Monday, June 01, 2009

Life in "Progress" City

From the Golden Gate city of San Francisco, who hasn't had a republican run the city since Ponce de Leon found the fountain of youth........
There was a time when the "$100,000 club" referred to San Francisco city workers making six figures. These days, it refers to the 480 retired city workers or their survivors who are knocking back $100,000 or more a year in pension money.

At the top of the heap is former Police Chief Earl Sanders who, after serving 40 years in the Police Department, gets an annual pension of $222,768.

Sanders' predecessor, former Chief Fred Lau, who retired after 31 years on the force, pulls down a $154,241 pension - even as he earns another six figures as head of security at Oakland International Airport.

Lau and Sanders are among 146 former city cops or their survivors in the $100,000 pension club. Both are also members of a more rarefied club - the 15 ex-cops pulling down pensions of $150,000 or more.

Over at the Fire Department, 246 former employees or their survivors are receiving pensions of $100,000 a year or more - with 15 topping $150,000.

The remaining 88 members of the $100,000 club are former department heads or career executives.

Soon, a new name will be atop the list of highest-paid police pensioners. When she leaves the Hall of Justice sometime this year, Police Chief Heather Fong, 53, will have 32 years under her belt - and will be pulling down about $229,500 a year for life.


Unfrickin' believable.

What's so "progressive" about bankrupting a city?

Thanks to reader Jeremy for the tip.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

CA likes to think of itself as on the leading edge of american progressiveism. And it's true today as much as ever. Only this time it's not in a way that anyone is proud of. CA will be leading the way in bounced government payroll checks. We will see if the rest of america follows CA's progress.