Karen Butt: A response to John Curry

John Curry to Ann Hanning, October 5, 2009
Subject: Re: Response to John Curry

Ann,

Thank you for forwarding Karen's reply to me. Would you please see that she gets this reply?

John

Karen,

Thank you for relating to me that you feel STRS health care costs are "unreasonably high." Apparently, the statement in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum ( http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/article/20090928/LIFESTYLE/909280308/1024/Club-news ) that was attributed to you was a misquote:

"Karen Butt, western area vice president of Ohio Retired Teachers Association (ORTA) presented updates about ORTA. House Bill 3156 has been put on hold. An area meeting is planned for April in Findlay. Two new teacher members were elected to ORTA. State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) was begun in 1920 and is working to keep health care affordable. Jim Miller, a national consultant, spoke at the ORTA meeting in May."

I hope that the Crawford County RTA members and especially the readers of the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum certainly don't believe, because of that statement, that STRS "is continuing to keep healthcare affordable," when it really isn't affordable. Had the quote been attributed to me, I would certainly have contacted the editor of the "Telegraph" and demanded a retraction. I trust you will do this or already have. In case you haven't, here is the email address of the editor (Tom Brennan) of the Bucyrus Telegraph: TBrennan@cogannett.com

As to my regards to STRS re. my specific questions concerning STRS....well, I have contacted both the "board" and Executive Director numerous times concerning what they have done in the past and what they are planning to do in the future. Some board members have been more than happy to answer and some don't reply. My latest email (September 21, 2009) to Executive Director Mike Nehf has, to date, not been replied to. It was a letter requesting clarification of the certainty (or lack thereof) of retirees' benefit payments. Here is the text of that letter. The attachment that I sent to Mr. Nehf is also included in this email to you. This letter addresses an issue that many retirees (and actives) are still in need of clarification.

John Curry

[View original letter here.]

From Karen Butt, September 30, 2009 (via Ann Hanning)
Subject: Response to John Curry

John, In regards to my statement made at the Crawford County Retired Teachers meeting concerning health care: I do believe that health care costs are unreasonably high. Whether we like it or not and whether or not we agree with it, STRS guarantees our pensions but not our health care. Several years ago when I first became an active member of ORTA, our retired STRS representative on the Board said in a meeting that retirement without health care is not really (good) retirement. I agree. What I was trying to convey at the meeting was that STRS is trying to keep health care as affordable as possible for us retirees and unforunately, at this time that does not make it affordable at all for most of our spouses. I am well aware of the problem. My niece who is 42 is married to a retired teacher who is 60. She has had cancer twice and is not able to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere than through his STRS policy. He works part time and she has 4 parttime jobs. They have 3 young children who are not covered by any health care insurance. This is a problem that affects us all. We are certainly not in this alone. I did not mean to sound to you that I think all is well with health care---I certainly do not think that. In regards to your specific questions concerning STRS--what they have done in the past and what they are planning to do in the future; I think you need to contact them personally if you have not done so already.

Karen Butt