A retiree sounds off.....

From a retiree, January 16, 2011

"I don't believe it is fair for 500 or so employees of STRS to be expected to fix a solvency problem created by 450,000 members, even if that were possible, which it isn't. We have a liability problem, not a spending problem". James McGreevy
[Corrected quote:"Just as taxpayers shouldn't expect teachers to carry the burden of balancing a school district budget, we should not believe that 500 employees could possibly fix a $38 billion unfunded liability problem."]

So the solvency problem was created by teachers??? Wow! I remember getting endorsement letters for OEA-backed Board candidates....and stupidly, (yes I'm calling myself stupido.....voting for them b/c, go figure, I thought OEA/STRS represented ME, the educator.

1. The expense of the "new" STRS bldg....w/expensive art work (don't ya think they could have put out a notice to Ohio art teachers to have their students create art work for display...and offer a $500 award for the chosen work?)....no wait, that's MY fault, damn another stupid move on my part!

2. All of the $ spent on trips, food, cars being used by family members (and anything else Dr. Leone found and addressed during his tenure on the Bd).....damn, my fault, another jackass move on my part!

3. The bonuses given to investment staff, even in good times, which was a lot more than the educators they represented would ever see in their careers....uh-oh, my fault again....

4. Conclusion: damn I'm just a real moron for having made all of these decisions and causing the solvency issues at STRS

5. Don't even get me started on the comment about "fair"....I just might have to crazy on someone's [xxx]...& it might be McGreevy's.......

I don't have a problem taking repsponsibility for the decisions I make, good or bad, but hell's bells, I NEVER made the aforementioned decisions.....the STRS Bd did......but then again, I voted for them, didn't I....