In a previous message I pointed out that this fall’s election could not be more important to current and future STRS retirees.  The next legislators will try and “fix” Ohio’s public pensions.  CORE will be endorsing candidates for state offices.

Please read the questions in the newest CORE Alert.  These are the questions that we have decided are the most important and will help us determine which candidates we might support.  Please take or mail these questions to current house and senate members running for reelection and or candidates that are running against incumbents in your district. 

Ask that they respond in writing or by e-mail.  If you go in person, take careful notes.  Please always refer to Pension Benefits as “deferred compensation”.  It is our money and not the state’s.  Send the responses to Dave Parshall at dparshall@insight.rr.com.   We will also soon post the questions on the CORE website, www.concernedOhio.org.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, John Curry or Marie Fetters.

Yours truly,
Dave Parshall, Pres. CORE

CORE's Questions for State Legislators:

1.  The Defined Benefit Pension Plan has been proven to be the most cost effective retirement plan for both the State and its retirees (www.nirsonline.org, “More Bang for the Buck”).  The STRS Defined Plan is really deferred compensation earned as part of an educator’s salary during their career.  Will you support the continuation of the Defined Benefit plans in any legislation to “fix” public pensions?

2.  The Ohio Revised Code, Section 3307.67 guarantees the payment of a simple 3 % Cost of Living Allowance, COLA, for current STRS retirees.  In view of this fact most other states have grandfathered current retirees from the financial harm of COLA reductions.  Will you support the COLA promise by grandfathering current retirees’ 3 % COLA?  (States that have not kept the COLA promise are now in litigation). 

3.  All the financial changes by STRS to date have been directed at the current retirees and these changes happened almost over night.  Would you support the phasing out of the current enhanced STRS pension for 35 years of service (the 88% rule) in 2012 and not 2015 as the STRS plan calls for?  This would save money and make changes more fair for current retirees with much lower pensions and already reduced benefits.  Current retirees don’t have time to plan for COLA changes in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Time is not on their side.