State retirement system misunderstood by paper

State retirement system misunderstood by paper
EDITOR:
That was quite a lead editorial in the paper of Dec. 23. It is a pity that it showed absolutely no comprehension of how the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System works. You really need to do some homework.
Try reading section 145 of the Ohio Revised Code. This is the law behind those figures you tossed around so blithely. The equivalent of 22 percent of my gross salary was paid into my PERS account. The system then invested the money in various securities, funds, etc., the identical thing that some people are saying Social Security should be doing. In addition to this, I was paying into the PERS Deferred Compensation Plan, which also invests the funds. This allowed me to retire after 36 years at something close to my final yearly salary. Compared to this reality, Bush's Social Security investment plan looks pathetically inadequate.
The amount received by retirees is pro-rated according to years of service and the average salary of one's last three years of employment. It takes 30 years of service to reach a pension of 60 percent of the last three years' average. This is one of the real games played by local political entities: awarding a local figure a job with an inflated salary to improve the average in his favor. The time to jump on the local politicians is as soon as they do this.
It is also possible to purchase years of service to take it up to a desired level. Considering that the rates are set according to salary, this can add up. Again, it is the local civic division that does this. Unfortunately, this may be the only way they can get rid of an undesirable employee.
You might take note that PERS took a $26 million hit from the Enron fiasco, an investment many of your correspondents thought was great and absolutely safe until recently.
JEROME K. STEPHENS
Warren
'Accountability' has little meaning in this region
EDITOR:
Bertram de Souza told Ron Verb that City Council should keep control of the arena project because Council, and not the independent Arena Board, is more "accountable." Verb reported that to his listening audience. Since neither of these normally astute reporters saw fit to check that theory or opinion with a responsible resource person, the opinion stands. Until now.
First, if the reporters are talking about political accountability, then they forget how political accountability works in the Mahoning Valley. We have had politicians engage in questionable or negligent activity and what happens? They get re-elected. That's accountability? Has our congressman been politically accountable for his unacceptable, if not outright illegal, behavior? So much for political accountability.
Next, if the reporters are talking about actual accountability or personal responsibility for their acts, then they are way off base. So long as an individual member of the City Council, or a member of the independent arena board, is ethically acting in good faith and in the best interests of their organization, then they are not personally responsible or liable for their individual acts. That's Corporate Law 101.
The fact is, accountability is a "non-issue" in determining where the responsibility for the arena project should lie. City Council, as a whole, does not have the knowledge, authority or precedent to establish and manage a facility like that. None of its members, as individuals, have the education, training or experience to be individually qualified to run an arena. Their experience lies in the legislative area, not executive or management.
It is for that reason that most cities, when faced with a situation like this, will transfer such authority to a diverse, independent representative board of individuals. That board will be given a legislative mandate by council and perhaps even an appropriate mission statement for the operation of the project. That board is then delegated the responsibility and authority to act as a board and pursuant to that mandate and mission statement in the legislation enacted by the council. That's the way it has always worked and that's the way it should work now.
The board appointed here is broadly representative of our community. The individual members are persons of integrity who have demonstrated accomplishments in their business or professional life. They have no political ax to grind except to do a good job. Council should let them get started.
RICHARD P. McLAUGHLIN
Youngstown
League of Women Voters backs elections board plan
EDITOR:
Since 1986 members of the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown have been monitoring the elections process in Mahoning County. In more recent years, our representatives have also attended monthly meetings of the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
League observers have noted the careful process that members of the board and staff followed in making decisions about replacing outdated tabulation equip ment that can no longer be relied upon for conducting elections in our county. Because of concern about possible failure, the Board of Elections retired this equipment. The past three elections were conducted using equipment provided by Elections Systems and Software on a short-term rental agreement.
Over a three-year period the board and staff have done a thorough investigation of election systems. This includes using equipment brought in by vendors for actual voting in several Mahoning County precincts and traveling to other areas for further study of available systems. After receiving bids from vendors, each of their proposals was carefully reviewed by staff and board members. On Nov. 27, the Mahoning County Board of Elections voted unanimously to accept the proposal of Elections Systems and Software for an electronic touch screen system at a cost of $2.9 million.
Realizing that this is a very large investment to make at a time of financial concern, the League asks Mahoning County commissioners to consider that the Board of Elections has in recent years cut full-time staffing levels by 25 percent. The number of precincts has been lowered from 416 to 312, thus reducing the cost of poll workers and the need for equipment. An electronic system, while more expensive initially, would save the considerable cost of printing ballots and address many of the shortcomings of the current paper ballot system.
We urge the commissioners to work with the Board of Elections to carry out a plan for phasing in the purchase of new equipment. The board has submitted a proposed budget for 2002 which calls for an increase of about $300,000 over the current budget. This would allow for the acquisition of new voting machines through a five-year lease plan, after which the county would own the equipment. The commissioners' approval of the budget submitted by the Mahoning County Board of Elections would begin the process of providing Mahoning County with a badly needed new system of voting.
ANNE YORK, Ph.D.
MARION R. GILLETTE
Youngstown
X Dr. York is the president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown; Ms. Gillette is chairman of the League's Election Monitoring Committee.