Thick and rich
When the City of Portland overpays nearly 1,000 police and fire pensions, including those of the mayor and a city councilman, to the tune of more than $3 million, what's the story in a nutshell? "The system is working."
No kidding.
| Posted at 9:11 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (16)
Maybe what she means is that they're catching stuff like this now that new people are in charge.
Posted by da bricklayer | August 19, 2008 11:48 PM
The system is working - for whom?
Posted by Steve | August 20, 2008 7:59 AM
The system is being worked, by "the City that works"......the system. The good ol' boys still takin' care of the good ol' boys.
Posted by veiledorchid | August 20, 2008 8:29 AM
With all due respect Jack, you have not quoted her correctly from the article. The quote is "the reforms are working." That is significantly different than what you stated and implied. I'm sure you just misread it.
Posted by Kim | August 20, 2008 8:36 AM
The online version didn’t include parts of the print version which quoted a statement from that arrogant smarta$$ Leonard, who said something like that was his expendable income. The print version also stated he didn’t volunteer to pay it back either. I wonder if the water bureau is letting people slide for money they owe on billing mistakes? Not.
Posted by John Benton | August 20, 2008 8:45 AM
Funny, I didn't know there were any fnds to overpay pensions with- I figured all the excess funding was to go to paint colored boxes all over the city pavement thereby alienating color blind people from being able to follow the new laws.
Oh wait! Color blindness isn't a PC or hip-enough disability! I forgot, P-Town only cares about sexual preferences and bike riding when dealing with groups of people, not anyone who actually HAS A DISABILITY.
Posted by Jeff | August 20, 2008 9:23 AM
First of all there is absolutely no reason to trust this number at all.
Because if the CoP admits an amount the real number is much higher.
But by admitting the low balled amount the city can obscure and sustain the greater malfescence and giveaway that Leonard uses for more of his comedian schtick.
Posted by Ben | August 20, 2008 9:56 AM
I particularly liked this part: "Potter has been receiving $19 a month more than it should be..." (emphasis mine.)
Mayor Potter is an it?
Posted by Mike | August 20, 2008 10:00 AM
I'm sure you just misread it.
No, I read it correctly. The incompetents at City Hall take every screwup and put "it's working" on it somehow. And Kim, you should know, since you're posting from 209.162.223.95 ...
209.162.192.0 - 209.162.223.255
City of Portland ESYST-209-162-223-0 (NET-209-162-223-0-1)
Posted by Jack Bog | August 20, 2008 10:21 AM
How typical Kim.
A city employeee posting to blogs at taxpayer expense. Are you getting and extra stipend to do so?
Or just bucking for a raise?
Posted by Ben | August 20, 2008 3:16 PM
Anyone else wonder if it's going to somehow become a "hardship" for those overpayments to be paid back? Seems like that was the case with the PERS retirees a couple years ago.
Posted by Dave A. | August 20, 2008 4:27 PM
So, if the 'miscalculation' has been occurring since 1995 (13 years ago) and Randy has been receiving an extra $49.00 a month , then he owes the pension fund 13x12x$49.00=$7644.00 and Potter owes 13x12x$19.00=$2964.00. Surely peanuts for double-dipping union members such as them. And yes, if a 'miscalculation' caused you or me to pay $100.00 less for water or property taxes, you can bet the city would hound you mercilessly to collect.
Posted by DrJohn | August 20, 2008 4:53 PM
The incompetents at City Hall take every screwup and put "it's working" on it somehow.
Does that apply to Kim?
I guess that depends on one's definition of "working".
Posted by cc | August 20, 2008 5:14 PM
Ah, mmm, well ... maybe Kim is correct:
"This is a perfect example," Deckard said. "The reforms are working."
Please don't blacklist me.
Posted by pesky fact checker | August 20, 2008 7:13 PM
Yes -- the reforms are working, the system is fine, everybody go back to sleep. It's like the Emilie Boyles case -- when they finally decided to ask a few questions and realized they had screwed up beyond belief, the first words out of Opie Sten's mouth were that "the system is working." It's like when the good Fireman was handing out employee pats on the head as they mopped up parts of the stunning meltdown known as the city's computer system. When it's clear that the bureaucrats of Portland have truly, totally screwed something up, the first word out of City Hall is "the _____ is working."
Posted by Jack Bog | August 20, 2008 10:28 PM
When you combine this news with that which appeared on the front page of the O this morning - our elected officials from the Governor on down not being paid enough, the mind boggles . . . the stomach curdles . . .
OREGON OFFICIALS SHOULD GET RAISE SAYS COMMISSION
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/oregon_officials_should_get_ra.html
Gee, can I get one, too?
Um, didn't think so.
Posted by NW Portlander | August 21, 2008 10:42 PM