RH Jones: Will the new Board lead just as honorably as its founders?

From RH Jones, March 29, 2009

Subject: Fw: Sweet STRS dreams, Mr. Sweet....and also YSU trustees!

To all:

May I remind educators both active & retired that it was with the formation of the Concerned Ohio Retired Educators (CORE) that initiated the drive to get such safeguards written into the law that now keeps Ohio's public school boards from giving such exploitive administrator perks added to the final 3-year average in calculating OH STRS benefits? Many of us spent untold hours of time in getting the Ohio legislature to move forward to craft legislation that now protects our STRS from such abuses of the system. We were fought every step of the way by some narrow minded union leaders -- who later on, falsely claimed they were the initiators. To add to our problems, our Ohio Retired Teacher Association (ORTA) "leadership" was too timid to react to the many members that desired our pensions protected. The proof is all on file by me and many others.

However, it is Dr. Dennis Leone who deserves the major credit for these protective laws. For several years, previous to him, we retirees were duped by active and retired board members who were "yes-men and women" to the STRS management. Many were found to be guilty of misdemeanor law violations. John Lazares is not to be forgotten. He was a dedicated "sidekick" who made up a wonderful team much like the Lone Ranger and Tonto is hostile Indian country. While in ill health, he heroically struggled to battle those who were out for personal gain, or from out of ignorance, that were misusing and misunderstanding the Ohio Revised Code governing our STRS.

In important STRS board decisions, before Dr. Leone, retirees were almost voiceless. And, further, many of the board were, and some still are, just plain incompetent. However, my judgment, after following the fiasco for many years, is that the board has recently made many positive decisions. Hopefully, the new incoming elected board members will be of a better caliber than some have shown to be in the past. Our future security and happiness depends on it.

We are the reason for a STRS. We are why it was formed so long ago by Ohio statesmen/women of the past. Will the new STRS board be up to the task of leading just as honorably? I hope so.

RHJones, a retired STRS member