Police chief's accrued vacation & sick leave > $500,000.00

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
No wonder why property taxes are so high in the garden state.

[FONT=&quot]When Jersey City's police chief walks off the job, he could set a new record: 444 accrued days of sick leave and vacation that adds up to a $503,533 payout - $1,134 per day.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jersey City is the worst offender in the state; its police department alone has a bigger bill for sick leave payouts than the entire city of Newark, the second biggest payer.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gov. Christie wanted a tough reform, but the Democratic Legislature said no, and gave him back a weaker one, and in the end he wouldn't sign it. Now we don't even have a weak reform. [/FONT]

taxpayers are sick and tired of this
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
They're sick of it until someone is smart enough to offer it to them;

Private sector employees don't get that kind of perk.


I don't know what you get each month for your service but you earned it. That's part of the reward for making the commitment, being smart and doing the right things. It's part of what you signed up for and sacrificed for. How is the chief any different? If your benefits go up, do you refuse the increase? Should he? or, are we simply arguing here over what is too much?

Keep in mind what the chief, or you, is gonna do with the money; spend it. That's how our economy works; circulate money. You did more than most, you get more. He did more yet, he gets more yet.

It would be helpful if we could keep our focus on the macro of the economy. None of us do better if benefits and entitlements are reduced or wiped out. None of us. That's why they never get touched. You'll note far from the standard issue GOP pronouncement of entitlements needing to be reigned in, Trump, specifically and after winning the nomination, declared, clearly, he would protect Social Security and Medicare. And won.

In any event, we'd all be better off if we all had guaranteed benefits. A national minimum income is coming, as it should and we'd be smarter to start thinking about how better to do it rather than railing for it to go away.

:buddies:
 

black dog

Free America
It's insane that a civil servant at that level can make and is offered that much of a income. The citizens should be revolting in Jersey City.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
It's insane that a civil servant at that level can make and is offered that much of a income. The citizens should be revolting in Jersey City.

That's it? It's insane. You declare it insane based on what? What SHOULD it be? Zero? What was he offered when he signed up and why? How much work does the job take? 24/7/365? For years?

What is not insane? :popcorn:
 

black dog

Free America
They're sick of it until someone is smart enough to offer it to them;




I don't know what you get each month for your service but you earned it. That's part of the reward for making the commitment, being smart and doing the right things. It's part of what you signed up for and sacrificed for. How is the chief any different? If your benefits go up, do you refuse the increase? Should he? or, are we simply arguing here over what is too much?

Keep in mind what the chief, or you, is gonna do with the money; spend it. That's how our economy works; circulate money. You did more than most, you get more. He did more yet, he gets more yet.

It would be helpful if we could keep our focus on the macro of the economy. None of us do better if benefits and entitlements are reduced or wiped out. None of us. That's why they never get touched. You'll note far from the standard issue GOP pronouncement of entitlements needing to be reigned in, Trump, specifically and after winning the nomination, declared, clearly, he would protect Social Security and Medicare. And won.

In any event, we'd all be better off if we all had guaranteed benefits. A national minimum income is coming, as it should and we'd be smarter to start thinking about how better to do it rather than railing for it to go away.

:buddies:


You have lost your mind.
I need to head to the shop and make my guaranteed income.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
They're sick of it until someone is smart enough to offer it to them;




I don't know what you get each month for your service but you earned it. That's part of the reward for making the commitment, being smart and doing the right things. It's part of what you signed up for and sacrificed for. How is the chief any different? If your benefits go up, do you refuse the increase? Should he? or, are we simply arguing here over what is too much?

Keep in mind what the chief, or you, is gonna do with the money; spend it. That's how our economy works; circulate money. You did more than most, you get more. He did more yet, he gets more yet.

It would be helpful if we could keep our focus on the macro of the economy. None of us do better if benefits and entitlements are reduced or wiped out. None of us. That's why they never get touched. You'll note far from the standard issue GOP pronouncement of entitlements needing to be reigned in, Trump, specifically and after winning the nomination, declared, clearly, he would protect Social Security and Medicare. And won.

In any event, we'd all be better off if we all had guaranteed benefits. A national minimum income is coming, as it should and we'd be smarter to start thinking about how better to do it rather than railing for it to go away.

:buddies:

Larry, most places with sane policies have a use it or lose it or a cap type deal. You cannot accrue a year and a half of leave. This sort of save it up forever until you have a jackpot when you retire is BS. Legal BS, yes, bought and paid for legally by the civil service unions back when. But while legal, they are not right.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Larry, most places with sane policies have a use it or lose it or a cap type deal. You cannot accrue a year and a half of leave. This sort of save it up forever until you have a jackpot when you retire is BS. Legal BS, yes, bought and paid for legally by the civil service unions back when. But while legal, they are not right.

Most places? I know two people in unions, nothing special, and they have rules we'd all love. That someone higher up the food chain does this well shouldn't be a big deal. Don't we WANT people to be rewarded? Don't we want people in power to have really good incentives to NOT be crooks and engage in corruption to secure their retirement?
 

black dog

Free America
Most places? I know two people in unions, nothing special, and they have rules we'd all love. That someone higher up the food chain does this well shouldn't be a big deal. Don't we WANT people to be rewarded? Don't we want people in power to have really good incentives to NOT be crooks and engage in corruption to secure their retirement?[/QUOTE]

This isn't incentives or retirement, that's on top of this.
This is 444 accrued days of sick leave and vacation that adds up to a $503,533 payout

It's absurd.
In the 20+ years I was a Union Elevator Constructor, with all the other Unions I worked around as soon as your went into Management you were no longer under Union Agreements.
Some of the best bennies and pay in the Skilled Trades, We still have 5 weeks Vacations, zone and perdiem pay among other perks.
But we got our vacation pay twice a year, there was no rolling it and other perks to the next year.
 
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glhs837

Power with Control
Most places? I know two people in unions, nothing special, and they have rules we'd all love. That someone higher up the food chain does this well shouldn't be a big deal. Don't we WANT people to be rewarded? Don't we want people in power to have really good incentives to NOT be crooks and engage in corruption to secure their retirement?


I want people to be rewarded, I really do. But to accrue a year and a half of vacation is just silly. If folks on the Senior Executive Service for the Feds cannot accrue any more than 3 months total (they don't get extra sick leave) , why should a local police chief be able to save over 400 days? Oh, look, it's the Jersey City paid sick leave law....

http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/UPLOADEDFILES/FOR_RESIDENTS/EARNED SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE.PDF

Which says that no employer is required to carry over more than 40 days. but the city allows 10 times that for this officer and I assume others.

If you require compensation that far above the norm to keep you straight, then perhaps you are not the right person for the job.....
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
If you require compensation that far above the norm to keep you straight, then perhaps you are not the right person for the job.....

It shouldn't require anything but it does. When people have something to lose, they go along to get along. When they have a lot of power, that's probably a net good thing.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
It shouldn't require anything but it does. When people have something to lose, they go along to get along. When they have a lot of power, that's probably a net good thing.

Really, I trust SEALs and such to behave in far more ambiguous circumstances for well under 150K with a comparative pittance of a retirement. And of course, the millions of police officers who do not get such ridiculous perks. Face it, Larry, this sort of thing was bought and paid for by union pressure and is NOT in the citizens best interest.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Really, I trust SEALs and such to behave in far more ambiguous circumstances for well under 150K with a comparative pittance of a retirement. And of course, the millions of police officers who do not get such ridiculous perks. Face it, Larry, this sort of thing was bought and paid for by union pressure and is NOT in the citizens best interest.

It's in the interest of his community presuming they attracted a good cop. Further, what are we talking about, something akin to a 4% career bonus if he served 25 years or so? And, on top of that, this is sick and vacation he did NOT take, correct? In other words had he taken sick and vacation he was entitled to, the cost is the same plus he's not on the job all those days?
 

glhs837

Power with Control
It's in the interest of his community presuming they attracted a good cop. Further, what are we talking about, something akin to a 4% career bonus if he served 25 years or so? And, on top of that, this is sick and vacation he did NOT take, correct? In other words had he taken sick and vacation he was entitled to, the cost is the same plus he's not on the job all those days?

Yep, but saving up a half million of leave of over 16 months, when private industry and federal govt practice is cap such accruals at far lower numbers. Can you attract good cops without promising a half mil bonus? Pretty sure you can, this is mob boss levels of compensation on the taxpayers dime. Not saying you should take it away, someone was paid off well enough with police union campaign money to sign off on this contract, but it should be rewritten as soon as legally possible.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Yep, but saving up a half million of leave of over 16 months, when private industry and federal govt practice is cap such accruals at far lower numbers. Can you attract good cops without promising a half mil bonus? Pretty sure you can, this is mob boss levels of compensation on the taxpayers dime. Not saying you should take it away, someone was paid off well enough with police union campaign money to sign off on this contract, but it should be rewritten as soon as legally possible.

A.little help: couldn't find where it was 500k saved over 16 months. It doesn't say it but it took that to be over his career.
 

Grumpy

Well-Known Member
35 yr career...he didn't use an average of 12.5 days yearly, frankly, that isn't unusual for workaholics. The kicker is that he is paid off at his end of his career salary rate, I believe.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
35 yr career...he didn't use an average of 12.5 days yearly, frankly, that isn't unusual for workaholics. The kicker is that he is paid off at his end of his career salary rate, I believe.

Thank you. Guys I know have at least that much time. Just not that rate. For this chief, it's little more than his last year's salary it seems. That's about what the guys I know are getting and over the same number of years.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
A.little help: couldn't find where it was 500k saved over 16 months. It doesn't say it but it took that to be over his career.

Thank you. Guys I know have at least that much time. Just not that rate. For this chief, it's little more than his last year's salary it seems. That's about what the guys I know are getting and over the same number of years.


I'm saying he accumulated 16 months of sick and vacation time he never used. When most places don't allow anyone to accumulate that. That payout for cashing in that leave came to over 400K, which his lump sum payout in addition to his annual pension.

Are you saying you know guy who have 14 months of leave saved up?
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
I'm saying he accumulated 16 months of sick and vacation time he never used. When most places don't allow anyone to accumulate that. That payout for cashing in that leave came to over 400K, which his lump sum payout in addition to his annual pension.

Are you saying you know guy who have 14 months of leave saved up?


Sick and vacation. About a year. Hell, we're non union and on of my guys had 20 some weeks he never used. I paid him for it.
 
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