Jim Stoll to Tim Myers: 400 e-mails and an invitation to a debate

From Jim Stoll, April 27, 2009
Subject: Re: [QUAR] RE: Bonuses

I'll be happy to bring over 400 physical email responses as evidence of my position and would welcome for you to bring your positive responses to compare the positions and true feelings of your membership.... I'd love for the other Board members to weigh in on what responses they've received overall as well. My guess is that our responses may have some deviation and prejudice built in, but theirs would be more close to the norm.

Let's meet anytime, anywhere at a place of your choosing to debate the issue of these "7/12" Bonuses in an open forum and have Ms. Ecklar and Mr. Nehf use your email database to invite the membership.

Better yet, let's allow the membership to vote on this issue as a referendum.... I'm sure sending ballots out would not cost anywhere near the 3.3 million of the Bonus payouts.

I wonder if your positive respondees have any idea of the contingencies the Board is planning to their benefits in light of these bonuses. ie. Friday's Board discussions of possible 4% increase in contribution rates, raising of minimum retirement age to 60, changing the Final Avg. Salary Calculation, reducing Cola's for retirees, using flat 2.2% formula for all years of service etc. - Be assured, with my email database, if you don't share this with them - I will.

Regardless, I will bring my copies of all email responses to the next board meeting and share them with everyone in my allotted 3 minutes. Would welcome for you to do the same and share your responses as well.

Looking forward to you accepting my invitation to debate the Bonus issue - just let me know where and when - I will definitely be there. If you want to debate in a closed forum with no audience and then put the debate on "You Tube" for the membership to access, I'd welcome that if you were fearful of audience applause or emotion, coming into play.

Jim Stoll Director of Athletics
Sycamore Schools
7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
513-615-4690

From Tim Myers, April 26, 2009
Subject: Re: [QUAR] RE: Bonuses

Since I am mentioned in this email I will respond:

I have a completely different experience than the one cited below [See post immediately below: Ralph Graham to Mark Meuser: Now they have negative results and shouldn't be rewarded]. The members that have replied to my response are thankful that I have given them the information that they were missing when they sent the original email. One superintendent even told me to keep up the good work and that he was pleased that he voted for me last year! An Athletic Director apologized for sending out the earlier letter without checking the facts first. He then sent out my reply to the same list that he had previously used.

So, far from alienating members, it seems that the more members know, the less upset they are.

Tim

From Ralph Graham, April 14, 2009
Subject: Bonuses

Dear Mike Nehf and STRS Board:

I've just received an email from James Stoll and I must say as a member of STRS I am outraged at the lack of common sense. A bonus is something to be given when job performance exceeds expectations. That is not the case with our investment advisors. They are paid a very good salary to perform a job they were hired to do, unfortunately they didn't perform very well and DO NOT DESERVE a bonus. I am tired of hearing the same bogus response that started on Wall Street that these bonuses will help retain quality people. First, I'm not sure we want to retain people that underperform and second, I seriously doubt quality people will walk away from quarter million dollar salaries. I have no problem rewarding individuals that perform at an exceptional level, but that is not the case here. I can guarantee you that I will be voting for James Stoll to protect the investment I have in STRS. I strongly encourage you to ELIMINATE these bonuses that are currently on the table.

Sincerely,
Ralph Graham
Southeast Local Schools