PAID 86G FOR NO WHEEZIN' - 'IRON MAN' TRIATHLETE ON FDNY LUNG DISABILITY

NY Post via Fire Engineering ^ | 07/06/2010

[SeekAndFind]

Retired FDNY Lt. John McLaughlin has literally run off with a fat, tax exempted disability pension - despite being known as "Iron Man" in the Long Island hometown where he regularly trains and competes as a triathlete, The Post has learned.

[nascarnation]

I’m always amazed at the pensions these public sector workers get. I worked 40 yrs in industry and reached an equivalent level of supervision to this guy and barely get half that.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I wish BCM was here to kick his butt.

[blam]

Taxpayers should file lawsuits against the state/city for this sort of crap.
Everything has become a joke and it's okay to screw the taxpayer.

[MarkL]

I've got a cousin who's afflicted with schitzophrenia, and he's been getting worse and worse over the years, is unable to hold a job, and he still gets refused over and over again for SSI disability. The guy worked and paid into the system for a solid 25 years, is a college graduate, working in the financial sector, but was fired from his last job (as a sacker at a grocery store) because of a number of outbursts. He's been unemployed ever since. But even with numerous letters from doctors, he keeps getting turned down.

This sort of story really pisses me off!

Mark

[DB]

It is easy to be “generous” with other peoples money.

Give a bureaucrat/politician access to other peoples money and this what happens.

[SeekAndFind]

Iron Man John McLaughlin’s, who runs on an FDNY disability pension:

* Finished 12th in Long Beach’s 10-mile Memorial Day run on May 30.

* Placed second in the 50-59 age group and 19th overall in the Staten Island 5K run in April.

* Placed first in age group and 24th overall in the Long Island Half Marathon in May 2009.

* Placed first for age group and 30th overall in July 2008 Massapequa Firecracker 5K run.

* Place eighth overall and first in age group in Long Beach’s February 2008 Snowflake 4-mile run.

* Took first place overall in Long Beach’s annual Turkey Trot in November 2007.

* Placed eighth overall and first in age group in Port Washington’s 2007 Labor Day run.

* Finished fourth overall and first in his age group in Long Beach July 4 Boardwalk Race in 2007.

* Finished fifth in 2006 New Hyde Park 5-mile run in a swift 5:48 permile pace.

* Finished second in Town of Hempstead’s 2002 Triathlon.

Reached last week, McLaughlin defended his pension as legitimate. He read from the FDNY medical and pension board papers that diagnosed him with “bronchial asthma.” Under the so-called lung bill, a condition that results in reduced respiratory function is presumed job-related for pension purposes.

“In the last year on the Fire Department, I started getting shortness of breath. I had an episode where I couldn’t stop coughing,” said McLaughlin, who worked at Ladder 43 in Harlem before his light-duty reassignment.

McLaughlin said he takes three different medications daily - a steroid spray, a bronchial dilator and a pill to keep his asthma in check. He said he keeps himself in “very, very good shape” and claimed that his vigorous training bolsters his health.

FDNY medical records show that McLaughlin, a 20-year veteran, was diagnosed with bronchial asthma before 9/11 - and he retired in November 2001.

[386wt]

That's nothing. Kalifornia allows a fireman, policeman or a "safety" related job holder to retire at 90% of their highest year salary after 30 years.

Thus at age 50 if you started at 20 you get a lot of moola. If you are a clerk in the police department or a filing clerk in a district attorneys office - you get the same 90%.

Also you get a cash payout of any unused vacation or sick leave you accumulated your entire career. Probably not tracked very well - hint hint. Many have retired in their 50s with over $300 K payout and close to $100K per year pension.

Are we Kalifornians nuts or what?

[VeniVidiVici]

I’m sure we could find this same story over and over and over again in states like IL, CA and New York. The same governments crying about reduced revenue want to raise taxes to help cover slackers like this “medically retired” firefighter.

[hal ogen]

There seem to be so many stories about the 3rd-world-ization of this country. In the third world everything is seen as an opportunity. There is no right or wrong. It is sad that the number of creeps who have no integrity or morals exist. So sad for everyone. If you know any of these creeps, shun them.

[narses]

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[Myrddin]

Some of us are former Kalifornians. We got tired
of pulling the cart for gold plated government
employee pensions.

[TheBattman]

FDNY is unionized... that explains pretty much all of it.

[Moonman62]

Has he hired a lawyer? Because SSI is really an employment program for lawyers.

[applpie]

i heard of a teacher who retired with a good pension in ohio and she gets paid $8k per month for ‘consulting’ whether she works or not. another abuse.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

A “lunger” Ironman ...

[MarkL]

Yes, he does have one, but he was told that it would be nearly a year before anything gets done.

Mark