[Durham INC] NPR and PBS th get the chopping block?
TheOcean1 at aol.com
TheOcean1 at aol.com
Sun Feb 13 20:50:26 EST 2011
In the pursuit of any topic, I always like to know who is speaking. Thought
it was a matter of listserv etiquette to sign our posts. It's been an
intelligent conversation, Freespirit, would you mind identifying yourself?
Bill Anderson
In a message dated 2/13/2011 8:33:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
freespirit0623 at earthlink.net writes:
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/ss/Wealthiest-Members-of-Congress.htm)
_http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/in-recession-congress-pay-increa
sed.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_
(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-pensio
n-payouts.html_
(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_
(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-pensio
n-payouts.html_
(http://www.ntu.org/news-and-issues/government-reform/pay/bush-cheney-pension-payouts.html)
_http://m
oney.usnews.com/money/blogs/planning-to-retire/2009/1/16/president-bush-will-get-a-196700-pension.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_6fig
ure_pension_and_speaking_ret.html#ixzz1DnxBGCUL_
(http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/15/2009-01-15_between_6figure_pension_and_speaking_re
t.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.governing.com/columns/public-money/Looking-Twice-at-Pension.html)
_http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2008-07-16-doubledippers_N.h
tm_
(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.economist.com/node/17849199)
_http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/01/12/federal-gravy-train-end/#ixzz
1Do3Kv5z7_
(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.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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