Free Republic

<p>Officially it was billed as "Focusing on Vision," but before the lively two-hour Blaisdell Center Pikake Room meeting ended at noon yesterday, most of the 250 folks in attendance were calling it everything from "old-fashioned government" to "town hall politics."</p>

<p>The city has put 83 retired municipal workers back on the payroll this year, some as well-paid temporary employees who essentially return to their old jobs on short-term contracts while continuing to collect a government pension.</p> <p>The rehired retirees earn salaries ranging from $7,411 a month for a veteran engineer in the Department of Design and Construction to $8.68 an hour for an usher. Retired deputy police chief Robert "Doug" Aton went back on the city payroll recently to run the O'ahu Civil Defense Agency at a salary of $5,666 a month.</p>