On Friday we ran a post regarding the establishment of a full time legal department in the FY 2009 Wicomico County budget. What we reported then was accurate, but more details have arrived since then.
Note: This is a long post covering a somewhat complicated topic; so please bear with me. Because it is so long you can view the entire post on Delmarva Dealings or you have the option of opening (and saving) this post as a PDF file.
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10 comments:
Another comment on this:
http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2008/06/ed-baker-pension-deal.html
Sir:
It looks like Barko and Cannon support Pollitt's sweetheart deal for Baker, which makes those secret pay raises last year pale by comparison.
The vote is on Tuesday, so this scam won't be discussed in the Daily Times until Wednesday or later.
I had heard Baker was to retire in the near future from his law practice so now I guess what I heard was correct. He heads right to easy street at the taxpayers expense with help from Pollitt.
I took the time to read the entire post.
MANY good points.
Has me worried whether Salisbury has a similar set up hidden with Wilber, who can't even begin to stand next to Ed Baker.
It is only a loophole that allows him to do this. It would be one thing if he was hired and his pay increased incrementally like most employees pay, however, they are doing this with the full understanding that his pay (currently 5K a year) will go overnight the soewhere around 100K.
Since he will have paid in nowhere near where it costs the fund to support this level of a pension, he will be stressing the fund. The honest way to do it will be for him to be hired at what his salary will be and then join the fund based on true numbers. This is a crock. I dont know how it can be defended. Where do they think the money comes from. What if the fund bankrupts? Will the county pay the retirees what they should have been receiving? You are going to be talking about one of the top 5 salaries that this fund will have to support. It may be legal to get in it like this, however, knowing what his true salary will jump to and the stress it could put on the fund, I find it sneaky and obsurd for the county to support this. I dont see it any other way.
This is so much like the Bd. of Ed. that is giving huge retirement bonuses to those leaving, and to some who are not leaving.
In my opinion most of what has been said on this blog and on Cato's blog is EXACTLY what is wrong with the County, the City and most government bodies! There is truth in the saying 'You get what you pay for.'
Everyone seems to agree that Ed Baker is widely respected, a brilliant municipal/government attorney and a voice of measure in Wicomico County. Stop and think for a moment how unusual it is to see such agreement about a government employee let alone an attorney.
As Cato wrote, Baker rightly is considered a full time county employee going back to 1989. As such, he has the absolute legal right to join the county pension plan. What if he asked to join the pension system years ago and was, now clearly, improperly denied? Would that change the current thought process?
It is also known that Baker's hourly rate has remained fairly flat, with just a few small increases, over 20 years. Think how much everything else, like gas, and other attorney's fees have increased during that time. Had he charged a more typical fee, for example only say $20 more per hour, over this time the county (and its taxpayers) would have spent far more on Baker's legal services than they may on his pension.
Why did Baker keep his rates so low all these years, even when other municipal lawyers were making much more? If you know Ed Baker then you know he is not in it for the money. He is a man of values and principles. I'm sure he is heartsick so much attention has come to this. He has worked hard for the county, has a legal right to receive a benefit (which perhaps should have been established long ago) and should benefit from what Cato admits is an unforseen situation. If Baker was in it for the money, he could have made tons leaving the county and representing folks with claims against the county and other governments.
So, it seems you all want to have the county make this decision based solely on its pocketbook. Forget that Ed Baker is so well regarded he seems like an anamoly in government. Forget that he has 20+ years of institutional knowledge. Forget that he has saved the county taxpayers millions by charging a reasonable respectable rate which surely has not made him rich. Forget that all of the calculations referred to by Cato are worst case. (in that Baker retires immediately after 3 years and lives a long time - If you know him, he'll probably work for at least 5-10 years more and maybe beyond that - What happens if he only lives 5-10 years past retirement?) Forget how often we all complain that government makes decisions based on popularity or pennies instead of the quality of the work and the value for the dollar.
Suggesting the county forego installing Ed Baker as the first full time county attorney or diminishing his legal, and I would offer hard earned, right to a pension because of what it MAY cost the county - taxpayers - employees would be a classic failure of government by once again putting the cart before the horse. You get what you pay for.
County Council and Mr. Pollitt - Do not be swayed. You get what you pay for. Baker has served you well, will continue to do so, and has more than earned the right to a pension. Doing anything else would cost the county far more than it has benefited, and will benefit, from Ed Baker's legal wisdom. How unfair is it to make this decision based on what retirement situation may unfold in the future?
Is the county going to do the same thing for the Deputies that don't have any kind of retirement and do not make anywhere near what Baker makes. This is a bunch of BS. This is exactly why the Deputies are trying to get LEOPS.
9:16
Mr. Bader wasnt interested in joining the pension years ago. Only when it was realized the new paycheck he will be receiving. That is not the only money he receives from th county, so dont make out like he is in poverty. He didnt work 40 hours a week, that flat paycheck was for attending council meetings. I dont know how that makes you a full time employee. Answer me this, where do you suppose the money is going to come from the cover this payout? It doesnt come out of thin air. If he has earned a right to a pension he should have to pay his share of it just like everyone else, not have everyone else pay his share. Let me ask you this, why is he considered a full time employee? What is the definition of a full time employee, versus part time employee? The fact of the matter is he wasnt interested in the pension until now because his flat fee paycheck wouldnt have been worth it. Now he realized he can jump on board for a fraction of what everyone else will have to pay in and reap a much greater benefit at the employees expense.
12:24 AM
I dont think that the duputies have any room to complain. They get huge raises, and are making good money. How much more do you want?
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