Minutes of January 18, 2007 CORE meeting

From Glenna Barr, January 22, 2007

Subject: approved CORE Jan. minutes

The January l8,2007 meeting of CORE at the STRS Building was held in the room behind the Sublett Room next to the cafeteria. Officers present: Dave Parshall, president; Mary Ellen Angelletti, vice president; CJ Myers, treasurer; Glenna Barr, secretary. Trustees present: Betty Bell, Lloyd Knudsen, substituting for Chuck Chapman, Nancy Boomhower, Ryan Holderman, substituting for Nancy Hamant, and Chuck Angeletti.

Dave Parshall called the meeting to order and called for the approval of the minutes of the December, 2006 meeting. Mary Ellen Angeletti made a motion to accept the minutes and Betty Bell seconded the motion and all approved. CJ Myers gave the treasurer's report and is receiving dues for the year.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

(1) Contacts and Regional Reps Committee was given by Molly Janczyk. All regions reps are accounted for. She noted that Barb Garwood of Dist.3 has had surgery and all the CORE members wish her a quick recovery.

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE:
This committee report was given by Ryan Holderman. A discussion on Step 2 to change Article IX in the Constitution as to whom will receive any CORE monies if or when CORE should be dissolved. STRS has criteria set up as to whom will receive the monies. A vote on this change will take place at the February CORE meeting.

OLD BUSINESS:

(1) The Constitution change was discussed as stated above in the committee report

(2) Dave Parshall discussed the ORTA Spring Rally, April 24th, cost of $20.00 per person. Mary Ellen Angelletti wanted to encourage ORTA members to attend.

NEW BUSINESS:

The CORE Board has approved to send out a CORE ALERT for nomination of Dr. Thomas Hall for the active teacher position on the STRS board in the next board election. All CORE members are urged to write to their legislators about school funding and the active teacher contribution legislation. Our investment people are going to have to work very hard to have good investment returns if our projected Health Care Stabilization Fund is to run out by 2012.

(3) Governor Strickland's election was discussed and his friendly attitude toward education.

(4) A discussion was held on an Internet broadcast of STRS Board Meetings. Gary Allen, OEA president, was introduced and a healthy discussion was held by Mr. Allen and CORE members. He stated education health care issues were as important to OEA; as they are to retirees. He discussed a decade of school underfunding. He stated teacher salaries are not increasing [enough] to keep up with the cost of HC and this affects the retirement system. OEA is backing legislation for school funding. He stated school funding should not be put on the local taxes. Seniors cannot always have new taxes put on them with all the other increased expenses they have but this burden for school funding should be shifted back to the state. Go to the OEA website (www.ohea.org) for their editorial on this subject and their other concerns for new educational graduates and no jobs; they are going out of state, thus STRS will suffer again due to the lack of this income.

A question and answer period was held between Gary Allen and CORE members as to STRS backed board members lacking background training before becoming STRS board members. He stated that they have started or are to start a training program for this purpose but cannot after they are elected due to the ethics issue. He stated legislators are not friendly to OEA. We need an organized effort to identify people against our goals.

OEA is against alternative options for STRS monies and support the active teacher contribution increase because retirement without health care is no retirement. We will have to influence legislators rather than the school boards to get this bill passed. One member stated if we work on school funding symptoms than the school boards could afford more contribution. All educational groups should work together, as we thought we would always have a good, reliable retirement. CORE would appreciate it if OEA were to caution OEA board members not to rubber stamp proposals but to question proposals and work together and be more sympathetic toward the retirees' plight.

ORTA guest Ann Hanning, ORTA State Executive Director, gave the Health Care Coalition update on the contribution bill. HCA members will attend a school boards meeting to lay out savings for the school boards. ORTA is involved in school funding reform. They are circulating petitions to the chapters and having ORTA people speaking at the chapter meetings regarding these issues.. She discussed the Social Security Repeal bills, HB 82 and SB 206. You can go to ORTA (www.orta.org), OEA (www.ohea.org), and NEA (www.nea.org) websites to find out more about this subject.

OEA and ORTA have legislative programs on April 24th. ORTA's program will be held in the Statehouse Atrium and OEA's program will be in the Statehouse Map Room. These activities show that many organizations are working for school funding and retirement concerns.

Lou DiOrio, ORTA's Ocher Higher Education Chairman, stated higher education has the same issues. He appreciates CORE's having him at their meetings and allowing him to speak. Gary Allen reassured Mr. DiOrio that OEA doesn't want higher education penalized due to the issues of school funding. Also attending was Don Bright, ORTA State President. Dave Parshall thanked Gary Allen, ORTA officers, and members for attending the meeting. He wished John Lazarus the best for his upcoming surgery. The meeting was adjourned with Liz Ebbing, of Allen County, making the motion and Molly Janczyk seconding the motion. The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be February l5, 2007.

Submitted by Glenna Barr, Secretary