Sleepless nights ahead for pension padders
One of the most intriguing aspects of today's 20-count corruption indictment against state Sen. Wayne R. Bryant, D-Camden, and R. Michael Gallagher, the former dean at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford was the fact Bryant's pension padding - a practice engaged in by many public officials - was treated as a crime.
According to the indictment, Bryant, capitalizing on a pension formula that allows public officials to use their three highest years of income to determine their annual retirement benefit, was able to triple his pensionable income between 2002 and 2006, from $28,000 to $81,269, by taking on multiple government jobs. He was associate counsel for the Gloucester County Board of Social Services, a no-show lecturer at Rutgers-Camden and a "program support coordinator," a loosely defined job with no actual responsibilities, at UMDNJ-Stratford.
Prior to 2002, Bryant's three highest annual government income totals were about $50,000, $62,000 and $64,000. By 2006, the year he became eligible for a full pension, his additional jobs boosted his three highest salaries for pension purposes to $155,000, $172,000 and $177,000.
This indictment will send shock waves throughout the state. Any public official who has anything to hide, and who knows Bryant knows they have something to hide - will not be sleeping well in the months ahead. Bryant, like most corrupt officials, will do anything to minimize his time in jail. If he chirps, he will bring a lot of people down with him.
According to the indictment, Bryant, capitalizing on a pension formula that allows public officials to use their three highest years of income to determine their annual retirement benefit, was able to triple his pensionable income between 2002 and 2006, from $28,000 to $81,269, by taking on multiple government jobs. He was associate counsel for the Gloucester County Board of Social Services, a no-show lecturer at Rutgers-Camden and a "program support coordinator," a loosely defined job with no actual responsibilities, at UMDNJ-Stratford.
Prior to 2002, Bryant's three highest annual government income totals were about $50,000, $62,000 and $64,000. By 2006, the year he became eligible for a full pension, his additional jobs boosted his three highest salaries for pension purposes to $155,000, $172,000 and $177,000.
This indictment will send shock waves throughout the state. Any public official who has anything to hide, and who knows Bryant knows they have something to hide - will not be sleeping well in the months ahead. Bryant, like most corrupt officials, will do anything to minimize his time in jail. If he chirps, he will bring a lot of people down with him.
posted by Randy Bergmann at 3:36 PM
4 Comments:
I doubt this indictment will send "shock waves throughout the state." McGreevey remains unindicted and just this week, for example, the APP reported that John Bennett, the undisputed king of the double dippers, was NOT the target of a Federal grand jury investigation.
I'm sure Mr. Bergmann is busy penning a scathing op-ed pointing out that thanks to legislation sponsored by none other than Saint Ellen of Karcher, Wayne Bryant will receive every penny of his ill gotten pension.
Yes, you read that right..the legislation she sponsored re: pension forfeiture only applies to crimes committed AFTER the legislation passed ( hmmm...wonder why?)
I'm sure the op-ed will also point out that she has now sponsored pay to pay legislation which doesnt ban pay to play, a dual officeholding ban which doesnt ban dual officeholding, and a wheeling ban that only bans wheeling for half the year.
Can't wait to read it. Should be a doozy.
Looks like Tony Soprano chose the wrong business to get into, he could have run for freeholder.
chris christy wants to stop pension padding, indict senator (50,000), mayor (25,000), asst. superintendent (200,000) SACCO
i mean honestly how many school districts in NJ would allow their superintendent to take two days a week to be at another job (lets say teaching in another district) and a third day for another job (lets say writing elsewhere). would any district honestly buy him doing his job in just two days in the office.
How about this, christy shoudl just check if he has taken any vacation days off, i bet you he hasnt and that he has hundreds stored up to cash in on the taxpayers when the gig get caught up with. C'MON
I say bring him down, and the message will be clear, no matter how powerful in politics, you will go down if you abuse the public trust.
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