Jones: Comments on Fw: Bracy to STRS Board - The HPA plan

From RH Jones, October 6, 2010
Subject: Jones comments on Fw: Bracy to STRS Board - The HPA plan

To Kathie and all:

First, please read Kathie's comments below. I agree with everything Kathie says but would add that we retired educators have already have our HC/Rx cut (which could have been done illegally) and there was never a challenge out of ORTA, who are supposed to represent us. Like Kathie, ORTA does not represent me in the HPA. And I would add that, also, they do not represent me, a retired STRS teacher member, in the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) either.

The money from the recent ORTA dues increase should be spent in hiring a proper law firm to defend our U.S. Constitutional rights to our promised Defined Benefits that includes, as promised, the full original 3% simple COLA plus our original HC/Rx. If they want their membership to climb from the 32,000, to include most all of the 122,000 STRS retirees, they must abandon their ultra-right-wing political thinking and aggressively support our public sector retirement pension. The figure of 32,000, you will notice, is far from the majority of 122,000 of us retired educators.

Since the officials of the State of Ohio and our STRS have chosen ORTA to be on the various retirement committees that determine our fate, I think we ORTA members have an obligation to "sound off" to ORTA reps to do the right thing and legally challenge losses of our benefits -- better known as our deferred compensations. We want our ORTA to be powerful representative of us once again.

If you agree with Kathie and me, please let ORTA know. Phone them at: (877) 431-7002 or e-mail www.orta.org

RHJones, ORTA Life member