Wayne County boss gets $200,000 for leaving, then gets big raise

[Anchor Bar]

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_n...000-severance-

[Detroit Stylin]

No one can deny...that had tis been a City of Detroit employee....this thread would have had 2353465756879690 and 1 responses to it talking about how corrupt bad dirty politicians in the City of Detroit are...



....oh and that their breath stinks too...

[Zacha341]

She's on channel 7 now [[7:30 PM)! There should be a link soon.....

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_n...000-severance-

[stinkytofu]

How the hell does one walk away with a $200,000 serverance when they willing leave their old job for a new job with more money while working for the same county?!?! That's ridiculous.

[Bigb23]

She defended herself totally. Not specifics, just that her contract SHOULD be honored. She kind of generalized about what she did to deserve that kind of perk/bonus, but was adamant that she deserves it. It's time Wayne Co. should apply a little more deodorant again. [[For about the fiftieth time in five years).

[Crumbled_pavement]

No one can deny...that had tis been a City of Detroit employee....this thread would have had 2353465756879690 and 1 responses to it talking about how corrupt bad dirty politicians in the City of Detroit are...



....oh and that their breath stinks too...

Amen. The ugly duckling will always be the fall guy. The pretty swan can do no wrong.

[stinkytofu]

She defended herself totally. Not specifics, just that her contract SHOULD be honored. She kind of generalized about what she did to deserve that kind of perk/bonus, but was adamant that she deserves it. It's time Wayne Co. should apply a little more deodorant again. [[For about the fiftieth time in five years).

I saw the interview and while I wasn't impressed by her, I didn't really blame her. She said Ficano agreed to this - why the hell is he allowing those severance packages for people who willing leave a job in the county for a better job in the county with higher pay?!?

[Bigb23]

There were very few of us in the private, non-union sector, that even even received contracts. [[Except upper management). Most people were spit out like a wad of used gum, when your useful life was over. Except when it came to Government.

September 28, 2011
State Lawmakers Pump Up Pensions
More than 4,100 legislators in 33 states are positioned to benefit from special retirement laws that they and their predecessors have enacted to boost their pensions by up to $100,000 a year, a USA Today investigation found. Even as legislators cut basic state services and slash benefits for police, teachers and other workers, they have preserved pension laws that grant themselves perks unavailable to voters they serve or workers they direct.
Because each state's legislature that has indulged itself with these policies does so in different, evermore creative ways, comparative analysis is difficult. However, state-by-state examination yields shocking results:
* State lawmakers in Missouri meet for roughly five months a year and are paid slightly more on average than a state worker, but records show a typical lawmaker's pension averages 30 percent more than a state worker's.
* New York has barred legislators elected after 1994 from receiving legislative pension payments while in office, but this leaves 15 lawmakers who took office before 1995 collecting a legislative pension in addition to their salary [[earnings average $154,000 each year).
* Though the Texas legislator salary [[$7,200) hasn't risen since 1975, pensions are tied to the salary made by Texas trial judges, which has nearly tripled since 1981, allowing one state legislator to receive pension payments equivalent to 17 times his salary.
Though the specific policies and schemes in each state are different, the results are strikingly similar: state legislators across the country compensate themselves with exceptional generosity in belt-tightening, budget-cutting times of economic woe. These lavish systems mean that at least 570 lawmakers in 19 states have qualified for pensions that will pay them as much as [[and in many cases, more than) their base legislative salaries. While many of these legislators are concentrated in only a few states, the national repercussions are substantial, as that figure represents nearly 10 percent of the 5,900 lawmakers in the 40 states with legislative pensions.
Source: Thomas Frank, "How State Lawmakers Pump Up Pensions in Ways You Can't," USA Today, September 24, 2011.

For text:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...terstitialskip
For more on Tax and Spending Issues:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.ph...le_Category=25

[Anchor Bar]

The raw video of the interview is in the video player on the left:

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_n...C000-severance

[Bigb23]

She could knock this out of the ballpark. Get the severance, a huge raise, sue the media for 10 Mill., AND keep her job. A GRAND SLAM.

[English]

No one can deny...that had tis been a City of Detroit employee....this thread would have had 2353465756879690 and 1 responses to it talking about how corrupt bad dirty politicians in the City of Detroit are...



....oh and that their breath stinks too...

If this had been a Detroit official, it would have been national news tonight.

[Zacha341]

LOL! I want to be her administrative assistant - perhaps I can make a coin or two considering I may be in between work again any day now...

She could knock this out of the ballpark. Get the severance, a huge raise, sue the media for 10 Mill., AND keep her job. A GRAND SLAM.

[Zacha341]

Instantaneously it would have....

If this had been a Detroit official, it would have been national news tonight.

[DJ Tom T]

So wait... a person negotiates a contract with the county which includes a nice severance. Both parties agree to it and sign it. Person leaves the job and gets paid the severance as described and agreed to in the contract and the PERSON is the bad guy??

This is blame shifting at its finest here - the county PR people have to be all over this one.

Who is the moron that signed this for the county? Did they not read this document prior to signing it? Business practices need to be looked at here, not the fact that a person got paid what was contractually obligated.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I saw the interview and while I wasn't impressed by her, I didn't really blame her. She said Ficano agreed to this - why the hell is he allowing those severance packages for people who willing leave a job in the county for a better job in the county with higher pay?!?

And to compound that, this Clown Ficano wants to cut Wayne Co employees salaries 20% , and then give this women a raise. I smell fish.

[rjk]

So wait... a person negotiates a contract with the county which includes a nice severance. Both parties agree to it and sign it. Person leaves the job and gets paid the severance as described and agreed to in the contract and the PERSON is the bad guy??

This is blame shifting at its finest here - the county PR people have to be all over this one.

Who is the moron that signed this for the county? Did they not read this document prior to signing it? Business practices need to be looked at here, not the fact that a person got paid what was contractually obligated.

I agree to a point, but she's the one that opened her mouth and decided to defend herself. She didn't do herself any favors by saying she's being attacked because she's a female and personally I found it a little annoying how she referenced that she served in the military and grew up in poverty. She's clearly looking for some sympathy.

[313rd]

Good for her. I totally back Turkia Mullin 100%

[detbest]

According to link below the previous development chief says he did NOT get any severance because he left the job voluntarily. Ask around any other place in the country [[private sector or government) and people would look at you crazy to suggest something like this would take place. Having been involved in a number of employment contracts, severance is almost always done when the employee is forced out. It's main purpose is to provide the employee with some security to help entice people to take the job without fear of then being fired. Severance is generally not used when you voluntarily leave to take another job. I guess this is the exception.

The fact that something like this is allowed is laughable both by the employer and the employee. The fact that it is done given the County's financial condition is flat out wrong!

Link: http://detnews.com/article/20110929/...t-no-severance

[Woodward's Cousin]

So, the argument from the top is that the County Executive awarded this contract to a loyal friend, and according to the Wayne County Commisioners, did not disclose details of the unusual severance to them when they approved it, and that makes it OK because the subject is taking credit for everything that moved when she served at Wayne County ?
Sure looks like another local "friends and family plan" when citizens and County employees are hurting in these tough economic times.
I would expect there to be deeper media scrutiny of the economic development accomplishment claims put forward for this person.
And if the smell becomes more pronounced, I would expect the GOP trifecta [[ Gov., House, Senate) to move to minimize the role of the County Exec. at the airport authority.

[One Shot]

Ch 7 just recapped this and her arrogance about the possiblity of returning the money is awesome. "absolutely not...I earned that money" NICE!

[Genesyxx]

Ficano needs a serious eyeballing his way. This stinks to high heaven.

[kraig]

Important thing to point out. The Airport Authority is seperate from Wayne County Government. the same way that the Detroit Housing Commission and the Convention Authority are seperate from the City of Detroit. It was a deal hatched by McNamara and Engler while both were still in office.

That being said, the deal is till crap. Since when has there been severence pay for political appointees in County Government? Maybe it's time for Kym Worthy to step in.

[detbest]

Important thing to point out. The Airport Authority is seperate from Wayne County Government. the same way that the Detroit Housing Commission and the Convention Authority are seperate from the City of Detroit. It was a deal hatched by McNamara and Engler while both were still in office.

That being said, the deal is till crap. Since when has there been severence pay for political appointees in County Government? Maybe it's time for Kym Worthy to step in.

You make a good point. If I recall correctly the Authority was created because Republicans were starting to circle around the airport and where contemplating a takeover. The Authority was a comprise and provided the state with some oversight since they appoint some of its members [[2 I believe). And I wouldn't be surprised if the Republicans in the legislature will stick their noses into this since it would fit nicely into their narrative of corruption in SE Michigan.

That said, this really isn't severence since she left voluntarily. While I may or may not like severence for government employees at least use it for situations like the rest of the country and not like this. This was really a bonus or deferred compensation when you get down to it.

[jackie5275]

. The Authority was a comprise and provided the state with some oversight since they appoint some of its members [[2 I believe).

As I remember it, the Authority has 2 members appointed by the Gov. One from the Wayne Co Commission, and the rest, 4 members, from the Wayne Co Exec. Two of the people sitting on the board now were appointed by Granholm & are former McNamara appointees. Of the 7 members, 4 have ties to Wayne County. So, in a sense right now, it's still pretty much a county-minded entity, despite it's Authority status.

[Detroit Stylin]

If this had been a Detroit official, it would have been national news tonight.

They would have been calling for a public lynching...