John Curry responds to school custodian's remarks in Lima News

John Curry; sent to Heather Rutz (Lima News) March 16, 2008
Subject: In reply to letter to editor on 3/15/08 p.A6 (Teachers have no reason for gripes)

(Heather - This is my reply to Mr. Brentlinger's post in the 3/15/08 Lima News as copied below my reply which follows. If you wish to contact me re. this reply I would be happy to talk to you. Thank you. John Curry)

In response to Mr. Brentlinger:

Mr. Brentlinger forgot to mention a few things in his letter to the editor concerning the educator retiree who faces the $850 per month healthcare insurance premiums for himself and his spouse. I am that educator retiree and happened to retire from the same school system that Mr. Brentlinger retired from.

Yes, educators are on a higher pay scale than custodians (in Mr. Brentlinger's case), but Mr. Brentlinger didn't inform the reading public that his monthly healthcare premiums were based on a premium scale that charged him much higher rates as he only sent in 15 years' worth of contributions to the Ohio SERS rather than the 30 years I spent as an educator. Fifteen years service time is only one half of the 30 year service time necessary for full retirement benefits in SERS -- just as it is in STRS. Sure, his healthcare premiums were steeper, they should be! Mr. Brentlinger, let's compare apples to apples if we are going to compare.

John Curry
Wapakoneta

Teachers have no reason for gripes

CHARLES BRENTLINGER
Wapakoneta

I’m writing about an item in the March 8 edition of The Lima News on Page B3. It was about cost of teachers’ licenses going from $12 to $40 a year and $60 to $200 for five years.

I worked for the school for 15 years and our broker license cost $35 per year. I didn’t make the money teachers make. Some, I am sure, make at least two to three times more than I made.

Also the March 7 newspaper on Page B3 told of a teacher who said he couldn’t afford health insurance. He said he had to get a job after retiring with 30 years experience. He said it cost $850 per month. He will surely get enough to buy insurance.

I worked 15 years and have to pay my insurance through SERS at a cost of $332 a month. I get about half what I got when I retired. It has risen in cost several times. In fact, one time it jumped about $100 a month. And, when I retired, I thought it was a set amount for lifetime.