Ryan Holderman and Jim Kimmel re: Nancy Hamant's letter

Jim Kimmel to Ryan Holderman, October 14, 2007
Subject: Re: Bravo, Nancy!

I agree, Ryan. Playing with averages does not negate the fact that many retirees who have been retired a while are much lower. If Judy and I had had to put 2 kids thru college and support them for 20 years we would be different financially than we are not all that good as it is!). Also cops (another high stress job) retire earlier than many jobs. Will the legislators question THEM? I doubt it! As we have sadly once again learned recently teachers get SHOT too! How many legislators or bureaucrats have to worry about that? And by the way in the Armed Forces of the US you can retire after 20 years. Some of these go into teaching for a second career in their 40's. At least they have had combat training... And if you are a bureaucrat of some kind or an STRS staff member you can retire after 30 years as well. The legislators themselves have a pretty nifty retirement system.

Do we want to tell them what they want to hear so they can use it against us by saying that we did not make convincing points or get down to brass tacks? Do they want us not to make the relevant and convincing points so that the bill will more likely fail? It really makes me angry when they say we have such a great retirement system yet some of these same rascals have tried to undermine it so that the bankers and brokers can have their pound of OUR flesh! And by the way, it has been about 20 years since the School Boards have had an increase in their STRS contribution. Everything else schools have purchased in the last 20 years has gone up and they paid it without "whining" so why are they "whining" now? They will of course use this as an argument to refuse raises for their teachers anyway, just as they do every year about the cost of everything from chalk to gasoline. It is time to get real. Of course many Republican legislators do not want postcards about the plight of retirees -- they don't want to pass it anyway! Is there a legislator named Marie Antoinette in the General Assembly? Too many are saying "Let them eat cake" -- when bread (and medicine) is hard to come by.

Jim Kimmel

Ryan Holderman to Nancy Hamant, October 13, 2007
Subject: Bravo, Nancy!

Dear Nancy:

To borrow a phrase from Al Gore, it is "an inconvenient truth" that there are retirees trying to live on less than $30,000 a year. When the legislators are willing to do the same, then they can "get ignited" over "poor educator" rhetoric and NOT until!

Legislators need to "get ignited" over the dilemma faced by all Ohio citizens who, though on fixed incomes, face ever rising costs for utilities, medical expenses, taxes, heating expenses, gasoline and food!

The myth that "the average retiree has a pension of $35,000 and assets and retires younger than other occupations" is only fueled by our silence.

Thank you, Nancy, for bringing this information to folks' attention.

Sincerely, Ryan