[Durham INC] NPR and PBS th get the chopping block?

Sun Feb 13 20:34:52 EST 2011

Thanks for the links, Melissa.  They sound pretty much like corporate executives, don’t they?  Which is not so far off from what they are, I guess.  However, I suspect that, even if they all served for free, it would hardly make a dent when it comes to the overall federal budget.

In any case, as I said, my mind was elsewhere when I replied to the original email, and now I’ve remembered where I am, which is on a listserv that I like especially because it focuses locally, rather than nationally, so I don’t think I’ll pursue this topic any further here.

From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa Rooney
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 10:50 PM
To: inc-list at rtpnet.org
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] NPR and PBS th get the chopping block?

Here's a start, at least wrt federal employees, particularly legislators      -- Melissa Rooney

** Overall, members of Congress saw their personal wealth grow by more than 16 percent during the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression, according to financial disclosures submitted by lawmakers.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/ss/Wealthiest-Members-of-Congress.htm 

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/in-recession-congress-pay-increased.htm 

** "The amount of a congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the STARTING amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary." 

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/aa031200a.htm 

** ** "Congressional pensions are typically two to three times more generous than those in the private sector and even more generous than pensions for most federal workers. Plus, the Congressional benefit is protected from inflation with Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs), a feature that less than one in 10 private plans offer. Also, Members of Congress enjoy a much lower retirement age with full benefits than private sector employees and Social Security beneficiaries. The Members paid up to 8 percent of their salaries into the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), in which Cheney could have participated. But this covers just a small portion of the benefits (about 20 percent)."

http://www.ntu.org/news-and-issues/government-reform/pay/bush-cheney-pension-payouts.html 

** How necessary are these pensions when 'There are 261 millionaire members of Congress, according to an analysis of personal wealth conduct by the Center for Responsive Politics'?

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/ss/Wealthiest-Members-of-Congress_2.htm 

** And this doesn't account for former presidents, who already stand to make millions from speaking engagements and the books they inevitably publish after their term(s):

Golden Years to Bring Golden Pension Payout of $5.6 Million to Bush, $3.2 Million to Cheney, Taxpayer Group Finds 

http://www.ntu.org/news-and-issues/government-reform/pay/bush-cheney-pension-payouts.html 

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/planning-to-retire/2009/1/16/president-bush-will-get-a-196700-pension.html 

and

"The most expensive ex-president today is Bill Clinton, whose taxpayer allowance in 2008 topped $1,162,000 - or close to the combined total of Jimmy Carter ($518,300) and President George H. W. Bush ($786,300), according to the Congressional Research Service report." -- NY Daily News 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/15/2009-01-15_between_6figure_pension_and_speaking_ret.html#ixzz1DnxBGCUL 

** Many government workers (in and out of the legislature) also double dip, that is, retire and then get rehired (even within the same government agency) within weeks so they are now getting both a pension and a paycheck. And Legislators collect pensions simultaneously from their positions as state legislators, governors (if applicable), and from House reps and Senate seats. Most of us would be happy if we could get the benefit of just one, small guaranteed pension.

http://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/Looking-Twice-at-Pension.html 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2008-07-16-doubledippers_N.htm 

** “Already, public sector workers make, on average, about a third more than their private-sector counterparts, studies show," and “90% of American state- and local-government workers have defined-benefit plans, compared with 20% of private-sector workers.”

http://www.economist.com/node/17849199 
  <http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/01/12/federal-gravy-train-end/#ixzz1Do3Kv5z7> http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/01/12/federal-gravy-train-end/#ixzz1Do3Kv5z7 (yes, even Fox cites this study)

See also:

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30631.pdf 

http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/how-much-your-ex-governor’s-pension <http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/how-much-your-ex-governor's-pension>  

  _____  

From: Free Spirit <freespirit0623 at earthlink.net>
To: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>; inc-list at rtpnet.org
Sent: Sat, February 12, 2011 4:12:13 PM
Subject: RE: [Durham INC] NPR and PBS th get the chopping block?

Does anyone have these figures?  It would be interesting to calculate how much would be saved based on cutting legislative salaries and various perks.  As I recall, under state statute, the top leadership gets fairly generous salaries, but the rest of them are paid something like $14,000 a year, with an expense allowance of another $500-600 a month.  I’m not sure how much it costs them, on average, to travel from their various home districts to Raleigh for the duration; that would be an interesting figure to have as well.

  _____  

From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa Rooney
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 1:51 PM
To: inc-list at rtpnet.org
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] NPR and PBS th get the chopping block?

Randy,
I did suggest where legislator's could cut costs -- they should start with their own salaries and benefits. It is ludicrous for these legislators to be deciding their own salaries and benefits, particularly while they are cutting Programs desperately needed by Americans in dire straits. The salary and benefit structure of the govt should be decided by a completely independent entity.

Melissa

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