In a hope-inspiring move, the House State Affairs Committee has unanimously passed a bill that keeps their own from gaming the system and raking in a huge retirement at our expense.
Here’s how it works right now: Starting back in 1990, they passed a bill that made a “special” rule for themselves. They can boost their retirement way up by taking a high-paying state job right at the end of their career, and they’ll get the PERSI retirement at the high level, as if they had been working that job the whole time. Ridiculous! How did this ever get passed? I guess WE, the People, were not watching.
Anyway, now there’s a bill to correct that “special” rule and make their retirement payment based on exactly what they actually earned…what a concept!
Here’s the link to Betsy Russel’s article on this topic.
Mary,
I believe the bill you’re referring to has just been approved for printing as House Bill 445.
Comment by Bill — January 31, 2012 @ 3:07 pm
It will die in the Senate. Too many there play this game. It is one of the perks of the crony system in Boise.
Comment by Pariah — January 31, 2012 @ 3:43 pm
This morning’s Press has an article about the legislator’s retirement scam (my words). It’s not online but in the article it said two very interesting things:
1. The author, AP’s John Miller, writes “…lawmakers from both parties now say there’s unlikely to be much opposition to turning back the clock—especially in an environment where nobody wants to be seen carving out special privileges for themselves.”
2. “In 1990, then state Sen. Mike Crapo, now a U.S. senator, intorduced the perk to add to lawmakers’ incentives package.”
Mike Crapo! No wonder the economy is a mess, with this kind of thinking.
Comment by mary — February 1, 2012 @ 10:20 am
Actually Sen. Mike Crapo has out lived his usefulness in the Senate and should be voted out.
Comment by Ancientemplar — February 1, 2012 @ 11:46 am
Crapo is a “family” representative. He is the epitome of the “crony capitalist” that Sarah Palin talks about. He and the Craig and Simpson and Otter are all part of the same, special club. They are who the “pretty people” in North Idaho idolize. They have the system dialed in and they know how to make it pay, for themselves, their families and their sycophants. This bill dies a quiet death, that is my bet.
Comment by justinian — February 1, 2012 @ 4:13 pm
I wonder how Sen. Crapo would respond to a query about why he pushed this legislation when he was in the Idaho Legislature. He sells himself as a conservative but this is clearly a pork project he sponsored at the expense of Idaho taxpayers. I just wonder what a response letter from Crapo today would look like. It might be a very good read.
Comment by paul — February 1, 2012 @ 6:06 pm
Good idea, Paul. I will email his local office right now and ask.
Comment by mary — February 1, 2012 @ 6:09 pm
Here’s what I just wrote to Sen. Crapo. Let’s see if I get a response.
Comment by mary — February 1, 2012 @ 6:22 pm
Mary – Sen. Crapo will either send you a form letter or gently ignore you. That is my prediction.
Comment by Pariah — February 2, 2012 @ 11:32 am
You’re probably right, Pariah. I’m expecting a non-committal response from his area representative. That’s my cynical side, but my idealistic side still hopes for more.
Comment by mary — February 2, 2012 @ 12:33 pm