Minutes of the May 20, 2010 CORE Meeting

President Dave Parshall greeted 32 members at the May Concerned Ohio Retired Educators (CORE) meeting as he called the meeting to order at 11:50 a.m. in the Sublett Room of the STRS Building. He then welcomed new CORE attendees as well as returning CORE members, who’d been unable to attend for a while.

After the opening, Mary Ellen Angeletti moved to accept the April minutes; Herman Fisher seconded it. The minutes were approved by the group.

Treasurer Herm Fisher once more indicated that we had ample funds in our treasury-even after our nearly $2,000 donation to Jim Stoll’s campaign.President Dave conveyed OFT President Sue Taylor’s thanks for CORE’s help in getting Dale Price elected to the STRS Board. Dave also informed members that he’d e-mailed a congratulatory note to Dale Price and a “good effort” missive to Jim Stoll. Both men responded favorably.

Parshall noted that Stoll did remarkably well (especially considering the money and access OEA had). Parshall also expressed his disappointment that so few – only 10% - active teachers voted in the STRS election.

Deb Silverstein and Dr. Alice Faryna addressed the group about health care…and their concern that the STRS Board needs to be divesting from some funds. The two emphasized the financial as well as the moral reasons that the Board needed to act. Each of them stressed that we – as retired educators – should make ourselves visible and lobby for issues favorable to retirees.

President Parshall asked the membership to submit questions which CORE members could ask prospective candidates for this fall’s election. (These submitted questions should be ones that will be able to have specific answers to them.) Dave, Marie Fetters and Carole DePaola will then put together a list of ten questions we can each ask our local candidates. We will then gather the answers and suggest backing candidates (of either party) who will be likely to help retirees. CORE members with ideas for possible questions should send these to Dave Parshall. (Our questions will to be discussed at our August meeting.)

President Parshall announced that CORE will host the Ohio attorney general, Richard Cordray, at next month’s meeting. Parshall has invited the attorney general to address our June meeting because Cordray has been so supportive of pensions and is active in going after the ‘bad guys.” At 12:45 Parshall closed the meeting by reminding the retirees that the next meeting date is the 10th of June. He added that it should be an informative gathering for all.

Marie Fetters.