Some insights and observations about our illustrious STRS Board from one of our MOF members (Ohio STRS Member Only Forum) on Facebook

From James Carr 

August 21, 2022

Every teacher I've talked to over the past several years has shared the same concerns about the STRS. They don't want a fancy spacious building with exotic works of art. They don't want a parking garage adorned with golden pavers. They don't want heated sidewalks. They don't want a bloated staff of employees that are paid far higher wages and salaries than they ever earned during the long course of their careers. They don't want a crew of greedy investors risking their money as they are drawing huge bonuses for achieving mediocre returns. They don't want to provide an array of fringe benefits that are far and above anything that they ever received during their careers.

What they do want is simple. A retirement system that behaves frugally and treats them with the respect they deserve. Most of all, they want a retirement system that is committed to keeping past promises. They understood when they retired that they would receive an annual COLA to help them survive comfortably in their old age. They want a retirement system that will do what it promised to do, nothing more, nothing less.

September 2, 2022

A while back one of my acquaintances told me that I was really coming down hard on the STRS Board members. Here's the thing, I don't know any of them personally and even if I did, it would make no difference. I don't care who they are; I don't care what political party they belong to; I don't care about their religious affiliations; I don't care about their sexual orientations; I don't care about their ethnic backgrounds; I wouldn't even care if they are my brothers or sisters. If they are sitting on the STRS Board the only thing I care about is this: That they are there for the right reason. That their number one priority is to fulfill the promises and commitments that have been made to past, present, and future generations of teachers.

Right now there are 2 members on the Board who are there for the right reason. Hopefully, in a couple more weeks there will be 3 more who are there for the right reason.

As for the remaining Board members, nothing personal, you need to find some other way to spend your time and stop wasting ours.

September 4, 2022

As our group continues to expand, people might wonder what motivates us,  and while there are many sources of motivation at play, I believe the most prominent bond is simply this: Each of us is a victim of robbery.  To make matters worse, each of us is a victim of robbery on an ongoing basis. 

It's not a normal type of robbery because each of us knows the exact day the robbery will occur. It happens every year on the date we retired. For me, the date is June 1st. It's the date that we were promised, in writing that we would receive our annual COLA.

One of the things that makes this ongoing robbery particularly galling is the sad fact that the perpetrators are not anonymous thieves; they live among us and they work for us.

To make matters worse, these robbers possess legal immunity because a few years ago our state legislature gave them the legal authority to rob us.

Fortunately, we have one legal recourse. We can't prosecute the people who are robbing us but, in due course of time we can vote them off the STRS Board. If we don't, our calendars will continue to mark the date each year the robbers return.