Some additional thinking on the 'small print' by RH Jones

From RH Jones, July 13, 2010
Subject: Fw: My, my...look at the small print!

To all:

John, your message makes one wonder why ORTA and OEA-R have not notified their memberships about OPERS current retirees, due to "grandfathering", are being exempted from the COLA cut? And, could the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) be discriminating against retired teachers by encouraging a 1% COLA cut from STRS while, at the same time, exempting OPERS?

Also, could perhaps both ORTA and OEA, who are members of the ORSC, be setting themselves up for liability for their voting to exempt OPERS, and at the same time voting to penalize STRS retirees?

Further, this type of voting makes one wonder if it is due to OPERS having a majority of male retirees while STRS has a majority female? Why can they not just do the right thing and leave the STRS retiree simple 3% COLA as it is now? One final question: Could the STRS officials be mistakenly calculating the figures in order to justify taking away 1% of our promised 3% COLA?

Whatever the facts of this matter are, it is extremely poor public relations to favor OPERS over STRS. And it could create pension envy among STRS retirees. However, the STRS 3% COLA promise to retired teachers was made legal ORC ( law ) by the our Ohio legislature. I do not think it takes a Philadelphia lawyer to figure out that one!

RHJones, retired teacher