Despite enacting a state hiring freeze, the Paterson administration created a $140,000-a-year job for a recently retired Queens assemblyman.Ivan Lafayette, 78, was named deputy superintendent for community affairs at the state Insurance Department.
Lafayette, who was elected to the Assembly in 1976, is making much more in his new gig than the combined $104,500 he earned in legislative salary and stipends.
The higher pay will also help him boost his pension, which is based on the combined average of the last three years of a person's salary.
In April, Paterson told agencies they could fill only "absolutely essential" openings. In July, he took it a step further, saying his office had to approve new hires.
Insurance Department spokesman Andy Mais said "Mr. Lafayette's appointment was approved through the budget freeze waiver process as would any fill during the hiring freeze." He did not say why the new position was deemed critical.
Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield said Lafayette's hiring "was a preexisting commitment."
Lafayette said in July he was not seeking reelection and had been offered a job in the Paterson administration.
What hiring freeze? Big state payday for ex-Queens assemblyman
12 comments:
Pre-existing commitment, as in "Ivan, you retire when it's too late for anybody to else to run. We get to hand-pick your successor, and you get a raise, a driver and a boost in your pension."
The clubhouse (which extends its reach way up to Albany and beyond) takes good care of its own with platinum (never mind the golden) parachutes for retirement
age political hacks!
Shulman gets hers in the way of a pricey directorship overseeing the Willets point land grab.
Terri Osborne gets hers
while still on the job!
Come to think of it,
patronage jobs abound for those
who have served their pol/chiefs and party well.
What about the rest of us you may well ask?
The government response is is FU!
You're on your own!
Hope your 401 Ks, annuities and
other retirement package financial products are in order, especially after the recent Wall Street meltdown.
Good night and good luck!
Whats the matter Ivan?
Your government pension isn't enough?
Most of us get by on far less!
You are missing the point even after 30 years in the Legislature, his pension would be, at most, 55% of his average annual salary of $74,000 for the last thre years - so this way, he stays on apyroll at 140K, a tremendous raise, and his pension after three years will be roughly equal to his salary as an Assemblyman. Nice!
Where is the outrage in the newspapers?
Bastards.
"Where is the outrage in the newspapers?
Bastards."
I assume you mean in the editorial section - so write a letter to the editor.
I assume you mean in the editorial section - so write a letter to the editor.
________
There you have it folks!
Exhibit A of the 4th estate in a 3rd rate boro.
Write the friggen pice yourself (that is if you can drag yourself away from one of those mind numbing political dinners)
Has anyone seen this guy as of late.
He is not worth $14,000.
Yet another example of how the elites of Queens have bearly concealed contempt for us.
Remember this when they cut back on police and sanitation.
Has anyone seen this guy as of late.
He is not worth $14,000.
Yet another example of how the elites of Queens have bearly concealed contempt for us.
Remember this when they cut back on police and sanitation.
Mr. Lafayette next job will be an appointment on AIG's board!
And the governor and Crowley paid off Sabini with money loser OTB job not to run. They also brought off Baldeo not to run.
The only race in Queens Grace Meng beat machine backed Assembly Young. Now you know why the machine does not want competitive elections.
What kind of democracy is this when oppenents can be brought off and the public is given no chooice in the elections.
Write the friggen pice yourself (that is if you can drag yourself away from one of those mind numbing political dinners)
I'm not the one who asked the question about "outrage" in the papers. Last I heard "outrage" belonged to Al Sharpton types. Newspapers report facts - editorials make opinions - I don't want outrage - I want a story - which is exactly how we found out about Ivan's cushy gig.
And I don't know about you - but I haven't gone to a mind-numbing political dinner in years - precisely because they are mind numbing - when was the last time you went?
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