Ficano wants retired deputy to drive and guard him, wash his car

[Vic01]

http://www.freep.com/article/2013031...m-wash-his-car

what ever happened to that petition to get rid of this guy?

[Honky Tonk]

http://www.freep.com/article/2013031...m-wash-his-car

what ever happened to that petition to get rid of this guy?

When you find it, pass it here so I can sign it. 3 drivers???????

[kenp]

This is just typical of this region. Retired cop gets a $105,000 pension and now another $55,000 to drive the idiot Ficano around. Probably needed the extra money because they dared to tax his pension.
That Ficano is one sneaky dude.

[Hermod]

All of a sudden, every local pol seems to need a bodyguard wherever he goes. Exactly how many county and municipal pols have been assassinated in the last twenty years?

[cla1945]

If the County Commission allows this to happen then we all need to take stock of just who is in power here in Michigan. Corruption seems to runs rampant and seems to be accepted most of the time. Is this what the people of Michigan want to hear and read about their leaders who were voted into office? I don't think that all of us have become so complaisant that this will become the norm from here on in. City, State and County government needs a complete overhaul. Where is the outrage?

[fanniemae]

Charlie Leduff should be all over this one. But Charlie has been keeping a low profile lately due to his own " stuff." Hope some good reporter gets on this case and maybe Robert Davis [[ I don't like him ) and file suit somewhere to stop this craziness. How would a citizen stop this?

[Det_ard]

Drivers? Cmon, the Pope took the bus the other day, maybe Ficano ought to try that. Wayne Country needs a shake-up followed by some federal prosecution Kwame-style.

[Honky Tonk]

I guess he had to free up some money from somewhere......

http://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/..._and_dangerous

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, that's the beauty of it. You get to retire, get your 24 weeks of salaried pay, unused sick days, unused vacation time, and you can join all the other lucky retirees where they belong, on contracts, back on the Wayne County workforce!

Of course, the real joke is on Wayne County’s union workers, who’ve taken 10 percent pay cuts during the last three years, no doubt to help pay for all this BS.

[Wesley Mouch]

This seems absurd. But so does the fact that he already has a staff of two drivers. Does anyone have a defense of this?

[downtownguy]

If i were collecting a $105,000 pension, I would be so grateful, I'd not only drive him around and wash his car for free, but I'd make lunch for him every day too!

[m b v]

Is the FBI or anyone still investigating Ficano or is he going to skate on the rampant corruption? I thought I read he would be indicted back in 2010.

[Honky Tonk]

This seems absurd. But so does the fact that he already has a staff of two drivers. Does anyone have a defense of this?

They don't like driving?

[Wesley Mouch]

Yeah, that's the beauty of it. You get to retire, get your 24 weeks of salaried pay, unused sick days, unused vacation time, and you can join all the other lucky retirees where they belong, on contracts, back on the Wayne County workforce!

Of course, the real joke is on Wayne County’s union workers, who’ve taken 10 percent pay cuts during the last three years, no doubt to help pay for all this BS.

Nerdly, you and I agree 100% here. Its not just a joke on the union workers, but all workers and all citizens.

Ficano's a Democrat. If this is a truly needed job, shouldn't he at least want to reduce the unemployment rate and hire someone else? Hiring a retired employee who is already making over $100,000 in retirement?

[Lowell]

Here's the kicker. Look where payment come from -- the Department of Children and Family Services, which runs the Alternative Work Force.

The contract, which will come before the county commission this week, calls for 86% of Berry's contract to be billed to the Department of Children and Family Services, which runs the Alternative Work Force, and the rest to Ficano's office for the security work. The contract, which would be with Star Fighters LLC, a corporation Berry founded in 2010, would pay him $35.25 an hour.

Since the former deputy is limited in the number of hours he can work, he creates an LLC, which takes a few minutes to do.

Retirees typically are not allowed to work more than 1,000 hours annually for the county, but Lee said Berry would not be considered an employee because the county contract is with Star Fighters.

[jackie5275]

Of course, the real joke is on Wayne County’s union workers, who’ve taken 10 percent pay cuts during the last three years, no doubt to help pay for all this BS.

Actually, it's been the past 5 years and counting.

[Det_ard]

The real joke is on the taxpayers, but more people are asleep on this issue. Public union post-retirement health and pension costs are going to kill us.

Our choices will be:

1. Increase taxes significantly to pay for benefits for retirees
2. Reduce services provided by the government
3. Force retirees to take a haircut.
4. Kick can down the road, then choose from 1 - 3 with even more severe consequences.

Wayne County faces a bill of more than $600 million in 2012 to cover the deficits in a county pension plan. The most recent audit shows Wayne's pension plan has only 60% of the cash it will need to cover projected monthly checks for retirees during the next 30 years. This is the lowest percentage for a major public-employee pension plan in Michigan in 2012.^[18]

Read more: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/...#ixzz2Nv1dyCur

[Wesley Mouch]

The real joke is on the taxpayers, but more people are asleep on this issue. Public union post-retirement health and pension costs are going to kill us....snip...

Its is possible to be very pro-union and see that certain people are getting way more benefits than others. If you say, as I do, that public pensions are out of control, it gets taken as anti-union. The truth is that absurd 100k+ pensions for the favored few are being paid for by everyone.

Look at the disparity between starting wages for DPD and the pension amount for this driver. What on earth did he do to deserve $100,000+ .yr. while we pay a cop $35k /yr.?

I have worked with union pension programs, and often the young folks get screwed. They contribute a percentage of their wages, but you can't collect nothing until you have 10 years in. So your contributions go to pay the good ol' boys pensions. Oh, there's a union working for you. You pay 10% of your wages -- and we'll pay our high-seniority friends 100k+. Thanks for your money, chump.

There's a real need for proper reform here. And the goal should be a decent pension for everyone. Not crap for some and gold for your friends. And in this case gold + some extra 'cause you're Ficano's buddy.

Left and Right can see eye to eye here.

[rutlev]

Hermod: Post #4 - Not enough

[Ray1936]

Sheesh. My monthly benefit from the Detroit Police and Fire Retirement Board is $1,900 and change a month. I'm not complaining, mind you, but how does this yahoo retired sheriff get 100k plus? Unfuckingbelievable.

[Ray1936]

All of a sudden, every local pol seems to need a bodyguard wherever he goes. Exactly how many county and municipal pols have been assassinated in the last twenty years?

Ummmm.....not enough????

[JBMcB]

I'm not complaining, mind you, but how does this yahoo retired sheriff get 100k plus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_spiking

[Wesley Mouch]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_spiking

Thank God for hard times. Only during hard times is there a chance to clean up these selfish, bad practices and make sure benefits get distributed fairly to all, and not just to the top 1% -- which in my book includes selfish bankers and selfish bureaucrats like Ficano who you can bet will get quite a pension. Probably more than 5 times what the average worker will get. Why is that fair? Where are the democrats looking out for the working man? Oh, I see. Didn't know that.

[Gannon]

Maybe we need to amend our state constitution to say that once a politician warrants bodyguards, they are automatically considered NOT approved by the populace any longer so they must retire?!

The pols I've seen with posses are always the worst. Always.

[DetroitPlanner]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_spiking

Salary employees can't spike. If I work 40 or 60 hours per week, my pay don't change.