Anderson Getting Special Treatment?
If I were a County of Santa Barbara employee and had one year left for retirement and my position was not funded for the next fiscal year, could I count on the County Administrator to get me a job so I could make almost $40,000 in additional retirement funds per year? I doubt it.
A recent News-Press story pointed out that outgoing Sheriff Jim Anderson is seeking a job as head of the Office of Emergency Services. CAO Mike Brown is not commenting and has not posted the opening. Bob Geis commented that Anderson could even drive a trash truck and get full retirement. One more year and Anderson gets almost $40,000 more for his retirement -- even though the voters did not re-elect him -- Richard Cochrane's protestations not withstanding.
Kudos to the new Sheriff for not commenting but shame on the Supervisors if they let this happen. Let's let Chief Brown do his job and not have to work with his predecessor in any way, shape or form. What are they thinking?
A recent News-Press story pointed out that outgoing Sheriff Jim Anderson is seeking a job as head of the Office of Emergency Services. CAO Mike Brown is not commenting and has not posted the opening. Bob Geis commented that Anderson could even drive a trash truck and get full retirement. One more year and Anderson gets almost $40,000 more for his retirement -- even though the voters did not re-elect him -- Richard Cochrane's protestations not withstanding.
Kudos to the new Sheriff for not commenting but shame on the Supervisors if they let this happen. Let's let Chief Brown do his job and not have to work with his predecessor in any way, shape or form. What are they thinking?
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 12/10/2006 12:08:00 AM
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13 Comments:
Hmm, how interesting. Sara, you have an excellent point. Of course, the County has a long history of double standards and favoritism. (As a long time employee, I can tell you that first hand.)
Let me start by saying I WAS an Anderson supporter, but no longer. His actions in defeat have been totally class-less, self centered and is more akin to a third world despot than a minor elected official here in America. Doing something like this is totally in keeping with the current demonstrations of his lack of character and I hope he is unsuccessful.
BTW, he can "freeze" his retirement (ie: not draw on it until March of 08) and still get the same basic benefits. He just doesn't get a retirement paycheck for a little over a year. Gee, that means he'd have to get a REAL job for year. Wow, what a concept!
I'm sure they'll find a position for him. There are lots of County jobs open. How do the rest of us get on this gravy train?
Let us be clear about the dollars involved in Jim Anderson’s possible employment by the County of Santa Barbara for one more year.
If the increase in his annual pension is $37,000 per year as news articles have indicated, and then assuming he will live to age 75 which is approximately the current statistical average for white adult males, in addition to his salary for the next year, he will earn nearly $900,000 more over his lifetime, merely by working that one additional year. (24 x $37,000 = $888,000)
Using a 6% discount factor to compute the present value of this increased lifetime payment, you will find it would be worth over $460,000 today.
All this, in addition to any salary he would actually be paid next year, merely for working for one more year for our county.
Call your Supervisor today to prevent this madness.
Anderson needs to follow the lead of other ousted elected officials the world over--- be a "consultant" for a year before his gravy train kicks in----get out of the County business---and give the new elected Sheriff an opportunity to set his own agenda and leadership without the shadow of his bitter and defeated predecessor. This should NOT be allowed to happen---Board of Supervisors and CEO Brown will have lots of 'splainin to do if they let this go down
To Anon 12:20 pm - Anderson can get his $180k+ retirement IF he doesn't draw on it until March, 2008. So your math is correct both ways - just like Anderson is trying to ice the cake a little better.
The only way Anderson will make $140k+ a year in retirement benefits is IF he begins to draw on his pension NOW.
More on this a little later. I'm going to blow some steam over JA after cocktails and dinner....dd
Anon 12:20, your math is correct, but your premise is a little off.
The retirement benefits that any County employee draws is from a quasi-private/governmental retirement fund. Those funds come from the County as a paid benefit, but much of it comes from direct employee contributions. However, the vast majority of the money comes from direct investments made by the fund managers and interest earned on those investments. So, in essence, that money for the most part already belongs to Anderson or any other County employee who draws a pension. Including me.
For the record, I too object to Anderson padding his pension. Us worker drones could never even consider doing something like that.
When the voters picked Sheriff Brown, they also terminated the employment of Sheriff Anderson. Enough said about keeping him or putting him on the payroll.
What would have been the margin of victory if the voters knew they could save a half million dollars by voting for the new sheriff? 60-40? 70-30?
Seems like we ended up paying for two Sheriffs, guess Brown wanted on the gravy train.
To Anon. 2:49. Brown's retirement package was better at his old job than in the new one. The man believes he can do some good and straighten out a number of issues including the Sheriff's Council. I'm an insider, and I believe he is up to the task with the right motives. Anderson is a loser - and a poor one at that.
What would Jim's new job entail anyway? Don't we already have a police department, a Sheriff's Department and several fire departments in this County? Do we really need an "Emergency Operations Czar" or what ever it is? If the Newspress wasn't so disfunctional, they would be asking these kinds of questions. Seems like we have fairly effective emergency services as it is.
Not to defend Anderson, but OES is a different breed of cat. It involves lots of different agencies with differing missions and goals. Plus, coordinating funding and grants from different sources with all of the political in-fighting that goes with it. It's a job unto itself that a department head does not and would not have time to do by themself.
Granted, it's only important if there is a major disaster. Otherwise, it's a minor position.
The trouble is that Anderson's rap within the Department was that he cannot make a decision - gives them to committees. He also has a terrible relationship with the local media. Good relations with the media is essential in that job. Anderson is just not a good fit for that role.
Anonymous 12/11/2006 6:03 PM said:
What would Jim's new job entail anyway? Don't we already have a police department, a Sheriff's Department and several fire departments in this County? Do we really need an "Emergency Operations Czar" or what ever it is?
I could see where OES would be useful, several departments are listed by anonymous but have they all worked together as one organization in a disaster? I guess it's little things like can their radios talk to each other? As anonymous 12/12/2006 8:56 AM said, Granted, it's only important if there is a major disaster. Otherwise, it's a minor position."
It's like saying that my car insurance is only important if I have an accident, otherwise, it's not. Having had training in Incident Command Management, I really do see a need for an "Emergency Operations Czar". How would have Katrina turned out if there was one czar who could have pulled everyone together during a major disaster?
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