Laura Miller Profits From the Dallas Pension Mess
Last night, Tanya Eiserer broke a story on WFAA Channel 8 about Laura Miller and the seats on the Police and Fire Pension Board that she left unfilled when she was mayor. We learned back in November that the City Council members who were appointed to the pension board simply didn’t show up to their jobs for about two decades, while the pension was making bad investments. Now we know why the seats at the pension board were empty: no one had even been appointed to fill them. So it’s interesting that former mayors Ron Kirk, Laura Miller, and Tom Leppert would now step up as the public faces of a group, Taxpayers for a Fair Pension, whose goal is to limit taxpayer exposure to any pension fix. As mayors, they were asleep at the switch, but now they want to get involved. And it’s really interesting that one of the lawyers who is suing the pension on behalf of four council members and the mayor is none other than Steve Wolens, Laura Miller’s husband. Here’s what Miller has to say for herself:
First, the numbers. Kelly Gottschalk, executive director of the pension, told Eiserer that during Miller’s tenure as mayor, from 2002 to 2007, there were 187 board meetings. With four possible appointees, that’s 748 opportunities for Miller to have someone present, keeping an eye on things. Of those 748 opportunities, someone was there just 52 times. Gottschalk told me that one of Miller’s seats was vacant in 2002, and two were vacant from 2003 to 2007.
For four years, Miller left two board seats open. That’s astounding — especially for someone who is now taking such a public stance on what should be done to fix the mess and WHOSE HUSBAND IS BEING PAID TO SUE THE PENSION.
Last night I emailed Miller to ask her about this. Here is our full exchange. My query:
1. What would Laura Miller, the columnist, have written about this? The mayor (you) were apparently asleep at the switch from 2002 to 2007. While things were going to hell, the mayor (you) wasn’t even appointing council members to the Pension board to exercise oversight. Seats were empty. No oversight. And now that same mayor (you) wants to be the face of fiscal responsibility and reform. What’s the columnist’s take?
2. What would Laura Miller, the mayor, say? After you became mayor, you said you learned not to see the world in black and white. Where’s the gray here?
Thanks.
Read more: http://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2017/02/laura-miller-profits-from-the-pension-mess/?ref=mpw
