Hi Everyone,
Have I got a great deal to tell you all. In order for it to effect any of you, there is only one prerequisite and that is you must work in the public school system here in the wonderful state of New York. The following is a true story and if it doesn't get you mad, it very well should.
Blind Brook and Rye, New York is located in Westchester County. The area is a well off community. William Stark, 66 is the school superintendent of the Blind Brook-Rye school system. On June 30th, 2013, Stark is retiring from his job. Then on July 3rd, he will be rehired by the same school system with the same $260,000 salary. Because he retired, he will then receive his pension. His pension amount is almost $200,000 per year. That is a total compensation package of almost $460,000 per year. Maybe your first question is, is this legal? Well, here in New York state, it is unbelievably legal. I get so mad when I hear about loopholes in laws that allow this kind of abuse. It also really gets my goat when, during school board budget votes, these same retired but still working administrators state that the reason for higher taxes is due to unfunded state mandated programs. They are right, because of a loophole where they also contribute to the problem when it is to their advantage and complain when it is not to their advantage.
The school board which approved the deal, will on the surface seem to save local tax dollars like: expenses related to health care and unbelievably, pension expenses. But this deal is a bad one for all the taxpayers due to the fact that they now have to pick up the $200,000 state pension for someone still working. This is so beyond absurd, it is mind boggling. Why can't Albany fix this glaring problem? Oh right, they are politicians who don't care because they let it continue and continue.
Shame on the lawmakers who wrote the bill, with the loophole, that became a law. Shame on Albany for not fixing the loophole and shame on the employees who use the system to their greed based benefit and cost the taxpayers more money. And I thought schools taught about morality. I guess not!
Where is common sense when you need it?
Til next week.
Peter
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I serve on the Blind Brook Board of Education, and I voted against this deal. First off, it's bad for taxpayers. While Blind Brook "saves" $200,000 over 4 years by not having to pay benefits for its "retired" superintendent, the pension fund which is overwhelmingly funded by NYS taxpayers has to pay out approx $800,000 in pension payments while being deprived of contributions that Blind Brook would have otherwise had to make. In other words, the "hit" to NYS taxpayers and the pension fund is nearly $1 million dollars over that same 4 year period.
ReplyDeleteThe Blind Brook school board completed this contract last Fall (9 months prior to the expiration of Mr. Stark’s current contract) while also refusing to do a search for a new superintendent who would not be double dipping, and who may very well have provided superior leadership at a lower salary than Mr. Stark’s $259,000. To say that William Stark is irreplaceable when you don’t check to see the talent available in the marketplace certainly rings hollow to my ears.