesting article but that is no worse than STRS insurance. In fact it is even better! You may send this info out to the troops. Read the paragraph that says individual (private) insurance may run as much as $3,000 per year in premiums and have a deductible of $1,000. In 2006, This is what a 30 year service, non Medicare retiree did pay on the Medical Mutual Plus plan for self and spouse premiums - $7,788 PER YEAR with a $500 Deductible for each person. In 2006 a 30 year service, nonMedicare retiree did pay on the Medical Mutual Basic for self and spouse premiums-$4,608 PER YEAR with a $1500 Deductible for each person. That is far worse than on the open or private market. The ONLY plus is that STRS has to insure a member no matter with their physical condition. Shirlee

Shirlee Zerkel and Gary Russell: Questions concerning CareMark

From Gary Russell, September 21, 2006
Subject: RE: Questions concerning CareMark
Dear Ms. Zerkel
STRS Ohio’s contractual standards with Caremark, which Caremark consistently meets, is that 95% of prescriptions are filled within 2 days. For exception drugs, those that require prior authorization or a call to a physician, the standard is 97% within 7 days. From your question I’d have to assume that the drug was one that either required prior authorization, a call to the physician or some other type of special handling.
Regarding Flogard, there is no such drug, perhaps the retiree gave you the incorrect name. If the retiree would like to contact me, I’d be happy to answer any questions about the pricing. In order to make an accurate comparison it is important that I know the quantity as well as the dosage of the medication. That being said, we negotiate for the best price to STRS Ohio for the total drug mix that we purchase. There will be some drugs that can be purchased cheaper at a retail setting. For example, a retail store may use a particular drug as a loss leader.
If you can ask the member to call me at 1-888-227-7877 or e-mail me at Russellg@strsoh.org, I’d be happy to resolve any concerns the member may have.
Thanks
Gary
-------
From: Shirlee Zerkel, Thursday, September 21, 2006
Subject: Questions concerning CareMark
Dear Ms. Knoesel and Mr. Russell:

I have two questions concerning the services of CareMark. First, a member ordered several medications by phone. Well over a week passed so the member called CareMark to inquire about the much needed medication. A CareMark employee told him that it had just been mailed out that day, and that CareMark's contract with STRS stated that they did not have to process orders until one week from the day the order was received. Is this true? And if so, why?

Second, Under what tier does the drug, Flogard, fit, and why is CareMark so much higher on the price than retail pharmacies? CareMark charged $46 for 90 pills and a local pharmacy charged $16 for 60 pills. That member could buy 120 pills from the local pharm for $32 and well after this incident. CareMark's price is almost double in per pill cost. Yet your recent flyer about Health Care News states that even with the higher co-pays " STRS members still receive a cost savings when they receive their drugs through mail service." This is not a cost savings in my opinion. CareMark is a very large PBM; they should be able to get us the cheapest prices out there.

Shirlee Zerkel

------- From Shirlee, Sept. 22, 2006:

Dear Mr. Russell:
I am sorry that I did not spell the prescribed medicine correctly. The correct name of the drug is Folgard 2.2. Quantity was for 90 pills. What tier is that medication on? I can not find it in the information from CareMark. I am asking why CareMark charged $46 for the 90 pills or about 51 cents per pill when we have inquired locally and retail pharms have the cost from $16 to $20 for 60 pills. Let's suppose that we use the $16 figure; that amounts to about 26 cents per pill. That is almost double what we are charged through CareMark.
Thank you for your answer,
Shirlee

Fear of putting STRS in 'gray area' prompted Buser to leave its board

Fallout over ethics violations elsewhere, at agency, raised sensitivity to conflict potential

Business First of Columbus - August 18, 2006

It was a Friday when Stephen Buser became aware of a potential conflict of interest related to his spot on the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio's board.

The following Monday he handed in his resignation.

For Buser, a retired Ohio State University professor, it was a case of better safe than sorry.

"I don't want myself or the system to be in a gray area, ever," Buser said.

Buser, appointed to the board in January 2005 by the state Treasurer's Office as an investment expert, became aware of the potential conflict when informed by the system's lawyer that a firm he had previously consulted for had recently scheduled a sales call with the system.

According to the Treasurer's Office, Ohio rules maintain any company that once employed Buser cannot solicit the state for business while he is on the system's board, said spokesman Brian Cunningham.

Buser's resignation, effective Aug. 17, came amid increased scrutiny of the retirement system by the Ohio Ethics Commission.

That examination resulted in convictions of former STRS Executive Director Herb Dyer and two past board members for taking gifts from existing or potential vendors to the system. Dyer's conviction came last September and the board trustees were convicted in April and June of this year.

Those convictions in Franklin County Municipal Court, as well as a 2004 state law further regulating financial disclosures and ethics at the pension systems - which stemmed in part from dissatisfaction over how the State Teachers Retirement System had been run - led to a raised awareness of ethics issues at the pension systems, said Paul Nick, chief investigative attorney with the Ohio Ethics Commission.

The system has required ethics training for board and staff members for three years, said spokeswoman Laura Ecklar.

Buser said the heightened awareness and ethics training, prompted him to take potential conflicts of interest more seriously.

"Before I would have assumed something like this was acceptable as long as I recuse myself and not vote on it," he said.

But simply being on the board and having an association with a company that could do business with the system could lead to the impression of a conflict, Buser said.

"I don't think I would have appreciated that, or not as quickly," he said.

Board member Dennis Leone, a retired school superintendent from Chillicothe, said Buser's experience as an educator and investment expert made him a valuable contributor.

"He was one board member who, even if he disagreed with you, would consider other viewpoints," said Leone, who in 2003 helped spearhead Dyer's ouster and subsequent efforts to reform spending controls and policy at the system.

Leone joined the board in September 2005 but said he hasn't gotten along with all board members, including Judith Dunn Fisher.

She quit June 30, citing a dispute with a board member whom she did not identify.

In an Aug. 7 letter to state Treasurer Jennette B. Bradley, Buser stated he would return compensation he received from the firm that had solicited the system, in addition to resigning from the board. Buser would not identify the company.

Though the system has put in place measures to inform its board and staff of ethics requirements, it is under continued scrutiny from a task force investigating allegations of bribery at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, which has widened its investigation to include the pension systems.

Buser said he's confident ethics procedures at the system are effective, he said.

"Even though there are still some investigations ... I'm not aware of any recent concerns," Buser said.

Employees and board members of the system are aware how stringent ethics oversight has become in the wake of the convictions at the teachers retirement system and the allegations swirling around the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Buser said.

"Everyone is on notice and everyone is comfortable with that," he said.

Buser said his decision was his own.

"If I thought (the system) was really in bad shape in terms of investment, where someone really needed my assistance," he said, "I would undoubtedly try to stick it out through potential conflicts."

That would likely have meant going to the state Ethics Commission for assistance, he said.

"For me, I couldn't see the positives outweighing the negatives," Buser said.

Gov. Bob Taft's office will appoint Fisher's replacement, and Bradley's office is responsible for refilling Buser's vacant seat.

Business First: 4 from STRS convicted on ethics violations

Business First of Columbus - 3:36 PM EDT Wednesday [09/20/06]

Four former State Teachers Retirement System board members were convicted Tuesday of ethics law conflict-of-interest violations in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Charged with the misdemeanors were Eugene Norris, whose term on the board ended in August 2004, Deborah Scott and Joe Endry whose terms concluded August 2005; and Michael Billirakis, who resigned Sept. 15.

The violations stemmed from board members and their spouses accepting $275 in theater tickets from Frank Russell Corp./Russell Real Estate Advisors in 2003 for a Broadway performance. The board members were in New York on a tour of STRS's investment properties and an itinerary to the board members identified Russell was hosting the theater event.

Ohio ethics law prohibits public officials and employees from accepting goods or services of substantial value from people or organizations doing business with public organizations, seeking to do business them or that are regulated by public agencies. The Russell firm managed real estate investments for STRS.

Billirakis, Norris and Scott each were ordered to perform 60 hours of community service, pay fines of $250 and repay the cost of the tickets they accepted. Endry, who already repaid Frank Russell for the tickets he and his wife received, was ordered to perform 30 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.

Three other STRS officials were earlier convicted on ethics charges. The Franklin County Prosecutor has indicated the recent convictions close the action against former STRS board members, but an investigation into the conduct of senior retirement system officials continues.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Business First: Four ex-STRS Board members convicted of ethics violations

4 from STRS convicted on ethics violations
Business First of Columbus - September 20, 2006
Four former State Teachers Retirement System board members were convicted Tuesday of ethics law conflict-of-interest violations in Franklin County Municipal Court. Charged with the misdemeanors were Eugene Norris, whose term on the board ended in August 2004, Deborah Scott and Joe Endry whose terms concluded August 2005; and Michael Billirakis, who resigned Sept. 15.
The violations stemmed from board members and their spouses accepting $275 in theater tickets from Frank Russell Corp./Russell Real Estate Advisors in 2003 for a Broadway performance. The board members were in New York on a tour of STRS's investment properties and an itinerary to the board members identified Russell was hosting the theater event.
Ohio ethics law prohibits public officials and employees from accepting goods or services of substantial value from people or organizations doing business with public organizations, seeking to do business them or that are regulated by public agencies. The Russell firm managed real estate investments for STRS.
Billirakis, Norris and Scott each were ordered to perform 60 hours of community service, pay fines of $250 and repay the cost of the tickets they accepted. Endry, who already repaid Frank Russell for the tickets he and his wife received, was ordered to perform 30 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.
Three other STRS officials were earlier convicted on ethics charges. The Franklin County Prosecutor has indicated the recent convictions close the action against former STRS board members, but an investigation into the conduct of senior retirement system officials continues.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Columbus Dispatch: Ex-pension board members sentenced for taking gifts

Client paid their way to Broadway show
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Alayna DeMartini
The Columbus Dispatch
Accepting tickets to a Broadway musical was their downfall.

Four former members of the State Teachers Retirement System’s board pleaded no contest or guilty yesterday to accepting $275 tickets to the musical Hairspray in 2003.

Their attorneys said their clients didn’t know they were doing wrong when they attended the musical with tickets paid for by an investment company working for the board.

But Paul Nick, chief investigative attorney for the Ohio Ethics Commission, balked at that claim.

"How do you justify your entertainment to be paid for by STRS? " Nick asked. "It’s not as if it were a working lunch."

Former board member Michael Billirakis was charged with two counts of conflict of interest for accepting the Hairspray tickets from Frank Russell Corp./Russell Real Estate Advisors and tickets to a 2001 Cleveland Indians game from Salomon Smith Barney. Billirakis resigned Sept. 15, about two weeks after he was charged.

Former board members Joseph Endry, Eugene Norris and Deborah Scott each were charged with one count of conflict of interest for accepting the Hairspray tickets. All four were charged with failing to report to the Ohio Ethics Commission that they had received gifts worth $75 or more.

In plea agreements, Billirakis of Pickerington, Endry of Westerville and Scott of Cincinnati pleaded no contest to one ethics violation. Norris, of Ann Arbor, Mich., pleaded guilty to one ethics violation. All other ethics counts were dropped.

The ethics violations are first-degree misdemeanors punishable by fines as high as $1,000 or a six-month jail term.

In Franklin County Municipal Court yesterday, all four board members were fined $250, assigned 30 or 60 hours of community service, placed on probation for a year and required to make restitution to STRS if they hadn’t already. Attorney H. Ritchey Hollenbaugh, who represented Endry and Scott, said the prosecution was unfair to board members who "made an inadvertent mistake."

"It’s clearly overkill," he said.

In May 2003, the STRS board went on a trip to New York City to review real-estate investments with representatives from Frank Russell Corp. During the trip, the board members received itineraries that included the musical and stated that Russell was footing the bill for the tickets, Nick said.

"If they had paid their own way from the beginning, it wouldn’t have been an issue," he said.

The ethics commission and city prosecutors have been looking into claims that employees from the STRS volunteer board and paid staff received freebies from businesses they worked with. STRS manages a $60 billion pension system.

A former board member and the former executive director of the system already have been convicted of similar ethics violations.

And more people could be charged, said Lara Baker, an assistant city prosecutor.

Retired teacher Mary Angeletti said yesterday that she’s pleased by the scrutiny the STRS board has received.

"They have this attitude of entitlement," she said. "It was our money that was spent."

ademartini@dispatch.com

Cleveland Plain Dealer: 4 more convicted in pension case

Ex-board members took gifts from firm
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Reginald Fields
Plain Dealer Bureau
Columbus -- Four more former members of the state teachers retirement board, including the past president of the state's largest teachers union, have been convicted of taking gifts from an investment firm doing business with the $65 billion pension system.

That makes six former State Teachers Retirement System board members and its past executive director who have been convicted of ethics violations for, in part, accepting Broadway play tickets in 2003 while the group was in New York City on official business.

Michael Billirakis, former president of the Ohio Education Association, Joseph Endry, Eugene Norris and Deborah Scott agreed to plea deals that spared them jail time.

The four each pleaded no contest in Franklin County Municipal Court Tuesday to one count of conflict of interest in return for prosecutors dropping related charges for taking other gifts and falsifying financial disclosure statements required by the state.

Billirakis, Norris and Scott were given $250 fines, suspended jail sentences, one year probation, 60 hours of community service and ordered to pay $275 in restitution to the board. Endry's deal is similar, but contains 30 hours of community service and no restitution, because he later repaid the Frank Russell Investment Group for his tickets.

"I think it is clearly overkill," said attorney H. Ritchey Hollenbaugh, who represented Endry and Scott. "The system is unfair to people that make an innocent mistake.

"It's very clear they were given tickets as they entered the theater, and it wasn't until much later that they became aware that the tickets weren't paid for by the state teachers retirement system, but had been provided by a vendor," Hollenbaugh argued.

Columbus assistant prosecutor Lara Baker disagreed.

"There was an itinerary provided to each of the individual board members that specifically stated that Frank Russell was hosting," Baker said of the tickets to the musical "Hairspray."

David Freel, executive director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, which investigated the case and recommended criminal charges, said the board members had come to expect royal treatment, but as volunteers for a state board they should have known better.

"It is particularly suspect when you think that this is a retirement system of public money," Freel said. "Why would these members have ever thought public retirement system money could pay for their personal entertainment?"

Former board member Hazel Sidaway took her case to trial in April and lost. She was convicted of accepting the musical tickets and for taking tickets to a Cleveland Indians game in 2001 from another investment firm.

Former member Jack Chapman pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges in June for taking sports and theater tickets.

And former executive director Herb Dyer pleaded no contest last September to failing to report gifts he received and was fined. Dyer was forced out in 2003 following revelations of extravagant spending by the teachers retirement system.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: rfields@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Paul Kostyu: Four more on STRS panel convicted of violating ethics

Canton Repository
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
By PAUL E. KOSTYU COPLEY COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

COLUMBUS Four more board members of the state’s teacher pension fund were found guilty of violating state ethics laws.

That brings to seven the number of officials who have been convicted.

The investigation of the board of the State Teachers Retirement System is officially over. But the investigation of current and former senior staff members continues, according to Lara N. Baker, the chief prosecutor in the sweeping ethics case.

On Tuesday, Michael N. Billirakis, Eugene E. Norris, Joseph I. Endry and Deborah Scott pleaded no contest or guilty to a single count of conflict of interest for accepting a gift — a $275 ticket to the Broadway show “Hairspray” — from a contractor doing business with the pension fund. All but Scott, who is from Cincinnati, are from central Ohio.

The four faced 10 total charges — four for Billirakis and two each for the others — but those were reduced in plea agreements.

SENTENCING

The convictions came from an investigation begun in October 2003 by the Ohio Ethics Commission after media reports, including many by Copley Ohio Newspapers, raised questions about the pension fund.

All four got suspended jail sentences of 180 days, were placed on probation for one year and fined $250. Billirakis, Scott and Norris were ordered to make restitution and serve 60 hours of community service. Endry got 30 hours of community service because he made restitution before being charged.

Billirakis, a member of the executive committee of the National Education Association, broke down in tears as he stood before Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Scott D. VanDerKarr.

“I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention when I should have,” Billirakis said quietly.

Billirakis recently resigned from the retirement system board. The other three left the board when their terms expired.

REACTION

Billirakis’ attorney, Terry K. Sherman, said his client’s plea was against his advice. He said he thought there were legal and factual deficiencies in the state’s case. He said Billirakis was ensnared by a trip he didn’t arrange, and he did not know that the tickets were paid by a client.

Ben Espy, the attorney for Norris, blamed retirement system administrators for his client’s legal problems. He said Norris accepted the ticket based on the advice given by the pension fund’s in-house counsel and “this is the fallout.”

“Hopefully, this unfortunate era has passed,” said H. Ritchey Hollenbaugh, the attorney for Endry, Scott and three other retirement system clients, including former Canton City Schools teacher Hazel Sidaway. Sidaway’s conviction in April after a two-day trial set the stage for the plea deals that followed.

Hollenbaugh said board members didn’t knowingly violate the law.

Not so, said David Freel, executive director of the commission. He said former retirement system board members spent thousands of dollars in questionable expenses. He said all received itineraries of the New York trip showing who hosted them at the Broadway show.

Reach Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail: paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Akron Beacon Journal: Former board members plead no contest to ethics violations

Posted on Tue, Sep. 19, 2006
Akron Beacon Journal

Associated Press

Four former members of the state teachers' retirement board were sentenced Tuesday on a conflict of interest charge stemming from accepting tickets to a Broadway show from a company doing business with the agency.

The four had been charged with accepting $275 tickets for themselves and in some cases their spouses to "Hairspray," a musical in New York, during a May 2003 trip sponsored by the State Teachers Retirement System.

Board members Michael Billirakis, Eugene Norris, Joseph Endry and Deborah Scott entered no contest pleas in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Judge Scott VanDerKarr sentenced each to one year probation. He ordered Billirakis, Norris and Scott to perform 60 hours community service and to repay the cost of the tickets to the retirement fund.

VanDerKarr ordered Endry, who had already repaid the cost of the tickets for himself and his wife, to perform 30 hours of community service.

Investigators dropped a second charge of failing to report those gifts as required under state law.

The tickets were from the Frank Russell Corporation/Russell Real Estate Advisors, now the Russell Investment Group, according to the Ohio Ethics Commission, which brought the ethics charge.

Endry and Scott do not believe they did anything wrong but wanted to put the case behind them, said their Columbus attorney, Ritchey Hollenbaugh. He said the trip to New York was organized by staff members of the retirement system.

His clients "have no way of knowing who the ticket is from nor how much it costs, only that it is part of the evening that was put together with an itinerary from the staff in the board office," Hollenbaugh said.

Billirakis thought the show was part of the entire board-sponsored trip, said his attorney, Terry Sherman. He said his client pleaded no contest against his advice because he wanted to avoid a trial.

Messages seeking comment were left for Norris' attorney, Ben Espy.

A message was also left with the Russell Investment Group seeking comment. The company has said previously that it regularly hosts educational seminars and other activities for clients and Russell employees attend those functions with clients. The company says it's up to clients whether they attend those functions.

Investigators continue to look at the conduct of senior retirement fund officials, Ethics Commission investigator Paul Nick said.

In June, former board member Jack Chapman was convicted of accepting Cleveland Indians baseball tickets and other gifts from investment clients. Another former board member, elementary school teacher Hazel Sidaway, was convicted in May of similar ethics violations, and Herb Dyer, the retirement system's former executive director, was found guilty last fall of improperly accepting gifts.

The teachers' retirement system serves more than 439,000 active and retired educators with assets of about $59.6 billion.

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

WHIOTV.com (Dayton): 4 More Charged, Sentenced In Teachers Retirement Fund Investigation

POSTED: 3:50 pm EDT September 19, 2006
UPDATED: 4:02 pm EDT September 19, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A long-running investigation at the State Teachers Retirement System has produced criminal ethics charges against two former board members and one top staffer.

Now, four more former board members are facing charges in Franklin County.

One by one the four entered pleas, and the judge found them guilty of illegally accepting gifts from a company doing business with the retirement fund.

The board members had accepted, among other gifts, tickets to a Broadway show. Two members’ attorneys call the charges unfair.

Ritchey Hollenbaugh said, “I think that it is clearly overkill. The system is unfair to people who make an inadvertent mistake.”

State authorities said the board members knew what they were doing.

NewsCenter 7’s Jim Otte said the investigation is far from over. Investigators are looking at former and current employees.

The former board members were ordered to pay a fine and were sentenced to community service.

Molly Janczyk comments on today's events

From Molly Janczyk, September 19,2006
Mr. Freel, Ms. Baker, CORE Attendees, Thank you for reporting this day's events. We are so grateful for your attendance.
Mr. Freel and Ms. Baker, You are responsible for letting this state know that it doesn't matter the amount of misuse. It does not matter the level of breaking laws. When lines blur, err on the side of following the laws and ethics pledged on behalf of membership. Some felt little bits here and there were ok as they worked hard and deserved perks. Some felt that small indiscretions were didn't hurt anyone as Judith Fisher said to Lazares about working with vendors with ethics charges.
Thank you,
Molly Janczyk
PAGE DOWN FOR THE COURT PROCEEDINGS BY M.E. ANGELETTI TODAY:
Lazares summed it up well: "It's the law, Judith and if you don't understand that, I don't have anything else to say." Leone stands as a beacon for his research on misuse of our funds. They both provide ongoing oversight at times, it seems, the only oversight refusing to rubber stamp approvals so rampant in the past.
Why? As they both say undyingly. 'What do we tell the needy retirees who cannot pay for their RX's if we approve this amount. Let's try harder' on issues such as the Headhunters and approving paying staff legal fees and votes which approved unknown expenses because documents were not viewed by Board Members.
Keeping the Board truly informed and as partners along the way regarding Headhunter fee is an example. How hard did STRS try? If indeed, they exhausted all avenues and if indeed the top were not to be found though seems research would let us know who they are but anyway, if the Board truly decided that spending $315,000 to gain staff earning multimillions or so with numbers crunched in full view, then an informed decision could be made. I'm all for earning multimillions and understand how it helps retirees IF the Board is convinced it IS the only way. The lack of exchange and depth of attempts is an issue pitifully overlooked and the Board should not just take Damon's word for it.

Three CORE members attend arraignment of Billirakis, Norris, Scott and Endry; a report from Mary Ellen Angeletti

From: Mary Ellen Angeletti, September 19, 2006
Subject: Today's Hearings for Former STRS Bd. Members
Kathie Bracy, Chuck Angeletti, and Mary Ellen Angeletti attended the arraignment hearing today, Tuesday, Sept. 19th at the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse in Courtroom 4C in Columbus. The arraignment scheduled for 9:00 a.m. did not begin until 9:45 before Judge Scott D. VanDerKarr. Mike Billirakis was called first and was represented by his own attorney whose name we did not get. Billirakis waived his right to a jury trial and entered a plea of "No Contest" to the charges of two counts of conflict of interest for accepting tickets to Hairspray from the Frank Russell Company as well as accepting tickets to a Cleveland Indians game from Salomon Smith Barney. He was also charged with two counts of filing false financial disclosure statements with the Ohio Ethics Commission. Even though he entered a plea of No Contest, his attorney made a statement attesting to his fine character and contended that Billirakis considered himself to be innocent. Then Billirakis offered, "I'm sorry. I did the best I could." He was ordered by the judge to a $250.00 fine to be paid by Feb. 2nd, to serve 60 hours of community service, to be under a one year community control, and to pay STRS $275.00. [He was observed exiting the courtroom in tears. KBB]
Eugene Norris was called next and was represented by attorney, Ben Espy. He also waived his rights to a jury trial, and entered a plea of "No Contest" to the charge of one count of conflict interest and a count of filing a false financial disclosure statement for accepting and failing to disclose the New York City Hairspray tickets from Frank Russell. All are misdemeanors. Ben Espy also spoke to the judge concerning the character of his client. Norris was ordered by the judge to a $250.00 fine, to serve 60 hours of community service, to be under community control for one year, and to pay STRS $275.00.
Deb Scott was called next and was represented by attorney, Ritchie Hollenbaugh. She had the same charges against her as Eugene Norris did. She was ordered by the judge to the same as Norris above.
Last called was Joe Endry who was also represented by Ritchie Hollenbaugh. He entered a plea of "Not Guilty" to the identical charges against Norris & Scott. His attorney advised Joe to change his plea from not guilty to No Contest which he did. However, it was noted by Hollenbaugh that since Endry had paid back to STRS in March of 2006 the cost of the Frank Russell tickets, he was ordered to pay a fine of $250. by Feb. 2nd, serve one year of community control, and serve only 30 hours of community service.
Present at the proceedings today were Paul Kostyu of the Canton Repository, David Freel of the Ohio Ethics Commission, Lara Baker, prosecuting attorney and OEC investigator Paul Nick. Also present were TV cameras from channel 7 in Dayton for WHIO TV, and a female reporter from the Columbus Dispatch whose name we did not get.
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." Following Hollenbaugh, the press interviewed David Freel of the Ohio Ethics Commission who responded to Hollenbaugh's statement by saying, "The fact that the STRS Board members are not paid and are volunteers should not negate their fiduciary responsibilities." He volunteered that the four STRS Board members all knew that the itinerary for the New York trip had been arranged by the Frank Russell Company who did business with STRS and they had all previewed this itinerary before taking the trip. Lara Baker was interviewed next, and she offered that other staff members were to be charged for a mixture of other incidents which occurred at STRS. She said that the statute of limitations would not have a bearing on these charges to come. When these other charges will be made depends on the evidence. She volunteered that the Broadway show incident is DONE.
After this interview, the press grabbed Kathie, Chuck, and me and asked to interview us because of our t-shirts. We agreed to be interviewed. Following this, Channel 7 from Dayton advised that our interview would be accessible through whiotv.com & click on wastebusters. It should be available later today. The TV interview will show in Dayton tonight on the late news or possibly tomorrow on channel 7.

Arraignment set for Joe Endry, Mike Billirakis, Deb Scott and Eugene Norris

Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Franklin County Municipal Court, Room 4C
375 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Criminal Division: 614-645-8186 (Call this number to confirm information)

What to look for on Tuesday (Their Day in Court)

From John Curry, September 17, 2006
What can happen with a "plea" come this Tuesday?
Four former STRS board members will be formally charged this Tuesday. One of three pleas can be offered by the defendants:
1. Not Guilty
2. Guilty
3. No Contest
Under a plea of "Not Guilty," the Court will initiate a pre-trial hearing (conference) wherein the defendant's attorney (with or without the defendant present) and the prosecutor will meet to see if they can come to an agreement and/or do a little plea bargaining. Usually, several pre-trial hearings take place before a jury trial begins or an agreement is reached and the defendant "cops" a guilty plea. Many times, judges get unhappy if they see a string of pre-trial conferences with no outcome.
Under a "Guilty" plea, the judge can immediately sentence, but usually sentences at a later date -- unless this has been pre-arranged between the prosecutor and the defendant's attorney.
A "No Contest" plea means the defendant turns his/her case over to the judge to make a determination of the defendant's innocence or guilt. The judge may may make an immediate decision as to the guilt or innocence OR he may take their plea under advisement which means he will "sit on it" for a while and then make a decision.

Shirlee to Laura: So, when, exactly, did this happen?

From Shirlee Zerkel, Sept. 18, 2006
Dear Ms. Ecklar:
I do have one more question. What is the date when the STRS Board approved that spouses and members have to be on the same health care plan and the same provider?
Thank you,
Shirlee Zerkel
Larry KehresMount Union Collge
Division III
web page counter
Vermont Teddy Bear Company