Man For All Seasons

To the Editor:

I feel compelled to send this letter because of the unwarranted attacks against Roger Toussaint and the question of ethnicity (race) as illustrated in recent letters sent to The Chief.

I sit on the MaBSTOA Financial Committee. The committee is responsible for the prudent administration of the MaBSTOA pension plan. Not long ago, Toussaint asked me if there were any minority money investment managers or investment firms being utilized by the committee. The answer was no. When, at Toussaint's direction, the matter was put before the committee, it acted to correct the problem and began a series of interviews to find candidates who could help address the question of racial equality for minority-owned firms. The committee succeeded and hired a minority firm to invest in large cap stocks.

The MaBSTOA Pension Committee is continuing the process of insuring that the hiring of money managers and firms in addition to being professionally qualified also follows the guidelines of equal opportunity. This would have never happened without the resolve and courage of Roger Toussaint. You may recall Toussaint also brought the same question of racial equality to the NYCERS pension board, pointing out there was a lack of Hispanic participation in that board's process as well. To my knowledge, NYCERS moved to broaden the use of minority investors as well.

Add to this the celebrations of Irish-American Day, Italian-American Day, Russian-American Day, Dia de los Obreros, Martin Luther King Day, Indian American Day, Widows and Orphan Day, Black History Day and Women's Day and you have a champion of human rights. Roger Toussaint is the champion behind these celebrations. Oh, and I almost forgot one of the most important events, Family Day, where all our members celebrate the institution of "Family."

Roger Toussaint has never abandoned his ideals. He lives by them. And most of us share those ideals.

JAMES MAHONEY, Director, Retirees TWU Local 100