Exercising at 80 and public service maladies

As if I didn't feel bad enough this morning, I received a very nice story from Kathy Lehr, the essence of which – as I interpreted it – was this: An 80-year-old man is in better physical shape than I am.

That youthful 80-year-old would be none other than former county commissioner Russ Newman.

In a story entitled "Former Highland County commissioner not letting age slow him down," Kathy writes: "Russ Newman is a man full of surprises. First, it’s surprising to learn that the former Highland County commissioner is 80 years old; secondly, it’s surprising to learn about his six-day-a-week fitness routine that could easily tire someone half his age."

I'm tired already. But I'm a little more than half of Russ's age, too.

Kathy Lehr, who many of us will remember from her morning show on WLW radio in Cincinnati, now serves as the vice president of external relations and marketing for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. We appreciate her story about Russ Newman (which is on our website), and we look forward to publishing additional stories about the Highland County Family YMCA.

Just try not to laugh at those of us who only work out two or three days a week.

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• Another news story that caught my attention this week was a column by Ohio Auditor Dave Yost: "Staying out of the red: The Real Bottom Line on GASB 68."

Auditor Yost reports that a "hot topic of discussion amongst (sic) taxpayers and public employers alike is how to properly manage our public employee pension systems and make sure that pension obligations are met. In June 2012, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement 68 requiring governments that provide defined benefit pensions to recognize their long-term obligation for pension benefits as a liability on their financial statements."

So far, so good.

The auditor continues: "In Ohio, public employees sell their labor to a public employer in exchange for wages and a benefits package, which includes a promise of a future pension. Traditionally, public employees saw this promise of a future pension as tradeoff for their historically lower wages than those employed in the private sector."

That's where the good auditor jumped the shark. Or, being in Ohio, he jumped the catfish. (Walleye, perhaps?)

Saying "Traditionally, public employees saw this promise of a future pension as tradeoff for their historically lower wages than those employed in the private sector," is akin to saying "Traditionally, the manufacturing of buggy whips was a sound economic investment."

I haven't read the remainder of Auditor Yost's column. Maybe he goes on to say that those alleged lower wages for public employees have gone the way of the buggy whip. Maybe he goes on to say that that was then and this is now, and the reality is that Ohio public employees today enjoy higher wages and better benefits than those who work in the private sector and whose salaries also must subsidize said public workers' wages and benefits.

I sure hope the auditor goes on to say that. But I doubt it.

As someone who's written on the problems with unfunded or underfunded public pension liabilities for more years than Mr. Yost has been auditor, I will repeat that one reasonable solution is to cap the public pensions.

In the past, I have offered that we cap all public pensions at 200 percent of the cap on Social Security "retirements." (Yes, I know, Social Security is a tax, not a pension. But tell that to the middle-income working families who not only pay Social Security taxes, but also fund the lucrative public pensions.)

By the way, Ohio taxpayers continue to fund legions of individual public pensions that provide retirement incomes in the millions of dollars. Just in retirement. Good work if you can get it.

I'm sure the auditor got around to pointing all of this out in his column – which I've yet to finish. He's probably endorsed a cap of these lucrative public pensions, too. Great idea.

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• And then there was this priceless gem from the Ohio Inspector General's Office.

The Office of the Ohio Inspector General reviewed the allegations made regarding inappropriate conduct by four hearing officers of the Industrial Commission of Ohio while attending a commission-sponsored meeting.

OK. Let's assume that by "a commission-sponsored meeting" the OIG really means that this was a taxpayer-funded meeting, at least in part, at a taxpayer-funded state park. (Since many state office-holders read our paper and website, I will invite any and all to clarify. Hello?)

The report goes on to tell us (by "us," I refer to those noble Ohio taxpayers): "Through interviews conducted with numerous ICO employees and the four hearing officers in question, most stated they were unaware of the 'open cabin,' while others stated they were aware of the gathering and either had or had not attended. Those who attended stated there were at least three females present and at least one of the females was an employee of a Cleveland-area law firm that represented clients at ICO hearings. All stated that they saw at least one, if not all, of the females at some point wearing a bikini.

"On Sept. 12, 2013, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General received an anonymous complaint regarding alleged improper conduct by commission hearing officers while attending an Industrial Commission of Ohio-sponsored (i.e., your tax dollars at work meeting held at Maumee State Park. The original complaint alleged that two hearing officers were present at a party on the night of Sept. 8, 2013, held in a cabin rented by attorneys who practice before the ICO. Also alleged to be in attendance at the party were 'female escorts' who were alleged to be 'naked' in a hot tub with the hearing officers."

OK. To sum it all up what we have here – allegedly – is this: Very well-paid state employees on a state assignment at a state park with booze and broads.

As a taxpayer, my only recommendation is this: PAY FOR IT WITH YOUR DIME, NOT MINE. (Assuming, again, they were worth a dime.)

The Office of the Ohio Inspector General made these recommendations. My observations appear within the parenthesis.

The Industrial Commission of Ohio should:

• Review the actions of the individuals named in this report and determine if administrative action or additional training is warranted. (Additional "training?!" For what purpose? Can't the ol' boys make a decent cocktail? Bikini top too tough to remove?)

• Define expectations of employees regarding appropriate professional conduct while attending meetings, conferences, and seminars. ("Appropriate professional conduct?" Do you really need to clarify that one?)

Good to see our tax dollars at work. Oh, yes, we also paid for this whitewashed report from the OIG. Carry on, boys. And check the temperature in the hot tub. It can get a little cool at your Maumee's park.

* * *

• Three years ago this spring, two members of the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees voted against the administrative budget as presented in March 2011.

The college board had voted to implement a 7-percent tuition increase in May 2010. Two board members also voted against that increase.

One of the board members voting against these increases in spending was my good friend Dr. Ben Houser. (I forget who the other one was.)

We lost Ben three years ago this month.

Dr. Houser passed away Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at Clermont Mercy Hospital at the age of 70.

Dr. Houser, of Mount Orab, was appointed to the SSCC board by former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland in the summer of 2008.

Ben was a retired attorney (the best kind, I used to tell him). He had served as the vice president of Adams County Manor in West Union and Morris Nursing Home in Bethel.

He also sat on a number of boards and committees, including the Brown County General Hospital Board of Trustees, the Brown County Solid Waste Board, the Mount Orab Port Authority, the Brown County Board of Health and the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission Committee for Economic Development.

Ben began practicing law in Brown County with the McConn and Purdy law firm. Later, he became a part owner in the firm of Cassity, Kelly, and Houser. He practiced law for more than 35 years.

When Gov. Ted Strickland announced Ben as a member of the SSCC Board of Trustees, a former friend and co-worker from Brown County told me "You and Ben will get along real well. You are two of a kind."

He was right.

Ben Houser was a good friend, indeed. Much more importantly, once Ben committed to an office of public service, he was all in.

SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys said at Ben's passing: "He was one of those people who was truly a public servant. I don't know anyone who served on more boards than Ben. His motivation was pure and simple: Service. He had a way of getting things done. We will miss him immensely."

Ben Houser is missed in many ways. It is my most humble hope that when the Southern State Community College campus opens in Mount Orab, Dr. Ben Houser's name will be prominently featured. Ben's hope would be something more subtle. That's understandable, but not acceptable.

Ben's family and friends know how much he gave of himself to honorable public service.

In fact, both Ben Houser and Russ Newman were great public servants. Those clowns at the Industrial Commission of Ohio could learn a lot from them.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.