Monday, June 08, 2009
"I've been working on the railroad ... for $283,000 a year."
While New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority needed a $2.3 billion bailout this year including, in addition to fare increases, a new regional payroll tax, a new (uncollectible) tax on taxi trips, and more....
Shurman's salary was $71,595. His pension is $121,464.
Yet amid all the political trauma -- and threats of "doomsday" service cuts if the fare increases and all the new taxes weren't enacted -- the politicians spoke nary a word about "controlling compensation and pension costs".
Go figure.
~~~
Update: Maybe that was because they don't want their own pensions questioned.
While New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority needed a $2.3 billion bailout this year including, in addition to fare increases, a new regional payroll tax, a new (uncollectible) tax on taxi trips, and more....
grease monkeys at a [MTA] maintenance facility in Queens ratcheted up their incomes by more than three times their base salaries through enormous amounts of overtime and other perks in 2008, according to payroll records obtained by The Post.Which is critical. The MTA pays full pensions at age 55, with the size of the pension determined by the last few years of compensation (not salary).
The biggest payday went to Ronald Dunne, a car repairman who pulled down a staggering $283,373 in total compensation ... Dunne's base salary was $62,976 but, incredibly, he hauled in an additional $220,397, mostly from overtime ...
Dunne works at a diesel train yard in Richmond Hill, Queens, which has been an overtime gold mine for employees.
Another LIRR car repairman, Michael Visceglia, took home $274,765 in 2008 ... The 28-year employee earned $211,789 -- most of it overtime -- on top of his $62,976 salary.
Another Richmond Hill yard employee, road car inspector and former repairman Michael Shurman, made $278,746 in 2008, and retired in November of that year. Retirement has been just has lucrative ... he now gets a monthly pension check of $10,122....
Shurman's salary was $71,595. His pension is $121,464.
Three other yard mechanics were overtime kings of Queens: Donald Brooks, Michael Gilmore and Brian Delgiorno, who took home a cumulative $664,265 in 2008...Ya' think?
Delgiorno, who retired in September after 31 years, made $62,976 in salary plus $106,385 in overtime. He also cashed in $38,410 in unused vacation and sick days. He now collects $9,768 a month from his pension ... [$117,216 annually, versus salary of $62,976]
...mechanics weren't the only employees who got windfalls from the LIRR. Conductor Shelton Bethea made $241,203 before his retirement in November 2008. He took home in $78,030 in overtime and cashed in $89,980 in sick and vacation days. His pension now pays him $7,408 a month. [$88,896 versus $73,193 salary] ...
"When you have someone earning close to five times their base salary in overtime, it raises serious questions about management," said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign...
"Whenever you see something like that, it does raise a red flag," said Bill Henderson, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA.
Yet amid all the political trauma -- and threats of "doomsday" service cuts if the fare increases and all the new taxes weren't enacted -- the politicians spoke nary a word about "controlling compensation and pension costs".
Go figure.
~~~
Update: Maybe that was because they don't want their own pensions questioned.
Pension costs for elected politicians, mayoral appointees and their staffers are forecast to shoot up 26 percent over the next five years ...
Even the man who helped put the fearsome financial forecasts together, Charles Brady, assistant director of the Office of Management and Budget, retired last year with a staggering $142,074 pension...
