GolfHos

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100722/US.Bell.Salaries/

Holy *feces*!  800k per year?

When people think of government waste, they usually think of the federal government, but local governments are probably worse. Look at this ridiculous *feces* (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66K6BX20100721?type=domesticNews). Why in the *fudge* do you offer a pension to anybody making $800K per year? On top of that, the pensions are outrageous. If you work enough years, you get something like 60% of your final salary and that's on top of social security. I also remember reading some story about a sheriff in SoCal raking in a 6-figure salary ON TOP OF A 6-figure pension from a neighboring county.

Oh hell! What am I talking about? The federal government spends $600+ billion annually on defense.

Wife was on city council for 4 years in mid 2000 - 2010.  City manager quit his job within first several months of her tenure to take another city manager job in AZ.  This city has population of 30,000.  City manager salary was established by contract to be at least 5% higher than department heads.  Of course, he established salaries for department heads.  City attorney salary was $150,000 a year.  Number of people in City attorney's office was a paralegal an secretary.  Police chief salary was well over 120,000 as well as the Fire Chief.  All department heads had salaries that were in excess of $100,000.  City manager's salary was in excess of 200,000.  City also purchased for him each year a large SUV for his use.  He and all department heads have health plans that are golden.  100% coverage for them and family, includes dental, and eyes.  No co pay.  City pays the premiums.

When the city manager quit, he was able to collect for all of his unused vacation pay and sickleave that he accrued.  30 days of vacation pay a year, don't remember about sickleave.  Turned out he claimed at quiting that he never used vacation time or sick time while he was on the job (10 years).  City had no records to show otherwise.  Turns out that there never was a system set up to keep track of his useage or non useage.

This *feces* is still going on.  Salary for city manager is smallest when "comparables" are considered here.   Don't get me wrong it is huge tho.  This past January, city council approved his request for city to pay for his master's degree in city management.  I think it is to the tune of %75,000.  This is on top of his salary.  Don't know when he actually attends classes.  Oh, nothing prevents him from quitting and no provision for him to reimburse the city for masters.

if the teabaggers would leave the nigerian prince alone and go after these sort of *fudge*wits, maybe people would stop staring at them cross-eyed

Since these jobs pay so well, they should be attracting hypercompetent CEO types, shouldn't they?