This stakeholder sums up nicely the situation at STRS and the situation it places teachers in

From an STRS Stakeholder on FB

May 30, 2022

Well, the wonder boys, including Bill Neville, are again posting an email about the great financial merits Bill and the boys have done to make STRS such a great pension. I, in a scary manner, laugh, because I know that for teachers, the information in this email is a joke. Let's talk about Bill Neville in Freudian terms regarding his first request he make since the election of the new candidates. I think Billy boy understands that the next new board is going to be tougher going for him and the STRS staff to deal with.

To begin, we teachers have been ripped off for our COLA, and, for active teachers, their retirement benefits. One would think that maybe good old Bill would have his first inkling of making proposals to improve the teachers' lot, given the resounding victory that teachers made with the 3 candidates that the teachers voted onto the board. Not Billy boy and his wonderful, self-centered staff. This first thing the STRS gangsters propose to the board is ways for Bill and gang can try to convince the new board to not sell the palace, or the office building. Bill  suggested that the present office building is really well maintained, and will not need any new work for quite a while. Oh, Bill did not mention the $800,000 day care center, the $600,000 gym, or the heated sidewalks. Or the silly crash gate. I think Bill and the gang want to stay in a big fancy office building for as long as they can. This is the real subconscious minds of the STRS staff coming out. These monsters did not mention one thing about the needs of the teachers, only what the STRS staff wants. Are these monsters telling on themselves? They, in my mind, completely revealed their top priorities. They think about the needs of the STRS staff first and foremost, and only consider the teachers when they are forced into it. Think about the reason these monsters offered a one time COLA, and not a long term plan. They thought they could trick us weak minded teachers into voting for them with this cheap COLA trick. Now, they think they can say the office building is in great shape, so let's just keep the building, since it does not need anymore new work although that palace of a building is unnecessary for purposes of managing the pension. Again, I say we get a staff to manage the pension with the  teachers as a top priority, and not Bill and the gang. If any of you teachers get a chance, drive around and look at the central office buildings of some of the school systems. Those buildings are sensible, cost saving buildings designed to meet the needs of the administrative staff and the school systems. These are not expensive day care centers, no luxury gyms, and no ridiculous crash gates. These buildings are just one thing, an office building.

Lets take a moment to compare the finances of Billy boy to a retired teacher in Toledo, Ohio.  A teacher featured on the Forum first of all, and repeating, this teacher did not have all the luxuries of a palace office building, she simply had a school building to go to. And sneaky Bill just snuck a new, economically powerhouse personal, 5 year contract for himself, again not thinking about the needs of the teachers, but only Billy boy, and his personal comfort and his own financial needs. This, he thinks, is buried in his wee little mind and no one will ever figure out that Bill did this without anyone becoming suspicious.  And again, Bill's needs are top priority. And by the way, Bill's contract is for 5 years and starts at $300,000. It probably ends at around $400,000.  So Bill thinks he is very secure in his contract. And again, let's see how many proposals Billy boy comes up with that will make the teachers as financially secure as he is. I can guarantee you that we teachers will be working hard to overcome Bill and the gangsters.

Now, let's take a little closer look at the Toledo teacher's financial situation and how it stacks up to Billy and the gang's finances. Her income is probably not anywhere close to $200,000 - $800,000 per year. This lady worked for 31 years in the Toledo school system, purchasing her house, and paying for the house with hard earned teacher salary money. She owned the house free and clear. No money laundering, no trust funds, no off shore account, etc, etc. Just a really good, honest, hard working teacher. Now, with no COLA for 5 years, only a partial COLA for the 5 years previous to that, she just received a property tax hike that she cannot pay for. She is going to be forced out of her long time home, probably move into a more affordable apartment, and simply lower her standard of living. Probably a circumstance a lot of us teachers are facing now, or will be facing in the near future, unless the new board members can come up with a new benefit plan for both retired and active teachers. Now, I  ask you teachers, do you think that Billy, the outlaw and his gangsters care one bit about this lady?  No, Billy doesn't. After all, his first two acts with the thought of new, teacher friendly board members is to secure himself and new, lucrative 5 year contract, and attempt to keep him and his staff in that ridiculous office. And I can guarantee you that Billy boy is hoping his fat contract will carry him and his staff to the next election, that he hopes the OEA retakes control of the STRS pension, and Bill and the gang can continue putting people like the Toledo teacher into a lesser standard of living.

I say we diligently work to end the reign of this classless, criminal group of people, take control of the pension, long term, and secure the financial future of every teacher in the pension system. And I think an at will contract is the best way to work with a staff.