The private citizen sometimes becomes frustrated – if not angry – when he sees how some folks can work the system with respect to government, paid for by his tax dollars. A good example is the …well…racket that has been ginned up by mostly lawyers in the legislature that allows judges to retire, draw their pensions, and remain on the bench in a "special" capacity, continuing to draw that salary. If they aren't already, they should become millionaires in a very short time.
The most recent example locally (Lexington, Ky.) is the retirement of Police Chief Anthany Beatty so that he can become vice president for public safety at the University of Kentucky. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader of 11 August, the chief has mentioned the fact that he's been working for a salary less than his pension would be if he retired. His salary last year was $144,316.51, which means that his pension will be more than that.
Mayor Newberry had already made it known before even taking office this year that he wanted Beatty to become the city's public safety commissioner, after retiring as chief, of course – same deal. This wasn't possible because the city council would not have changed the city's nepotism law, even if Newberry had pushed for it, though he tried. Beatty's son is a fireman, and that circumstance triggers the nepotism law.
At UK, Beatty's salary will be $125,000 annually, to start. It should rise rapidly once he's on the job. This means that his total income annually, to start, will be about $270,000, more than half of it for not working. Beatty is 56 this year, so another ten years or so at UK will probably mean something close to $3 million in total income. That's almost twice as much as Joe Blow makes for working 40 years at an average salary of $40,000 annually, then retiring on maybe $30,000 a year.
Government employees in Kentucky sometimes complain about low pay, but they don't usually mention the unbelievable perks, especially with regard to retirement, that go along with their jobs. They (or at least many of them) can retire as early as age 50 and take other jobs. Schoolteachers, for instance, can retire after 27 years of service on full pension, no matter their age. They have many years of working-life left, so that by "double-dipping" they can increase their incomes significantly and even work at jobs including additional pension plans.
Pensioners on Social Security alone have a rough go of it, as well as many of those with relatively small ancillary annuities. They work until age 65 (or perhaps 62, with a hefty reduction) and wonder why they didn't get in another line of work in the long ago. Policemen and firemen have dangerous jobs, but they can retire young, draw very good pensions, and keep right on working. The trick is to get a disability rating, too, enhancing the pension, whether entitled or not.
Such is government. This isn't sour grapes. I'd work the system, just like anyone else; however, one may wonder how the system got to be what it is.
And so it goes.
Jim Clark
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