Police chiefs in California getting huge final paychecks

http://www.latimes.com/new ^ | 7/11/2012 | Sam Allen

[dragnet2]

El Monte Police Chief Thomas Armstrong oversaw a modestly sized department, with 120 officers

But when Armstrong stepped down last year, he was paid nearly $430,000

The payday was possible thanks to a clause in Armstrong's contract that allowed him to accrue unlimited sick and vacation hours and sell them back to the city at the end of his career. By the time he retired at age 56, Armstrong cashed out for roughly $200,000.

And he's not alone. Similar payouts have been made in city governments across the state.

Those employees include Roy Campos, Downey's former police chief, who was paid $594,000 in 2009 after cashing out more than 3,300 hours of unused sick and vacation time. The same year, Monterey Park's outgoing chief, Jones Moy, earned $531,000, including cash-outs of about 2,700 unused hours. In 2010, Santa Clara's police chief, Steve Lodge, left his job with almost $600,000

Supporters say the system provides an incentive for diligent work habits

Armstrong was permitted to bank unused hours without limit, then cash them out at the hourly rate he made as police chief. Armstrong's pension is also higher than the largest base salary he earned, $217,000.

His predecessor, Ken Weldon, cashed out about $90,000 worth of unused time when he retired in 2008. Before that, outgoing Police Chief James Ankeny received a $121,000 cash payment when he left the city .

Like Armstrong, both former chiefs draw CalPERS pensions worth more than $200,000 a year. Weldon was also awarded more than $100,000 in deferred compensation.

Weldon's and Armstrong's contracts permitted more than three months off each year. That total covered one month of vacation, about three weeks of leave, as many as 12 sick days and 14 holidays (including Admissions Day, a holiday that celebrates the date California became a state).

[dragnet2]

Like all the others, "In 2010, Santa Clara's police chief, Steve Lodge, left his job with almost $600,000"

This does not include their government retirement pensions of $8,000+ per month!!

[Carry_Okie]

Police sergeants in San Jose drag down a cool quarter million in total compensation and spike their pensions to boot.

"Public service" in California is a continuing outrage. Were getting serviced all righty, but without the "l."

[dragnet2]

When ya hear people say those in the government ruling class sector are gang raping them, it’s absolutely 100 percent true.

[engrpat]

In the private sector, the companies that am of aware of have a policy of use it or lose it. The company I retired from had that. If you had vacation left one year to the next you had until the end of January to use it or lose it. They would let us accumulate one extra year of sick leave.

[Vendome]

There is an epidemic of Public employees looting the taxpayer.

Nationwide we are paying fealty and bowing in adoration to our public employees as they demand, each year, a larger share of the taxpayer wallet!

For instance, here in San Jose, CA our public employees have the most generous pay and benefits package, probably compared to anywhere.

At least that is the way it feels after looking at the numbers:

We employ approximately 945 people in the Fire Department

Of those employees there are 675 Firemen, that’s firemen, who earn in excess of $100,000 per year.

The city and that should really read “The Taxpayer” pays for their Medical / Dental to the tune of about $14,287 Dollarino’s!
The taxpayer further kicks in another $30,000 to $60,000 for their retirement package.

So let’s take a fire fighter who earns only $125,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That fire fighter actually makes:

$125,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$37,000 (retirement)
$176,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $190,287! Per Year!

So let’s take a fire fighter who earns only $150,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That fire fighter actually makes:
$150,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$40,000 (retirement)
$204,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $249,287! Per Year!

Look at those figures again.

There are approximately 945 employees in the Fire Department and of those 675 have a total compensation of at least $176,287 per year! That’s at least 2/3rds of their department making easily more than 3 times what the average citizen makes here in San Jose.

Firefighters, on average, earn more than twice the median income of a typical San Jose resident ($66,000 approx.)

By the way, those 675 firefighters earn more than our Mayor!

Now let’s look at the San Jose Police Department

We employ approximately 2,010 people in the Police Department

Of those employees there are 1,215 Policemen, that’s Policemen, who earn in excess of $100,000 per year.

The city and that should really read “The Taxpayer” pays for their Medical / Dental to the tune of about $14,287 Dollarino’s!
The taxpayer further kicks in another $30,000 to $40,000 for their retirement package.

So let’s take a Police Officer who earns only $125,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That Police Officer actually makes:
$125,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$37,000 (retirement)
$176,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $190,287! Per Year!

So let’s take a Police Officer who earns only $150,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That Police Officer actually makes:
$150,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$40,000 (retirement)
$204,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $249,287! Per Year!

Look at those figures again.

There are approximately 2,010 employees in the Police Department and of those 1,215 have a total compensation of at least $176,287 per year! That’s at least 2/3rds of their department making easily more than 3 times what the average citizen makes here in San Jose.(That number holds true if you factor in 225 jobs are most likely part time and earn less than $10,000 per year such as “Cross Guards, radio dispatch, etc. even they get some sort of “Other Cash Compensation”.

Police Officers, on average, earn more than twice the median income of a typical San Jose resident($66,000 approx.)

Oh! And did I mention that 1,215 Police Officers earn more than our Mayor!


So for Public Safety we have some 1,890 employees earning at least 3 times more than the average citizen of San Jose and even more than our terrific Mayor, Chuck Reed!




Heck, we even have Librarians earning more than $100k per year with one who makes a fabulous $223K!

And check this out. We kick in the following for her grand salary:

Sick and Vacation Payouts *** Other Cash Compensation Deferred Compensation City Paid City Paid Medical / Dental City Paid Retirement Contribution
$12,420 $4,200 $0 $6,246 $52,681 $75,547


That means she actually made some $298,000(approx) Last Year!

A Fr ic kin Librarian? Really?

If I look at jobs such as Air Conditioning Mechanic or Network Engineer their wages are typical of a private sector job except for their benefits package, which they would never earn in a private job.

And dang if a Street Sweeper doesn’t earn some $85,000 in total compensation.

How in the heck is this fair?

Don’t forget, if you retire from the Police/Fire Department you are paid 90% of your 3 highest earning years.

All you do is put in a tremendous amount of overtime your last three years, bringing your total earnings to about $200,000 and you can retire with $180,000 per year for the rest of your life! Oh and you get to keep your Gold Plated Mecical/Dental plan Grati and you can buy good and services all around the country for less than your private sector neighbors can.

Ain’t it great!

Makes me think I should have gone on to become a LEO and I could retire in just a couple of years, print some business cards and hand them out at parties when people ask me what I do for a living.

Who in the private sector can retire at 50 years old with a $180k a year guaranteed check and then pretend to be in business or have that for a safety net if you actually do something?

 

Think about this:

If an Officer or Fireman retires at the age of 50 he can be expected to live til at least 70 if not 80 years old and beyond.  At that rate for 20 years of retirement the taxpayer will hand the retiree some $2,000,000 for 20 years of retirement and over $3.5 million for 30 years of retirement!

 

Doesn't that strike anyone as just plain unfair and outrageous!?

 

And get this, due to collective bargaining all other departments have similar retirement packages.

 

Now multiply those numbers time the current amount of retirees and then start adding more retirees every year and the numbers are astounding!

 

We simply cannot continue to pay government workers, at all levels, these lucrative retirement packages and nearly free Medical services.

And don’t any of you get cute about the whole thing. I personally know off the top of my head 10 former LEO who have some weird business, supposedly and they are only a few years older than me.

Wanna confirm my numbers above? Well then click thee to this website, the City of San Jose 2010 Employees Salaries:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/salary/Default.aspx

 

At some point it comes down to this:

 

How much more will the taxpayer continue to put up with the evergrowing pressure on their finances to support an over compensated public employee and still be expected to finance their lavish retirement packages?

[dragnet2]

That Police Officer actually makes:
$150,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$40,000 (retirement)
$204,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $249,287! Per Year!

___________________________________________________________

Absolutely...

Were all being economically robbed, beaten and gang raped at gun point by those in government.

[Theo]

How is it possible to accrue “3,300 hours of unused sick and vacation time”?

[nascarnation]

“Weldon’s and Armstrong’s contracts permitted more than three months off each year. That total covered one month of vacation, about three weeks of leave, as many as 12 sick days and 14 holidays (including Admissions Day, a holiday that celebrates the date California became a state).”

[Oldexpat]

These facts have been well known for some years now and nothing changes. Most of the politicians in CA are supported by the public employees unions and SEIU. Nothing will change without wholesale bankruptcy...and even then the courts will probably force the taxpayer to continue paying existing employees and retirees just the same amounts.
We are plotting our exit from CA. It is tough to do when you have a great house, view and weather, but we aren’t sticking around to pay for all this. It is a fact that the number of houses here on the cost owned by non-CA residents(taxpayers) is going up. They have a house here, but spend less than 6 months a year here to avoid state taxes.

[nascarnation]

California is truly the land of prosperity (at least for the publicly employed).

My friends son recently got into the Indiana State Police.
36 grand plus a patrol car.
They had 3000 applicants for 72 openings.

[GOPJ]

Supporters say the system provides an incentive for diligent work habits

What's the alternative? Paying the deadbeats to take every sick day as it comes up?

[GOPJ]

Supporters say the system provides an incentive for diligent work habits

What's the alternative? Paying the deadbeats to take every sick day as it comes up? A good compromise would be to 'give' half the value when a person retires. No one wants to pay folks who think sick days are vacation days... why should that group benefit?

[South40]

The chief in my town (El Cajon, CA) makes $165,651. I think that’s fair.

[Carry_Okie]

High quality post.

Thank you.

[Carry_Okie]

The chief in my town (El Cajon, CA) makes $165,651. I think that’s fair.

That looks like a salary, not total compensation.

BTW, my grandfather graduated from El Cajon High School in a class of 5 students. I have lots of family in that area.

[Popman]

So at what point do the people of California say enough is enough? ....they keep electing the same “leaders” who bend them over again and again and again....it's hard to feel sorry for the citizens who have to pay out the wazoo....but they are the ones who keep electing the same type of liberal to run their government

I can't hardly blame the greedy bastards who are screwing their fellow citizens when they pretty much allow them too...

Anybody going to bitch if your boss is an idiot and gave twice you salary when you retire ?

[newzjunkey]

The problem with "use it or lose it" policies is you have to be able to USE it.

In an era of lean operations and tight budgets where no additional hiring is possible, some work crews and projects simply cannot afford an employee to take their accrued time. This isn't limited to private employers either.

[Myrddin]

Most places segregate sick pay from earned vacation pay. The sick pay is forfeit at the time of termination. The vacation pay is earned time off, thus a payable obligation to the employee.

My company combines sick and vacation time as comprehensive leave. In my case, it is earned at the rate of 9% of hours worked. That amounts to 3.69 hours earned per week. The company caps its liability by limiting employees with under 10 years service to 380 hours on the books. Over 10 years are permitted 480 hours. Accruals over the permitted limit are paid out on the first check in January to reduce accrual to the limit. Payouts of accrued vacation are only permitted for hours earned in the prior calendar year. The balance must be collected by taking the actual vacation.

[GlockThe Vote]

People often ask me why i detest the police so much and consider them more often than not worse than any mafia or crime cartel and stories like this always reinforce my view point.

Disgusting beyond words.

[South40]

That looks like a salary, not total compensation.

Right you are! Annual salary is $135,948. Total compensation is $165,651.

I'm not from here, I was raised in Florida. But El Cajon is where I live now.