Delaware Politics- Chris Coons Pension Scam unfolds- how he bilked taxpayers for political cronies

Freedomist ^ | Monday, October 11th, 2010 | Paul Collier

[DelaWhere]

According to Ron Williams in The News Journal, when Chris Coons served as the President of the County Council, he diverted untold millions of taxpayer dollars as payoffs to his political buddies and top staff. Coons did this by exploiting a loophole in the county’s pension program.

The loophole was originally meant to attract new county police officers, but Coons decided to use it as a cash cow to pay off his political hacks.

[DelaWhere]

It started as a legitimate way to recruit experienced cops onto the then-fledgling New Castle County Police Department. Municipal police officers with a few years service in say, Newport, could join the county force and get those Newport years credited toward a county pension. Then credited years were expanded into government service, still not a bad idea for high level, politically appointed executives who seldom accumulated enough time for a pension before the next administration came in. But then something went very wrong. The New Castle County pension plan became a cash cow for every political hack and hangers-on in various administrations. Come work for the county for a few years, purchase pension credits at your old lower salary at 5 percent on the dollar and retire at a nice fat pension on your new six-figure salary. (Ron Williams, Op-Ed, “NCCo Pension Plan Was The One To Die For,” The News Journal, February 14, 2007)

Coons likes to brag about how he closed the loophole, but, not surprisingly, he leaves out the embarrassing part where he grandfathered in his buddies, wasting untold millions of taxpayers hard-earned cash:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744160451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.10&desc=NCCo+pension+plan+was+the+one+to+die+for

Coons Voted To Open A Pension Loophole That Would Have Allowed County Employees To Buy Into The Pension System, Or To Transfer Credit From Other Government Service.

Coons Has Closed The ‘Loophole’ That Contributed To That Burden. First, However, He Saw To It That His Buddies And Top Staff People — And All Six Of The New County Council Members And Their Staffs — Were Grandfathered Under That Loophole Which Has, And Will, Cost Taxpayers Millions Of Dollars.”

“No one knows how many times the County Pension Board rules have been changed to accommodate a particular employee who had political connections to a county executive or County Council. We do know that the so-called loophole has been opened and shut by at least three county executives. Coons was the latest to open it, in 2003. But he’ll also remind you that he closed it in December with needed refinements that make it work like a real pension plan. But those changes came after Coons made

Hack…

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744160451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.10&desc=NCCo+pension+plan+was+the+one+to+die+for

Three of Coons’ top staffers directly benefitted from this loophole. Each served less than 3 years with the County and retired with salaries above $125,000:

former chief administrative officer Dave Singleton is now collecting $36,600 in pension income

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744160451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.10&desc=NCCo+pension+plan+was+the+one+to+die+for

Three of Coons’ top staffers directly benefitted from this loophole. Each served less than 3 years with the County and retired with salaries above $125,000:

former Public Safety Director Guy Sapp is collecting $25,527 in pension income

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744160451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.10&desc=NCCo+pension+plan+was+the+one+to+die+for

Three of Coons’ top staffers directly benefitted from this loophole. Each served less than 3 years with the County and retired with salaries above $125,000:

former Special Services Director Rich Przywara will receive his pension at age 55 (currently he is 47) because the pension board applied years-of-service credit for his work time at West Chester (Pa.) University — formerly West Chester State Teachers College.

Much more in article!

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Is it October? Surprise, Chris!

[DelaWhere]

Coons throws millions for pensions to cronies!!!

Lots of links too.....

[BigEdLB]

Democrats can do this without sanction.

[kittymyrib]

Another Democrat crook running for office. What a surprise.
Lefty elites always feather their own nests while scamming the peasants they claim to love. That’s how the old Soviet politburo members managed to drive their Mercedes to their dachas.

[Red Badger]

I'm shocked!!!....

[Old Teufel Hunden]

This would not get any traction in the MSM. They are more interested in witches and covens...

[MissesBush]

The media’s reaction will be “Nothing to see here. Move on” as they rush back to the hard hitting journalism of critiquing every syllable out of O’Donnell’s mouth and doing an in-depth analysis of her high school dating habits. And let’s face it, the worthless liberal and RINO voters of Delaware will cut Coons all kinds of slack because “O’Donnell makes us uncomfortable,” just like the aholes of CT are forgiving Blooming-idiot for lying about serving in Vietnam.

[MissesBush]

But can you imagine if this had been O’Donnell accused of these things? It would be a national media sensation. If this story even makes it off Free Republic and the original source, which I’ve never even heard of, I’ll eat my hat. The US news media is evil to its rotten core.

[Sir Napsalot]

No way! In the News Journal, no less?

Does the ‘journalist’ have a personal grudge against Coons?

Or would you have me believe that some in the ‘News Urinal’ crowd is actually reporting news for a change?

[muawiyah]

So, Coons is a pension thief? This is not at all surprising!

No wonder there are no pictures of him with anybody of consequence. He was trying to hide his relationship with the crowd he paid off.

But, the gerbils ~ this discovery does not tell us why he fears that small animal so much.

[MissesBush]

But can you imagine if this had been O’Donnell accused of these things? It would be a national media sensation. If this story even makes it off Free Republic and the original source, which I’ve never even heard of, I’ll eat my hat. The US news media is evil to its rotten core.

[November 2010]

What is the News Journal? Is it a Delaware paper?

[Truthsearcher]

It will get some play, I think Levin/Hannity/Rush will give it some play, they are big O’Donnell supporters and they won’t let this story slip by the public.

[Flavious_Maximus]

So all these democRATS (Yes they are all rats) worked for only 3 years in the county government and now get a pension for life? They only worked 3 years? How the hell is this even possible.

[Flavious_Maximus]

So all these democRATS (Yes they are all rats) worked for only 3 years in the county government and now get a pension for life? They only worked 3 years? How the hell is this even possible.

[wideawake]

Perfect. Exactly the kind of thing you would expect from a longtime Democrat operative.

O'Donnell needs to spend money to get an ad out quickly taking advantage of this.

If she doesn't have one out in the next few days, she doesn't want to win.

[November 2010]

O’Donnell needs to run this until the election. Tie it to his Marxism. Tie it to his support of Pelosi, and the corruption of Pelosi. Tie it to the way bailout and stimulus funds have been wasted on political friends at the expense of the taxpayers, tie it to the tax raises he put in when he was county executive (over and over), tie it to the lies he’s told in his ads. Turn that man black and blue.

[wideawake]

It's the only Delaware paper.

Delawareans read it and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

[Lauren BaRecall]

I’m very glad to see this coming out now. Reid’s Pet deserves jail time. Go Christine!