Scott, 

     Saw the Burtonblog posting about the Geauga County salaries today - you've left something out in your reporting.

http://www.burtonblog.com/view.cfm?post=3940 

     When are you going to enlighten your blog readers about the infamous "pickup" that government employees of all kinds too often receive as a perk? 

     If there's anything outrageous to me about how office holders, school officials & bureaucrats (and even some office managers) are compensated that strikes me as unfair to the average working person, it's "the pickup" where these guys don't even pay their own portion of their retirement...the taxpayers do! And, you'll notice that this "pickup" they receive isn't reported as part of their base pay, so it doesn't show up in what they make. Do the figures in your blog posting include "the pickup" they receive? It's really under the radar. 

     There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that most of your readers know NOTHING about this little taxpayer-funded good-deal - and they'd be upset if they knew about this practice.


Jack Burhenne

***********

Jack:  I did mention "pick-ups", but did not elaborate in the article.  Yes, you are correct.  These are cleverly hidden from the taxpayers because they are so very outrageous.  It's an old trick of school treasurers/sneaky board members to NEVER actually let out how much compensation a superintendent, for example, is getting.... NEVER.  When they say he's making "$98,000" - that figure is really about $115,000 with perks (like driving to work!), benefits, pickups, conferences, travel, bonuses, etc.  IT NEVER ENDS AND IT'S ON THE BACK OF THE TAXPAYER!  I've had it, how about you?  These kinds of salaries in this climiate!  It's insane!  It's rude and insulting!  Imagine this:  Government workers making way, way more than the average Geauga County worker!  

     Digest this median salary for a family of three with TWO wages earners (household according to U.S. Census info) in Geauga County is only $62,223 or so!  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  Talk about elitism!   THESE GODDAMN COUNTY SALARIES ARE WAY, WAY OUT OF LINE!   The average income for a HOUSEHOLD in Ohio is $48,000!   So this Geauga County public worker compensation is way, way out of line any way you look at it? Who caused this to happen?  WHO made these big awards?  I aim to find out and they WILL BE PUBLICLY CHASTIZED. 

     Jack, I have said repeatedly that the average Geauga County citizen is a "sheep" and this proves it.  The next time the "sheep" see a county commissioner, they should mention these outrageous salaries and perks.  It must STOP sometime and now is as good a time as any!  I demand public hearings on this and I demand accountability. 

     As I said earlier:  When a teacher is making over $90,000 with benefits and a cop is making over $100,000 with benefits and the administrator of a free county park full of bike paths, nature trails and animal talk programs is making over $100,000 a year BY GOD SOMETHING IS GODDAMN BROKEN!  BROKEN!