RH Jones: Comments on yesterday's speeches

RH Jones to John Curry, September 17, 2010
Subject: Jones comments on Re: Public speaks portion of yesterday's STRS board meeting
John and all:

Bob Buerkle's speech was right on target. I would like to add to his points that we who retired before him also paid for increases to those who retired before us. ( I hope that makes sense). Many received 13th checks, and rightly so, and got a couple of legislated ad hoc increases along during their retirement.

However, unfortunately, if the STRS Board paid attention to the part of Carol Bertholf's speech that claims her RCRTA "membership was receptive and understood the need to back the plan sent to the ORSC", I take exception and do not go along with it. And I am sure that she is probably wrong to think that the RCRTA would go along with cutting something that has been guaranteed by law. In my opinion, this recommendation of cutting our OH STRS retiree COLA may be illegal. The 3% simple COLA is an Ohio Revised Code promise!

RHJones, a retired teacher member of OH STRS