Dan MacDonald with some questions about "Transparency" for STRS (Board meeting September 21, 2023

Dan MacDonald's comments to the STRS Board September 21, 2023 

From Dan MacDonald

September 21, 2023

Public Participation September STRS Board Meeting

Mr. Chair, good morning STRS Board.  I am Dan MacDonald, an STRS retiree with 38 plus years of service.  I am also the Executive Director of Local 279R, North East Ohio AFT retirees. 

I’ve attached the Board Policy, as found on the website, for Public Participation at Board Meetings.  Nowhere is it stated that Board members can not respond to the public.  Your public attendees witnessed last month’s the silencing of a Board member by the chair before the five-hour marathon executive session with a terse “We do not respond to that.” The following day the audience witnessed the chair’s confusion when a Board member requested information in open session regarding the closing of the daycare center. The chair: “I don’t know that this would be the forum for that.” 

If the Board serves as the link between the Retirement System and its members, what forum really exists for our public’s concerns?  Ignore seems to be the answer.  The Executive Director did respond with unprepared off the cuff remarks. 

Going back 20 years, numerous times in public participation the daycare center has been brought up as a drain to the pension fund. The cafeteria has been mentioned similarly. Before a month ago, when was it ever shared that the daycare center made a profit. Subsidies is what your public has always thought. This Board and former Boards and STRS staff allow us to bring up issues accurate or not. Recently the lack of taxes on food purchased in the cafeteria was presented in public participation. Now I am sure STRS is paying taxes, probably like a ball park or a parking lot where the tax is included in the cost of the item.  Is there a reason that couldn’t be stated or is STRS really heavily subsidizing the cafeteria?  Silence, therefore it must be true. 

Personally, I think these services should be available in a $90 billion dollar business at cost or slight profit. I’d point out that neither of these services would allow for a guaranteed COLA, but I will admit it fulfills one Board member’s thought of how do you eat an elephant, small bites.

Transparency:  Would the daycare closing have ever been addressed if it wasn’t for four ladies? 

Transparency:  The July Director’s Report should have included the closing of the daycare center.

Transparency:  Departments begin their presentation with a brief summary of the presentation which includes any required Board actions.  No where in the Performance-Based Incentive presentation was a vote mentioned until suddenly on Friday it was placed vocally onto the agenda.

Transparency: Congratulation to the investment associate who stated “We could have done better” during June.

Transparency: Is there a reason that the PBI Payment was not listed on the Routine Matters document shared in public session last month?

Transparency: Routine Matters, is there a reason that handout is not posted to the STRS website?

As always, actives need their future benefits enhanced and retirees need an acceptable guaranteed COLA.