We don't want the day to completely slip away, without shining the spotlight on a fine lead editorial appearing in this morning's Standard-Examiner. In a most craftsman-like fashion, editorial page editor Doug Gibson draws a bead on a quirky Utah political practice which we've extensively ranted about here on Weber County Forum, public employee double dipping:
• OUR VIEW: Time to stop double-dippingWe're delighted to see the Standard-Examiner jumping aboard the editorial bandwagon on this; and we applaud the SE's no-nonsense proposed legislative approach:
Look, this is a no-brainer change to make and any Utah legislator who opposes it deserves to lose re-election. Utah is the only state in the Western United States that lets retirees come back to work with a salary, pension and a 401(k). The result is Utah has lost $400 million over the past eight years and will lose $900 million over the next 10 years. We just can't afford to bleed money like that, particularly during this tough recession.Note to our "fiscally conservative" state legislature: Are you listening?
We have no objection to a public worker retiring, drawing benefits and then moving into the private sector. That is not costing the state money. But public-sector double-dipping is, and it needs to stop.
5 comments:
Our legislature:
"Fiscally Conservative", NOT
"Crony Capitalist", YES.
Think the Real soccer stadium. Huntsman crony (Dave Checketts) needed cash. Guy was too incompetent to get any of his own. Legislature ponied money right up.
End double dipping? The dippers pay their bribes. Why would it end, therefore?
Want change? Defeat the incumbents.
Chief. and Senator Greiner, our backyard poster boy for unearned/undeserved income, is not a double dipper.
He is a quadruple dipper. And as the Fresh Prince of his onner tha mayor, he should be about as popular as a Tampon in the turkey dressing bout now.
If he and his greed gangster ilk (legislators...about 80% of them)continue in office, we will be living in a colder version of Belise by next year.
I join in the pat on the hip pads of Doug Gibson or Andy Howell, or whoever wrote the Std. Ex. editorial today. Good job guys and gals.
Off topic, but it's clearly a slow news day so....
Yesterday's SE had a little sidebar story, easy to miss, announcing that today, Saturday, Amer Sports is holding a Grand Opening for its Amer Sports Factory Outlet Store in the American Can Building in Ogden. [2030 Lincoln.] Doors open at 10, but the festivities begin at 3:00 when food and drink will be served, and there's a drawing for door prizes at 6 PM.
Story notes that 10% of the take on Grand Opening day will be donated to the WSU Wildcat Club for scholarships.
Free eats, factory outlet-priced sporting goods, door prizes and the Wildcat Club gets a cut of the action. If you're looking for something low cost to do this afternoon, might be fun stopping by. Also counts as shopping locally for Christmas/Holiday/Winter Solstice gifts, which is generally a good thing to do.
Something's always happenin' in Bright Lights Big City Ogden.
I think the real problem with Chief Greiner double/triple dip is he's on the Retirement and Independent Entities Committee that oversees the state's retirement. If this isn't a conflict of interest, I don't know what is. Looks like one vote, in the committee, against any legislation to fix this.
The way to fix the conflict of interest is to kick him out of office. anything other that that is not good enough.
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