Eight lead way as
pension pumpers
Data reveals most
prolific "tackers," prompting calls for reform
By JONATHAN TAMARI,
Home News Tribune Online, October 11, 2006
TRENTON — Eight state
lawmakers are among New Jersey's 200 most prolific pension "tackers" — a
controversial practice that allows public employees to grow their retirement
payments by compiling a variety of government jobs.
The data, compiled by the Department of the Treasury and made public yesterday,
shows 200 workers ranging from judges and lawyers to senators, mayors and
finance officials who earn well over $100,000 a year, and in some cases nearly
$300,000 a year, by combining a host of taxpayer-funded jobs. Forty-seven
people on the list earned more than the governor in 2005.
The list, requested by Sen. William Gormley, R-Atlantic, comes as lawmakers
continue to debate ways to get control of the cost of public employee pensions
and benefits. The rising expenses for public employee retirements are seen
as one key to ongoing efforts to control property taxes.
In response, Republicans yesterday renewed calls for a ban on receiving a
pension for more than one public job.
"Limiting public employees to a single pension based on one job is a
common-sense approach to ending this fiscal mess," Gormley said.
A key Democrat leading the pension-reform efforts, however, said an outright ban
would go too far. Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, instead called for
reforms that would limit the benefits of having multiple jobs.
Critics point to low-profile jobs and large, late-career salary boosts as two of
the biggest abuses of the retirement system.
Many people included on the list, which ranked the people who made the most
money in 2005 from multiple government jobs, are lawyers or judges who cobble
together work in small communities. One person served as a municipal judge
in 11 communities and made $171,777. The top two earners from 2005, who
each made roughly $280,000, are judges in several Shore-area municipalities.
Others had as few as two public jobs that combined for a $138,000 salary or
more.
Area lawmakers on the list include:
#34 — Assemblyman Neil Cohen, D-Union, $182,432, Attorney, Union County
Planning Board, Union County Utilities Authority, Roselle Rent Leveling Board
#120 — Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, $150,508, Union County undersheriff
#124 — Assemblyman Joseph Vas, D-Middlesex, $149,148, mayor, Perth Amboy
#163 — Assemblyman Christopher Bateman, R-Somerset, $143,234, attorney,
Bridgewater
Source: Department of the Treasury. Data includes only jobs in 2005
that qualify for the state's pension system.
jtamari@gannett.com
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