RH Jones to STRS re: Our promised benefits & the Bill of Rights

From RH Jones, November 2, 2009
Subject: Our promised benefits & the Bill of Rights

To OH STRS officials, board members and active/retired members:

Concerning our OH STRS retirement benefits promised to us by our Local School District employers, it is tempting just to write off some of us as the fanatical fringe of retired educators just being outrageous; but, if STRS officials/board members do that, they do it at their own peril. We communicate with a large group of interested stakeholders. And this “fringe” is intrepidly and doggedly standing up to tactics of those officials that wish to cut our already inadequate retired educators’ benefits.

Please be aware that many of the OH School Boards may sue STRS if our COLAs, HC, or any other benefits promised by them locally, are cut. I also have e-mailed everyone about the Akron Police/Fire suit, regarding their promised retirement benefits cut by their retirement system after having been promised by their local public employer. It is plain to see precedent has been set.

Also, almost one year ago in a Beacon, Sunday, November 9, 2008, in an excerpt by David Pitt of the Associated Press, some words in effect that President Obama wishes to prohibit the giving of company executive bonuses while cutting worker pensions and limiting circumstances which retiree benefits can be reduced. Obama was talking about the private sector, but for us public professional educators, we are protected from benefit cuts by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. You may remember that I addressed the STRS board on the matter and sent out a couple e-mails on it. We are grandfathered. Period.

This is my personal opinion,
Robert Hudson Jones, a retired OH STRS teacher member