Jim Stoll: Response To Tim Myers, STRS VICE CHAIR; Statement to Ashland City School Reps

[To see Tim Myers' letters, see posts below (April 12, 2010)]

From Jim Stoll, April 12, 2010

Tim,

Please see below my response to your recent email which you sent to Ashland City School representatives among others. (Not sure why you, and not my opponents in the STRS election, would speak to this issue?)

I would welcome the opportunity to debate you or either of the OEA candidates on issues related to STRS in an Open Forum, anytime, anyplace and a moderator of your choosing.

Let me know where and when and I will be there. Tomorrow, I will be sending this to the entire email list of Ashland City Schools so they can have further discussions.

To: Ashland City Schools Reps: From Jim Stoll - STRS Candidate

Re: Message Rebuttal of Tim Myers Which Was Sent to You.

Dear Ashland City School Reps:

First let me say that I would welcome the opportunity to drive from Cincinnati to Ashland to meet with you and your membership. That being said.....

I was forwarded the message below which Tim Myers, Vice Chair of STRS, recently sent to you in response to my STRS Board Candidacy. First, as Mr. Myers is not running against me, I find it ODD that he would try to disparage the candidacy of someone running for the Board...... If my statements are misleading I would think that my opponents would be the one's responding? Let me state some facts.....which are indisputable.....

1) "STRS without changes is not sustainable and would not be able to pay future benefits." That is a quote from the STRS Board News by Exec. Dir. Mike Nehf.

Tim Myers voted FOR the Following Changes to YOUR (and My) Retirement.
...(1) Increase Service Retirement from 30 years to 35 years
...(2) Increase minimum retirement Age to 60 or until you have 35 years of service
...(3) Increase your contribution by 2.5%
...(4) Increase Employer contribution by 2.5%
...(5) Increase Change your FAS (final avg. salary) calculation from 3 years to 5 years
...(6) Cut COLAs for retirees from 3% to 2%

Tim Myers Voted to pay STRS Staff outrageous salaries and Bonuses in 2008 and to pay 2009 bonuses at a future date when assets reach 60 Billion..... This in spite of a loss of 33 Billion dollars and Cuts to your benefits. I have attached those salaries to this email........ If you think these SALARIES and Bonuses are good expenditures of your retirement dollars then by all means tell your folks to vote for my opponents...... If you think these salaries are obscene and a waste of dollars from a pension system (STRS) that admits it is bankrupt and unable to pay future obligations without changes then I think you need to vote for Jim Stoll and a change to your system.

Tim Myers voted to recommend grandfathering the Retirement Rules for those teachers in years 25 and beyond........ Ironically, this was a conflict of interest as he is One of those teachers who will directly benefit from the proposed changes and retire under the old rules.

Tim Myers and the STRS Board is breaking "Their Contract" which you and I have paid into for 24 + years and that is a travesty.... He and STRS have been such "GOOD STEWARDS" of your retirement dollars that the system is BANKRUPT or INSOLVENT without changes...... That quote is from Mike Nehf, Exec. Dir. of STRS not Jim Stoll.

I hope you will take the time to educate yourself to the facts at STRS before you encourage your folks to vote for someone.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am from Sycamore Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio and would welcome the opportunity to drive up to Ashland City Schools and share information with your staff about STRS. I'd also WELCOME the opportunity to "DEBATE" Mr. Myers or the other candidates in an open forum at your School. Please don't hesitate to call me if Mr. Myers will accept which I'm sure he won't, because he won't face someone who will share the truth of what's going on at STRS in a public forum - I on the other hand would welcome that opportunity. I look forward to hearing from you on this invitation to engage your staff.

Jim Stoll
Director of Athletics
Sycamore Schools
cell 513-615-4690
facebook: Jim Stoll STRS
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