RH Jones: An open letter to Ann Hanning

From RH Jones, April 7, 2009
Subject: An open letter to Ann Hanning, Exec, Dir, of ORTA

As a Life Member of the ORTA, I feel that I have a responsibility to give praise to you, and the ORTA leadership, when it is deserved, and to offer advice when I think that you, or the leadership, may need it.

Today, my praise to you is that, Ann, you did a pretty good job of writing the: “From the Executive Director” article in the ORTA Quarterly, Spring 2009 Edition. Keeping our Defined benefit pension plan is extremely important, as is, also, your statement of: “retiree health care and pension benefits need to be seen through the same lens”. The sample letter -- with a background of lavender color -- on the GPO/WEP was good, but I would like to have seen in it a mention of our interest in them not approving any mandatory Social Security. To your credit, you did mention the negatives of mandatory Social Security in the “Letter to the Subcommittee on Social Security.” Thank you.

However, I still remain disappointed that the ORTA does not endorse Retired Board Candidates for our STRS. Having the wrong candidates win office works to our disadvantage. For instance no 13th check, health care cuts, and a board that allows terrible losses in the billions and then turns around and rewards bonuses to those who lost it! If this STRS board does not stop this idiocy, retirees, active educators, and the STRS employees will all be hurt. They must realize, we are all in this together or like the Titanic, the ship goes down.

As far as the survey mentioned on the back page, my thinking is that there would be no need for a fee, or surcharge for the ORTA Quarterly, if the editor would just stick to articles that relate to our STRS issues -- only. The frills, we can do without. Our STRS did it with the STRS Ohio News; you should, too.

RHJones, a PUFL (Paid Up For Life) member