CORE Alert

From CORE, April 21, 2008

FOR CORE TO CONTINUE, WE MUST HAVE YOUR HELP!

After we pay the bills for this STRS election, we will be tapped out with barely enough money to keep our bank account open. We have an immediate need for more donations from our members and others if CORE is to continue its important mission. Bills for CORE’s mailbox, website, and accounting fees must be paid.

WE NEED CONTRIBUTIONS!

CORE is totally dependent on contributions to run election campaigns. Candidates cannot legally spend over a small amount, and CORE pays for flyers, mailings, and deliveries. Some CORE members have driven hundreds of miles delivering flyers as well as bulk mailings and UPS deliveries. In those cases, CORE offers to help with gas expenses.

This year was a big campaign and flyers were ordered and delivered all over the state to as many educators in as many school districts as possible. We did our best job getting Dan Vincent's name throughout the state with our volunteers and channels in every county. More flyers than ever were distributed.

It is felt that with this enormous effort, CORE is more widely recognized and accepted which lays groundwork for future elections. Next year, there will be 3 STRS Board vacancies: 2 retired educator seats and 1 active educator seat. Terms of office will be completed for retiree reps, Dennis Leone and Jeff Chapman as well as active educator rep, Mary Ann Cervantes.

CORE NEEDS MONEY TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN THESE ELECTIONS!!!!! We cannot continue elections without you. We are growing and our base grows stronger with each election. This year we learned more effective ways to distribute our election flyers which will help us in future elections.

We have depleted our funds in the past couple of elections and now is the time to dig deep and give what you can to keep CORE viable in ELECTION 2009!!!

Please forward this message to all actives and retirees for our cause. We need donations to continue our work.

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US!!! Please send contributions to:
...CORE
...P.O. BOX 141358
...COLUMBUS, OH 43214

CORE: What has CORE done for active and retired STRS members? To answer this question, we suggest folks refer to the yellow CORE pamphlet for more details: CORE formed due to a lack of action from your other organizations regarding misuse of your contribution earnings. Money was misspent on exotic trips, luxurious hotel rooms, and dinners complete with bar bills. Car use was extended to families of Board members, STRS' staff childcare center, fitness center, and cafeteria subsidies were paid with YOUR money. Credit card use, extravagance in rebuilding the STRS workplace which included costly artwork, polished stones, and marble spoke of corporate surroundings instead of representing modest educators. Rubber stamp voting approvals were the way of the former STRS Board 100% of the time on any wanted perks and requested votes.

STRS did not do long term planning to obtain a stream of revenue for your health care. The former Executive Director Herb Dyer said many times that he wanted STRS out of the health care business. Initiatives for legislation for health care were passed over in the early 90's with OEA and STRS saying it was not necessary. Long term planning to preserve funds was not initiated soon enough to offset the devastating burden of saving health care for retirees. Thus, multitudes of teachers retired and received NO forewarning of the looming untenable cost increases for their health care. These retirees were robbed of their retirements, and many had to return to work to pay for health care in retirement.

CORE with Leone and Lazares as their leaders is responsible for the conviction of the former Executive Director Dyer and 6 former STRS Board members who misspent your money. Extravagant trips, perks, and pleasures are PAST HISTORY. John Lazares wrote an ethics policy now in place at STRS. Dennis Leone has initiated many policy changes in travel, cars, and credit cards which has saved a lot of money for the pension fund. Dr. Leone also was successful in restricting the Executive Director's freedom to spend pension funds without STRS Board approval. Fitness center and cafeteria subsidies are gone and subsidies for the STRS staff child care center are now cost neutral. Bonuses, merit raises, etc. are more objective now than subjective with every worker receiving money perks for doing their jobs. CORE, Lazares, and Leone DEMANDED no contract be signed without documents in hand versus the old standard of voting without seeing contracts.

Each month, CORE representatives attend STRS Board meetings on your behalf to speak to the Board on specific issues and to monitor voting and proper policy. An extensive email and blog system has evolved to keep you informed of all important issues. This is all done by volunteers who receive no compensation for their time and efforts.

Contributions are necessary to continue the work of CORE in election efforts. Please donate any amount you can as often as you can to further the work of CORE which is 100% reliant on your generosity.
CORE: WORKING FOR ACTIVE AND RETIRED EDUCATORS. WE DEPEND ON YOU!