Comments on: Political Birds Feather Their Own Nests

By: Easterner

Easterner — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 16:28:13 +0000

PO, “some disagreement”?
No, it sounds (reads) like you are the only one somehow in favor of the status quo.

Why is that?

By: Political Observer

Political Observer — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 20:26:40 +0000

Alright, so clearly there is some disagreement here. That’s fine with me. For what its worth, I don’t agree that Butch has appointed qualified people. Not in the slightest. That’s not the point. The point is that the idea of pension spiking being some special benefit is wrong. If a civil servant working in some other state position was appointed, the benefit would apply to them as well. It seems like the electorate is being duplicitous. One one hand we claim to want “the best and the brightest” to serve but on the other hand we don’t seem to be willing to pay for it (hmm, why does that sound familiar?). For anyone that thinks that legislators only work part-time, it only demonstrates a considerable lack of familiarity with the legislative process. I’ve been around enough legislators to know that they work hard year round (at least the good ones). Finally, as I stated before, if the legislature was to try to do away with this, it would be a violation of the state constitution prohibition of legislators changing their compensation. If the legislative compensation committee wants to authorize the change, then the legislature would be within its rights to pass legislation implementing that directive. Until they are given the directive, they can’t. It is that simple.

EDITOR NOTE–PO, I think your argument is without merit. The issue does NOT deal with the legislature or legislative compensation. It deals with ALL PERSI recipients…board members, city councilors, and anyone else who receives a small stipend or salary and is REWARDED for political loyalty or vote-getting ability through appointment to 42 months of a high paying position. A city councilor in Eagle may get a few thousand a year, but if appointed to a high-paying state job for 42 months, he or she reaps huge benefits far above the worker bee with 30 years of service at a lower salary. Legislators seem to benefit more than most.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 16:32:18 +0000

I know how the spiking works. But I dont’ think Ken Roberts can spike to much. He has to work another 12 years to reach the rule of 90. That would be 15 years at the Tax Commission. Anyone, legislator or not, would be eligible after 15 years of working to receive full benefits after reaching the rule of 90. Mr. Roberts could retire after only 42 months, but then due to his age/service, he would be subject to pretty high reductions. The reduction reaches 45% by year 10. http://www.persi.idaho.gov/documents/early_retirement_brochure.pdf

But I do agree that spiking is wrong, if a legislator walks into the new postion, works 42 months and retires with Rule of 90.

By: Grumpy Ole Guy

Grumpy Ole Guy — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 04:31:49 +0000

There are a couple of points here which I would like to make. The annual salary of a Legislator is, currently, about $16,000.00. They are NOT going to get rich from their time of service if that is their only contribution to PERSI.
Public employees are eligible for PERSI membership and therefore many County, Municipal and other taxing districts are able to provide a retirement system for their employees which that otherwise would not be able to afford. So, PERSI is a benefit for many taxing district employer across the State.
LEGISLATORS are exempt from the rule of 90. If they serve only a partial one year, they DO “qualify for the pension, but it is based only upon the length of time they serve.
EMPLOYEES are required to meet the Rule of 90; BUT may retire with a reduced benefit, once they have “vested” which happens after 60 months (5 years) of employment.

By: Zippo

Zippo — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 20:33:37 +0000

PO that’s BS.

It’s rigged in so many ways. Pension spiking is something we should be reading about the week before an election on the front page of the paper. The paper won’t cover it though, because the reporters plan to work for the politician as a press agent. Many many other examples of this kind of scam. Obamacare scam for congress. and on and on.

Because you can does not mean you should. Are you really looking out for the best interests of the citizen? Even if that citizen does not vote. Heck no, you’re stuffing pockets because you can. The concept of doing the right thing even when no one is looking is completely gone from government. It will be the end of us if not repaired.

Citizen apathy is the problem that allows the corruption to grow. However, changing apathy requires the cooperation of the people who are running the scam. The school teachers could help too, and especially the media. The media has failed America cataclysmically.

Moving to a direct input system where citizens control the legislature the same way we control or Amazon accounts would be nirvana. Instead of these stuffed suits deciding things for us, we just need a few clerks to run the system we direct from home.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:55:51 +0000

I agree that Pension Spiking should be reigned in some. This conversation is really lacking some specifics about PERSI and Rule of 80/90. I assume legislature falls under the Rule of 90, as 80 is most often reserved for law enforcement. Dean Cameron is at 78 currently, so 6 years and he would be eligible for full benefits. Ken Roberts is only at 67, so he may have to work for 12 years to receive full benefits. So the premise of having to work only 42 months to cash in is flawed.

EDITOR NOTE–The retirement is based on the “highest 42 months of pay” and for most of these guys and gals it is the final 42 months. Your 90 figure is the combination of age and years of employment. The typical case if someone who is 60 yrs of age and has been at a menial part time position as a legislator, councilor, mayor, etc. for 25 years
and they get the $100K appointment which treats them as is they had actually WORKED all those years full-time.

By: Silver City

Silver City — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:15:48 +0000

This information is no surprise..
This is locale and state government in all fifty states..
Wonderful isn’t it! Land of freedom..Ha
Speaking of ‘slop heads” voting for
entitlements…this is corporate welfare to keep the poor from social unrest, if they payed living wages entitlements wouldn’t be necessary.

By: Dustin Hurst

Dustin Hurst — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:42:52 +0000

If the Idaho Constitution bans legislators from changing their own compensation, how did the Politician Pension Payoff come into being in the first place?

By: Easterner

Easterner — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:05:01 +0000

It’s a scam!

Good story by IFF. Bruce Newcomb (BSU employee) is missing from the list.

My opinion is every one is out for themself.
The people “on the inside” are the ones that know the problems– but they are also the ones benefiting from it. So why change?

By: erico49

erico49 — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 11:12:19 +0000

Political Observer–thanks for a thoughtful comment. I disagree with much of what you said. Your assertion that serving in the legislature is an “incredible burden” seems to be a stretch. Difficult, yes. I am glad that you did not assert that these appointees were actually the most qualified people in the state for their positions–or even qualified at all. I would have had to wonder why only Rs are qualified (with, I think, the exception of Werk and I believe that Butch had to appoint a D for that job).