State officials use loophole to double-dip on salary, pension (Florida)

[seafan]

Source: Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE - Thousands of state workers, including lawmakers, judges and top managers, are receiving retirement benefits in addition to full-time paychecks because of a loophole in state law.
The cost of paying pensions to people who have returned to the state payroll was around $300 million last year, according to the Florida Retirement System.

Records reviewed by the St. Petersburg Times show 211 elected officials in Florida have taken advantage of the benefit. That includes legislators, judges, sheriffs, circuit clerks, school board members and county commissioners. Another 203 senior management employees and more than 7,763 regular state employees are collecting retirement benefits and full-time paychecks.

Lawmakers amended a retirement bill on the last night of the legislative session in 2001 to allow elected officials to receive retirement benefits as well as regular pay while remaining in the same job. Sponsors said they were trying to help a few lawmakers who had been on school district payrolls before they won election to the Legislature.

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-Port Richey, was handling the retirement bill as a member of the House at the time.
"This is absolutely not what the Legislature intended," he told the Times. "It's so sad when you have elected officials who want to take advantage of this." ..... Miami Dade College president Eduardo J. Padron is making the most money off the current law. He terminated his participation in DROP in May 2006, collected $893,286 in lump sum benefits and began receiving $14,631 a month in retirement pay. He then returned to his position and still collects his annual salary of $328,860.

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfretire0225sbfeb25,0,2192848.story

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ah, Edwardo J. Padrón, top earner of this loophole scam. Congratulations!

Here's a foto of Eduardo receiving a big check. Old hat for Edwardo J. Padrón by now, no doubt, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers, and Florida legislators. Is there anything more we could do for this guy?

January 7, 2008 |



Immigrant of the Day: Eduardo J. Padrón (Cuba)
Eduardo J. Padrón is president of Miami Dade College, the nation's largest institution of higher education. He serves as chief administrative and academic officer, and is responsible for the affairs of six campuses and several outreach centers enrolling over 163,000 students.

At age 15, Padrón came to the United States from Cuba. He attended public high school in Miami, began his college studies at Miami Dade College, and ultimately received his doctorate in Economics from the University of Florida.

Padrón has served on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans; the boards of directors of The College Board, American Association of Colleges and Universities, American Council on Education, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2008/week2/index.html

[Rebellious Republican]

2. Thats freaking brilliant, so thats how they paid the judges off

to help push their GOP agenda. And it didn't even cost the GOP a penny, those Gopers sure are thrifty, eh.

Snip> There are 22 sitting judges taking advantage of the law, including Supreme Court Justice Harry Anstead. He collected $426,852 in deferred compensation in 2004. He gets $7,596 a month in retirement, plus his $161,083 annual salary.<Snip

[flashl]

3. The entire top tier of Florida's 'justice' system seem to have 'special' benefits ...

Gov Jeb appointed former prison regional director, Allen Clark, to the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) despite the fact that Clark was a high school dropout with no legal background.

Or how about a regional prison director in Florida's who earns between $93,000 and $99,000 annually, live in a state-owned 4,498-square-foot home with a vineyard, and pay $150.00 a month for rent?

[seafan]

4. The list of 414 elected FL officials and senior management people ca$hing in on taxpayers' backs:

And these do not include 7,763+ regular state employees who are taking advantage of this loophole.

And we wonder why Florida's budget is ALWAYS in the ditch, aside from the fact that republicans have a death grip on our Legislature...


St. Petersburg Times LIST of 414:

Florida's 'double dippers', February 26, 2008

A growing number of elected officials are quietly taking advantage of a loophole carved into the state retirement law a few years ago that allows double dipping -- collecting a state pension while still getting a regular paycheck from taxpayers.
The cost of pensions for "retirees" who have returned to the payroll was around $300-million last year, according to the Florida Retirement System.
Note - amounts of some benefits are unavailable because a state law exempts all investment information when an employee chooses an investment plan instead of a pension.