Tom Curtis to Governor Strickland re: Public records requests

From Tom Curtis, March 24, 2009
Subject: 032409 Curtis To Strickland, Freedom Of Information

The Honorable Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
State Capitol
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6117
March 24, 2009

Dear Governor Strickland,

My name is Thomas Curtis. I am a 62-year-old retired technology teacher and a beneficiary of the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio. Born and raised in Stark County, I taught there for nearly all my teaching career. I have also been an advocate for reform of the OSTRS since 2003.

I'm sure you find it very disheartening to make the many budget cuts you have been forced to make during your tenure as Governor thus far, and especially to realize you may need to make many more in the coming year.

As you well know, the loss of accountability by those who run many of our major financial institutions and other organizations has been devastating to our economy, yet few are being held accountable for their wrongdoings.

For the past month, I have asked the executive director of the STRS for some budgetary information, i.e. the number of full & part-time employees for the past 18 years, month by month. I have also carbon copied your representative, Ms. Regina Burch. She has not responded either. Mr. Nehf supplied me with half of what I requested, the full-time numbers, but have refused to supply the other half, the part-time numbers.

Because of that refusal, I have also written the Attorney General's office and reported the failure of the STRS to produce all of the information I requested. Mr. Moormann of the AG's office responded that they have no authority to require the STRS to supply the information I requested.

Governor, my reason for writing you is to ask why we the people have no one as an advocate for us when public records requests are refused?

If there is to be a viable retirement system for future retirees, budget reductions and a revision of current spending policies must occur NOW. The STRS management staff that has allowed for these unreasonably high operational costs should instead be making drastic cuts in expenses, as thousands of STRS retirees are being forced to do.

Thank you for your consideration. I do hope you will personally support my request, as I feel I speak for many STRS retirees.

Thomas Curtis
STRS retiree and stakeholder