Tom Curtis and Mike Nehf re: Part-timers employed by STRS

From Mike Nehf, March 18, 2009
Subject: RE: 031809 Curts To Nehf, Re Part-time Payroll Counts
Tom,
Apology accepted. When I’m in Stark County I’ll be glad to meet with you. It might be good for us to talk by telephone in the meantime. Bless you and your wife.
Sincerely,
Mike Nehf
From Tom Curtis, March 18, 2009
Subject: Re: 031809 Curtis To Nehf, Re Part-time Payroll Counts

Hello Mike,

Yes, after a few requests you did provide me with half of the information I requested, however I hope to receive the other half soon. What is interesting to me is that you have not even offered and alternative. You simply tell me that information is not available, when it is.

Mike, I have been concerned about the large number of staff the STRS has had since I first obtained that information in 2003. I am interested in finding the time period(s) when the STRS increased staff counts significantly to try to determine the reasons for such. I cannot determine that without the employee counts for all full and part-time employees for that period. This is a budgetary question and I see absolutely no reason why you should withhold the information. The cost of preparing that information is totally insignificant.

I will contact the Attorney General's office today and make a request for the appropriate forms.

Mike, I really do not like having to go this route, but you obviously feel I do not deserve to see the part-time counts.

Please understand, that once Dennis Leone's term expires at the end of August, retirees may no longer have someone on the board that will be truthful with us concerning the true operation of the STRS. After that time, you will be receiving many more requests for information that you can simply not copy, but you will be required to supply. I guess this is as good a time as any to find out if you will be required to provide the information I have requested of you many times for a month now.

I appreciate your invitation to sit down and talk with me. I would be glad to do so, and would enjoy meeting you. However, I will not drive to Columbus to the STRS building. It takes 2 hours and fifteen minutes door-to-door (one way) for me and about $40 in gasoline. I made that drive on the average of 2 times a month for two years. Attending the board and CORE meetings on Thursdays meant a full eight hour day. The STRS/CORE meetings I drove down for only took about 6-7 hours. I have already spent far too many hours and too much money driving to Columbus attempting to bring about change. Besides, I normally left far more frustrated then when I arrived.

Nearly 2 years ago my wife was diagnosed with vascular dementia. This has many similarities to Alzheimer's. I am her only caretaker and I cannot be away from home for that lengthy of a period of time. I am sure you will be speaking to an RTA, or some other group in the Northeastern Ohio area sometime this year. I would be glad to meet with you and sit down and talk, if that could be worked into your schedule. I live in Stark County and my phone number is [xxx].

May I offer an apology for my angry tone and comments in my emails to you. That is inappropriate on my part.

Tom Curtis

From Mike Nehf, March 17, 2009
Subject: RE: 031709 Curtis To Nehf, Re Part-time Payroll Counts

Tom,

I appreciate you giving me another opportunity to respond. I wish I could provide another response for you. Maybe we could meet sometime and talk further. As you know, I’ve met with many of our CORE members and have had positive discussions with them about many matters. I look forward to that opportunity with you.

Respectfully,
Mike Nehf

From Tom Curtis, March 17, 2009
Subject: 031709 Curtis To Nehf, Re Part-time Payroll Counts

Hello Mike,

Thank you for your response of 3.14.09 to my request of the numbers of part-time employees per month for the past 18 years, in which you stated,

"I apologize that I cannot comply with your request. I reiterate again that STRS Ohio is working diligently during these difficult times to serve our members’ most important needs and I hope you can understand. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future."

After discussing my request for employee counts with a school law professor, he felt that my request cannot be legally denied. He explained it this way.

If you asked for information about how many part-time employees at STRS weigh more than 175 pounds, I could understand resistance. The key in the school law classes I teach is whether the information exists or is easily retrievable. I suspect if you asked your school district how many of each teachers graduated from Ohio colleges, the district could legally refuse your request even IF the information was technically retrievable. However, if you asked how many teachers in your district had at least a master’s degree, I suspect the district would produce it.

Therefore, I will ask you once more to supply the remainder of the information I requested.

A timely response is requested.

Tom Curtis

From Mike Nehf, March 13, 2009
Subject: Re Part-time Payroll Counts

Tom,

STRS Ohio has attempted to provide you with records that included the information you requested, but I’m sorry that STRS Ohio does not maintain records in a form that is exactly responsive to your request. Tom, you might recall that under Ohio Public Records Law, a public office is not required to create new records to respond to a public records request, even if it is only a matter of compiling information from existing records. As I had earlier indicated, it would require hours of a programmer’s time to create a new report for you going back 18+ years, month by month.

I apologize that I cannot comply with your request. I reiterate again that STRS Ohio is working diligently during these difficult times to serve our members’ most important needs and I hope you can understand. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.

Sincerely,
Mike Nehf