Freedomain Radio

Golden parachutes for public retirees will sink us all, experts say

In Orange County [southern CA], it can be a bit hard to tell. The Register is currently battling with the Orange County Employees Retirement System for local pension data - which the Register (and at least one court!) say is public information, but OCERS says is none of our beeswax. We’ll keep you posted on how that goes.

But even without the details from OCERS, we know a good bit about local pensions. A great deal of outrage - and at least one call for bona fide revolution - have greeted our recent stories about public retirees:

• On Monday, our fellow watchdogs catalogued the retirement pay for Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson ($116,225 a year),
• and for Assistant Sheriff J.B. Davis ($141,600 a year),
• and for Captain Christine Murray ($90,459 a year).
• There was last week’s story about the comfy retirement that awaits Bryan Speegle, former embattled director of the county’s Public Works department (who also headed up the county’s doomed El Toro Airport project), who will earn $115,000 a year.
• We also pointed out the retirements enjoyed by former Sheriff Mike Carona( $207,979 a year), 
• former assistant sheriff Charles Walters ($223,218 a year) 
• and former treasurer-tax collector Bob Citron ($92,900 a year).
• Of course, all that’s nothing compared to Bruce Malkenhorst Sr., who collects the highest municipal pension in California - $499,674 a year - after serving as the city of Vernon’s city manager, finance director, redevelopment director, city clerk, city treasurer and head of the municipal light and power operation– all at the same time. (He’s under indictment in Los Angeles County, and the case  is pending).
• Unsustainable? Sheesh, even former Anaheim city manager Jim Ruth (one of California’s highest-paid retirees at $219,045 a year) says it’s unsustainable.

Nothing is too good for our benighted leaders.