RH Jones: Retirement concerns

From RH Jones, October 31, 2007

Hello (xxx),

(xxx) has asked me to connect you with our Concerned Ohio Retired Educator (CORE) news line. The BEST place to get the real information that active and retired teachers need is to go to Kathie Bracy’s blog: www.kathiebracy.blogspot.com. I will begin to e-mail you some of her info. Also, you can find out about this relatively new organization by going to the CORE site: www.concernedohio.org. The Core group membership is only $5 per year and is open to both active and retired teachers. [Note: CORE no longer assesses dues as such, but gladly accepts contributions to the CORE Legal Fund.] Our goal is the same: to improve retiree benefits. Please copy this message and put it on the bulletin board at Ellet or any other school you may wish to do so.

The following is some of my personal concerns regarding the passage of HB 315 – the HC funding increase:

1. The bill has been put into committee to either live or die. At the moment without the help of thousands of educators, it will die. (I am concerned that the AEA is not doing enough to promote it. I e-mail Bill Siegfreth daily with retiree info but I have seen very little in the AEA newsletter. Bill has been relaying on the Summit County Retired Teacher Association (SummitCRTA) for retired teacher concerns. However, it has some neo-conservatives (Mr. Peepers types) in it that are causing many problems, negative to retired teacher progress. Dr. K. Fluke has been the best leader in the group. He has been the point of the sword for over 15 yrs. and has worked very hard for our interests. Albeit with a lot of abuse from the Mr. Peepers types. The Ohio Retired Teacher Association (ORTA) has similar problems with the Mr. Peepers types. That is why we started the new organization called CORE. For years, once you were ORTA president, your next step was to be the retired member seat on the STRS Board. CORE stopped that progression a couple years ago.).
2. Rep. Bob Otterman has been quiet about HB 315, I have tried to contact him with no response -- on this critical issue for future and present retired teachers of which he is one. Legislators can tap into the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS). The OPERS has better retiree benefits than STRS, especially in Health Care (HC). Rep Brian Williams has phoned me and is working quietly behind the scenes to get HB 315 passed. Perhaps Otterman is too, I just have not heard from him. And everybody knows where GOP (Grab Our Pension) Rep Kevin Coughlin stands. He is a champion of Charter Schools. As reported in the Beacon, White Hat, David Brennan, has financed his political career.

Dr. Fluke and I have been trying to get improved benefits for years now. We thought that we could retire in peace, NOT. However, I do feel that if HB 315 passes HC benefits will become affordable for future and present retirees. Thanks for volunteering to help. We need all the active teachers helping us. “Retirement is not retirement without HC!”

I can be reached by e-mail at: rjones002@neo.rr.com. I do not do too well by phone. Dr. Fluke does; he can be reached at: (xxx).

Thanks again for your concern,

Bob Jones