The chief retires well
It really pays to retire from the Barnegat Police Department. Chief Joseph Manger's compensation package when he retires Nov. 30 after 31 years with the department will total $287,689. And he's then eligible for a $77,600 annual pension.
It's not his fault that the township taxpayers will be giving him such a rich retirement present. It was all negotiated by Township Committee members over the years. He's entitled to pay for unused vacation and sick time plus holiday hours. He also gets severance pay.
Such largess has got to stop. Township officials have to make sure future contracts with police and all employee unions cap vacation and sick time carryover. And there's no need for severance pay to a retiree. Police officers should be well paid for the dangerous work they do. But municipal officials have to rein in the perks that cost taxpayers a pretty penny down the road and help drive up the cost of government and living in New Jersey.
It's not his fault that the township taxpayers will be giving him such a rich retirement present. It was all negotiated by Township Committee members over the years. He's entitled to pay for unused vacation and sick time plus holiday hours. He also gets severance pay.
Such largess has got to stop. Township officials have to make sure future contracts with police and all employee unions cap vacation and sick time carryover. And there's no need for severance pay to a retiree. Police officers should be well paid for the dangerous work they do. But municipal officials have to rein in the perks that cost taxpayers a pretty penny down the road and help drive up the cost of government and living in New Jersey.
posted by Larry Benjamin at 4:27 PM
4 Comments:
Most cops do a good job, and you're right, they have a dangerous job. They should be paid very well. But some of those compensation packages do seem out of line with reality. Also, how about the PBA, which is a labor union, collecting "donations" from the public? Why should anyone be asked to pay dues to somebody else's labor union?
I find it amazing that these folks; police chiefs, school superintendents and politicians have never taken a vacation or sick day throughout their careers.
I don't know if it's true, but I've been told thatBarnegat employees get 15 sick days a year. That's sick. It' time to bring public employee benefits in line with the private sector, which by the way, are diminishing.
Traditional pensions for cops should be abolished in favor of 401K plans. Like almost every other retiree, let the cops buy their own health insurance after they retire and before Medicare kicks in. Local police departments should also be abolished in favor of county sheriff departments.
Finally, the state should get out of the business of providing tradional disability pensions to cops. Pay a private insurance company for disability coverage for cops. I am sick of reading about how every corrupt cop that is about to get fired "retires" with a disability pension for an injury that happened 5 years ago but, amazingly, just flared up again just as he was about to get fired. Private insurance companies would not put up with this type of fraud.
Click here for a perfect example of cops abusing disability pensions
Taxpayers are also being asked to
pay for the Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission's
Administrator's salaries and perks
when the few schools they oversee
have very low enrollment. One Assistant Superintendent makes $148,000 and gets a car for 24 hour
use. His wife, who started as a
drug counselor a couple of years ago had her salary increased after
they married to $70,000 and a job
created for her as Assistant TO
the Principal by her husband. There
are many former principals still
on the payroll in the Tinton Falls
headquarters (after they couldn't
handle the principal's position)
doing who knows what. You can imagine what the other Assistant
Superindent and the Superintendant
make. There are eight students
enrolled in the Meridian Academy in
Lakewood, eight in the BEST program
at the Tinton Falls headquarters
and a very low number in the Lakehurst school (where the Superintendent's wife works). These
administrators are also known to
not take sick days in order to benefit when they retire. MOESC is
always overlooked when investigating school taxpayer spending and the perks that Administrators receive.
Post a Comment
<< Home