Mr. Sears....whom do you represent?

From John Curry, October 13, 2010

From: John Curry

To: wsears1109@aol.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:57 PM

Subject: Mr. Sears....whom do you represent

Mr. Sears,

You are an OEA-R member, aren't you? You do realize that about ten years ago the OEA-endorsed active teacher members of that former STRS board pushed hard for and won the enhanced benefits for those educators who served 35 years at their jobs and became eligible for the 88.5% payout, don't you? Do you also realize that no other Ohio public pension system pays anywhere near that generous for 35 years of service? Do you know the most that any Ohio public retirement system (besides STRS) pays out for 35 years is only 77%?

Do you know what was given up so that some can recieve the 88.5%? Well....I'll help you understand. Are you aware that because of that 88.5% payout that STRS can only afford to apply 1% of the employers contribution toward healthcare costs for STRS stakeholders while all other Ohio systems pay at least 4% or more of employer contributions toward their retirees' healthcare costs?

Maybe, Mr. Sears, you are a "thirty fiver" and can enjoy the 88.5 and/or maybe your spouse is now of Medicare age and so insurance is affordable but, Mr. Sears, my wife isn't and so are a lot of other STRS retirees and their wives who relied on STRS to offer reasonably priced healthcare for their retirees and their spouses like OPERS currently does. You see, Mr. Sears, the HC insurance subsidy for my spouse and thousands of other STRS retirees' spouses was terminated immediately several years ago and with no 15 years advanced planning (warning) time notice like the HPA plan currently wants to give active teachers for their planning. Thanks to that OEA active-teacher-dominated board ten years ago, Mr. Sears, I am currently looking at health insurance premium rates fourteen times higher that I would be had I driven a county dump truck for my county of residence and retired in 2000 under the OPERS system. Mr. Sears, do you and your organization really represent "Retired" educators? By pushing for the HPA plan you aren't! You surely could have fooled me and....a whole lot of other retirees! Mr. Sears, active teachers won't "fall through the cracks," but many current retirees have been falling through those same cracks for a long time now. We have paid our "fair share" and, quite frankly, we're tired of getting screwed!

John Curry

A proud CORE member

an STRS stakeholder

a retiree glad that he never joined ORA-R