If CalSTRS can why can't Ohio STRS?

From John Curry, November 6, 2010

“This affirms the commitment of the Teachers’ Retirement Board to the highest degree of transparency in their operations,” said CalSTRS Board Chair, Jerilyn Harris. “This comes at a time when CalSTRS needs to increase its communication with its stakeholders and the general public about a variety of crucial issues, such as the need to find a long-term solution to its funding challenges.”

http://www.sunherald.com/2010/11/05/2615637/calstrs-board-approves-video-transmission.html

SunHerald.com, Nov. 5, 2010

CalSTRS Board Approves Video Transmission of Meetings

The Board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System took another step today toward greater transparency of its proceedings by approving the live video streaming and archiving of its meetings on the Web. The decision means live video streaming, as well as archived versions, will be available on the website, www.Calstrs.com. CalSTRS currently offers live audio streaming. Also, the current practice of providing DVDs of meetings to anyone who requests them will continue.

“This affirms the commitment of the Teachers’ Retirement Board to the highest degree of transparency in their operations,” said CalSTRS Board Chair, Jerilyn Harris. “This comes at a time when CalSTRS needs to increase its communication with its stakeholders and the general public about a variety of crucial issues, such as the need to find a long-term solution to its funding challenges.”

Live public audio streaming of meetings has been available since July 2009, shortly after the move to the current headquarters in West Sacramento. CalSTRS is among the first large pension systems to offer this degree of access.

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, with a portfolio valued at $138.6 billion, is the second largest public pension fund in the United States. It administers retirement, disability and survivor benefits for California's 848,000 public school educators and their families from the state's 1,400 school districts, county offices of education and community college districts.

Question of the day for the soon-to-be Attorney General and....a mission for thousands of Ohio retired public servants....

From John Curry, November 5, 2010

Will you, Mike DeWine, halt the ongoing fight to get back Ohio's public pension fund money from Lehman Brothers?

I think we ought to keep ourselves and our pension systems focused on this very topic and on Mr. DeWine's pursuit (or lack thereof) toward that goal.

John

Patient's Bill of Rights FAQ - Ohio Department of Insurance

http://www.healthcarereform.ohio.gov/Documents/Patient%20Bill%20of%20Rights%20FAQ%20August%202010.pdf

I was watching the clock but the Executive Director wasn't

From John Curry, October 31, 2010

October 14, 2010 at the STRS board meeting during the "public speaks."

Board President, Tim Myers, advised that all participants would be allowed three minutes to speak and that, "Mr. Nehf will signal you when you have one minute remaining."

When Bill Leibensperger began his speech, the built in timer on the MP3 Windows Media Player was registering 8:40 which meant that Bill began at 8 minutes and 40 seconds into the public speaks portion of the board meeting. At the 11:50 mark (or 3 minutes and 10 seconds into Bill's presentation) I could hear Mr. Nehf reset his stopwatch (boy, that change to the MP3 format by STRS really enables the listener to hear faint sounds - thanks) without reminding Bill Leibensperger he reached the two minute mark that Tim advised would happen. In fact, Bill continued on and ended his speech at the 12:32 marker which means he spoke, uninterrupted, for three minutes and fifty-two seconds.

Tim, please not only say what you mean when you have a speaker timed but "mean what you say" about the time use/misuse or don't say it at all. Mike....you might want to get a silent stop watch or, for that matter, not even use one.

John Curry
An STRS stakeholder