RH Jones re: National or State legislation to protect our OH STRS health care?

From RH Jones, April 13, 2009

Subject: Re: National or State legislation to protect our OH STRS health care?

To all active and retired Ohio educators, and Mr. Ray Sternot:

As our (OH STRS) Ohio State Teachers Retirement System’s (HCSF) Health Care Stabilization Fund is quickly running out of adequate funds to sustain it, in desperation and acting as an individual, as a retired OH teacher, I have taken it upon myself to contact the (NRLN) National Retiree Legislative Network to assist my STRS with getting a substitute for Ohio HB 315 written and passed. Our STRS, and our educator unions, obviously are in need of the help that the NRLN may be able to give for us retirees. In regard to educator retiree HC, this would be of mutual benefit to our STRS, our unions and for the NRLN. We gain a stable HC/Rx; The NRLN gains many new grateful dues paying members.

Our STRS and our unions could not get a proper OH House Bill passed in the last session; my I suggest, perhaps, that it is time for National Legislation to require HC for OH, and the other 13 states that have State Retirement Systems? Of course, it is best to solve the problem here in OH; but as in the civil rights movement, if that is impossible; we may be forced to try to acquire a national requirement for our HC.

Note: Please be aware that it is not in our best interests as active or retired OH educators to have Social Security mandated to us. This is not what we are seeking. We have our STRS. As I understand, it is a secure dedicated revenue source that we need for the STRS HCSF. We have been led to believe that this, evidently, must be legislated.

The NRLN “Works to Protect”. Their address: 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 900, South Bldg., Washington, DC 20004-2601, Tel: 202-220-3172, Fax: 202-639-8238, Website: www.NRLN.org

Mr. Ray Sternot, Board Member & VP of the Great Lakes Region tells me he: “…contacted the STRS main offices and talked to one of the administrators within the organization and asked about us working together where we have mutual interest. We agreed that we would keep the lines of communications open. I asked the person to review the NRLN website…”.

Mr. Ray Sternot lives in Painesville, OH. E-mail him at: rsternopt@ameritech.net

As a (PUFL) Paid Up For Life member, I especially call on the Presidents of my unions: (CORE) Concerned Ohio Retired Educators, ORTA, OEA/OFT, OEA-R, NEOEA, & NEOEA-R to study the NRLN website and to make a decision to call on Mr. Sternot. It is in the best interest of us all that we cooperate with him in this important matter of a proper OH educator retirement having HC/Rx.

I thank you all for your consideration,

Robert H. Jones, a STRS retired teacher and multi-union PUFL member