I arrived at the Miami Voice after election party in Miami Lakes while the media trucks were there filming. I saw my friend Alan- Aka Gimleteye - looking on. We never got closer than a handshake in the 15 years of knowing each other. But on this historic day we hugged. When Vanessa, Heidi, Mimi and Ivette saw me we all came together in a group hug and actually jumped up and down for joy. That is just how happy everyone was to be rid of Natacha.
I would be remiss not to include a big thank you to the legal team led by Ben Kuehne. To our Esquires Kuehne, Pizzi, Reiner and Maestre my heartfelt thanks.
On another note the Miami Herald reported County Manager Burgess is leaving with a platinum parachute of almost half a million dollars -- $3,000 a month in expenses? Gimme a break. By the way, he doesn't qualify for the full retirement package. And people are worried about union pensions? We had better start looking at executive bureaucrat packages.
11 comments:
Let's see:
1 years salary = $326,340
Medical coverage for family till he is 65 = $$$$$$!
Deferred comp of 22k
Executive benefits = $10,000 paid bi-weekly for coming year
Senior management retirement = $1,500 payment
Monthly expense allowance = $3,000 for one year
Monthly car allowance = $6,000 for one year
Life insurance and disability insurance premiums for 2012 = $8,000
Unused sick time = $79,892
Unused annual leave = $78,777
I don't begrudge any payout he gets where he deposited funds from his pay. However, the sick leave payout comes to about 159.79 per hour of good health, if he is a allowed a max of 500 hours accrued.
I am positive he has taken vacation. Where are those darn leave slips?
Oops. Typo on the car allowance.
It is $600 a month for a year. That is $7,200 for a year.
I suppose the car allowance is good news. He gave back the county leased car, which I am sure under the county leasing policy cost us a months salary for a regular employee.
This is totally absurd. The County is supposedly going broke and give this incompetent bureaucrat this amount of money. While they are questioning union contracts, why don't they also look at and renotiate the contracts signed with the other County executives.
That should be interesting.
Question For G.O.D. or Others? Will Burgess receive a monthly pension stipend? When does it start? How Much will it be? I think it was mentioned that he doesn't qualify right away but he is surely vested.
This is Miami, friend! The man resigns and they give him severance pay? O did I read the wrong words? This city is too ridiculous!
I'm kinda still stuck on the expense allowance of $3K/month and the car allowance of $600/month.
What professionally related expenses could he accrue monthly AFTER he is gone? And the car allowance? Enough to lease a top of the line Jaguar or Porsche? AFTER he is gone??
When our magnanimous leaders grant such severance and benefits, do they escrow money for such luxuries, or is this another gaping hole in the county budget?
Ooops !! Need another half a mil to give to Burgess that we hadn't budgeted. General fund? NOT.
It's OK, we'll just raise property taxes again. Let the suckers pay again. You know - the taxpayers who make less per year than the $36,000 expense account we are giving the out-of-work county manager. A fine legacy we have been given by the county mayor, commissioners and manager.
Feed the cronies, starve the working class (yes, rich and poor working class).
Watch and demand to see all existing retirement packages from Burgess' staff and retiring dept. directors, deputy directors, division directors, and admin. staff in the coming weeks and months. They have been living high on the hog and have been beefing up their FRS packages and benefit packages when they retire. Many saved their time simply by giving themselves adminstrative leave for those pesky headaches, doctor appointments and general time off. That is free time they shouldn't be getting since they are professional job basis executives. They use this tactic to shore up their FRS pension packages since their sick/annual time will be added to their 5 highest years of salary. Many make over $100 per hour so their pensions will be ridiculous when you consider how they cheat on their time. If their time isn't added to their FRS pension then they will get a 100% payout of their saved up time when they quit the county at their current rate of pay. The OIG should be looking into mismanagement of executive leave. Some directors just don't show up for work or leave early or disappear during the day. They work through their blackberrys. Too lazy to go to work so they have all these assistants keeping the office running while they collect a salary. Also good idea to have department directors and exec. staff that are actual full time residents of miami-dade county. Maybe the Mayor could have won his recall!!
Ask to see payroll records and that will tell you who abuses the admin. leave policies. No Deputy Director, Asst. Director, etc. should be approved for that time by their director especially in the rough budget times the county has had. Rank and File are charged for every minute they are away from the office so why aren't the executives. Just because you work late at a budget hearing = so what, that is why you are paid the exorbitant salaries. The Miami Herald should run stories about the exec. packages of outgoing county execs. and dept. directors, deputy directors, asst. directors, so you can see how abusive their executive plans are to the county when rank and file are still struggling.
Burgess had a one year contract that renewed every year. What benefit do we the taxpayers receive from a contract that renews annually and provides for a severance when someone walks away from the job?
Despicable.
Burgess will probably seek employment with another FRS entity. That way he can add those years to his current balance to have the needed number of years to receive his pension. The only other option would be his receiving his pension but having it reduced from an early retirement penalty.
I believe that this is why a lot of administrators prefer having a 401K plan. They like the ability to freely move from one entity to the other. A defined benefit plan (traditional pension) requires that they stay for a minimum number of years before being able to retire.
When charter reform comes through, I hope they reform the entire system that deals with procurement - purchasing. That needs singificant reform. Talk about expensive toilet seats and vehicle fleet.
Natasha Millan was so much nicer than Natasha Seijas. Such a shame. She came in humble, but left spoiled. I will remember her every time I see a stroller parking space. Or a dead manatee.
Carbonation.
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