Shirlee Zerkel to Mike Mahoney: You can't have it both ways

From Shirlee Zerkel, March 29, 2009
Subject: "Odd Practice"

Dear Mr. Mahoney:

I find it an "odd practice" that OEA, an organization that supports education and teachers' right, would try to stop teachers from receiving educational material regarding STRS Board member candidates. But the OEA continues to do such at nearly every election for board members. It is the teachers' right to be fully informed in the Board elections for it affects their personal futures.

In your recent email to the OEA Board of Directors, District Leaders, and OEA Local Presidents, you accuse the candidate, Mr. Stoll, of "cynical exploitation of the emotions of educators. Why shouldn't active teachers be informed of the true financial situation at STRS. I see Mr. Stoll's statements no more of an exploitation of the emotions of active educators than the feel good statements coming from your association.

Even the March STRS Ohio News states: "There are no short-term problems regarding the ability to pay current pension benefits when they are due." Did you happen to notice the words: short-term, ability to pay and current benefits? What is the short term? What is the future of the active teachers? I also want you to take note of the next paragraph in the News letter: "However, the next actuarial valuation of the pension fund in October 2009 will show that the reduced level of investment assets, combined with future contributions from members and employers and investment earnings, will NOT be sufficient to meet STRS Ohio's long-term pension obligations without increases in contributions and/or changes in benefits." So even STRS is stating to the retirees that money is running out.The above information was also brought up in discussion at the Feb. Board meeting by Mr. Slater, and he would give no answer as to how long of a time period "short-term" meant. So between OEA and STRS, Ohio teachers, both active and retired, are kept in the dark about their financial future. I feel we do have need to be "fearful of the financial future of STRS."

Please stop painting the rosy picture that all is well with the pension system in order get your candidate elected. Please stop keeping the names and information of other candidates for the STRS Board from the voting members.

This year I feel that you have gone too far in your communications to locals by using very negative nouns and adjectives to describe Mr. Stoll, who did not seek your recommendation to run for the office, and to describe a present Board member, Dr. Dennis Leone, who has pushed for much needed reform instead of being a 'yes' vote for whatever the STRS staff brings to the Board for a vote. This man deserves respect because of his position and mostly because of his efforts to adhere to the ORC. Many of the issues he has brought before the Board have turned out to be valid and some of them are now being implemented. There are present OEA approved Board members who approve any request of the staff without asking any questions. I think that is what OEA really wants. Let's just all get along; let the staff tell the Board member how to vote; then let's not question anything that is recommended; let's vote all the same -- not one dissenting vote allowed by OEA! I would be proud to be the type of dissident Board member that DR. Leone is.

Teachers never sought OEA's recommendation of who to vote for; it was forced on them because those are the only candidate names allowed to be distributed in OEA covered schools. Moreover your recent email confirms my position. In your email you "commend the recent vote by the STRS board to suspend 2009 bonuses," Did you know that the suspension of bonuses was pushed by the very man you refer to in a negative way as the dissident member. Dr. Leone. Three of your OEA-approved members either did NOT vote to suspend the bonuses or abstained from voting. You claim that your recommended board members who have the "temperament, qualifications and judgement to serve on the board," Where was their judgement on the suspension vote? Yet you state that you "commend" the Board. You can't have it both ways!

I will never vote for an OEA-recommended candidate in any election because of your unfair and "odd practices."

Shirlee Zerkel
Life member of OEA-R
Life member of NEA-R
Member of CORE
2002 STRS Benefit Recipient