From the NY Post:A city lawmaker called for a "crackdown on abuses" after The Post reported that more than seven in 10 firefighters have been retiring on disability pensions, costing cash-strapped New York nearly $1 billion a year.
Firefighters have boosted their pensions to unprecedented levels, partly by claiming job-related injuries or illnesses.
They're also putting in huge amounts of overtime in their final years on the job, The Post disclosed exclusively yesterday.
"We should crack down on abuses," said David Weprin (D-Queens), chairman of the City Council Finance Committee.
"Obviously, we have a budget problem."
16 comments:
Council Member David Weprin is pushing for a bill that not only increase their rates from 34 for 1/2 hour to 54 for 1/2 hour even though the national average hourly rate is under 19 dollars per U.S. dept of Labor. Also it will remove oversight from the ASPCA since they don't want the ASPCA since it spoke against the industry but the ASPCA did it job and spoke against the cruelty and inhumane conditions.
It's no wonder that Weprin would rather talk about the carriage drivers than his record dealing with financial issues facing taxpayers.
Under his watch, New Yorkers faced the highest tax burden of any American city for years and the cost of municipal government consistently went up each year.
No one, including Weprin, had the courage to automatically adopt last year's budget and spending levels. There was no real fiscal reform to restrict any new spending below the rate of inflation or adopting the principle of pay as you go.
Weprin never developed any plans to reduce municipal long-term debt.
In addition to not paying sales tax, the industry is cash-only. What other revenue are the taxpayers losing? Why isn't Weprin representing the interests of taxpayers?
Only a limited number of the 400 workers (30, as reported by the Daily News) were able to join the union. Are the rest independent contractors? If so, is this in accordance with labor laws?
Weprin supports a bill that would require city money for independent oversight by a third-party organization, when the ASPCA is currently doing it at no cost to the city. During this downturn in the economy, the last thing taxpayers need is more oversight costs.
The bill will weaken accountability--the industry will be self-regulating if the ASCPA's oversight is taken away.
Weprin has a problem with firefighters who save lives yet he protect these rotten carriage drivers???
Disability is automatic in the Fire Dept. Perhaps disability is more easily incurred by Fireman especially physical as an individual get older - think of the chemicals they breath and the things they see and experience. This too used to be sop in the Police Dept where is still occurs but under great scrutiney and crack-down.
So instead of the ruse is no disability is present, then both Dept should have a retirement policy up-front that has a component of what the individuals want from disabilty without having to fake it. After all both jobs a difficultly demamnding in so many ways.
OT should not be counted towards pension at all and or become limited if it continues to count.
My inclination is to support disability claims by firefighters and police without any questions at all. These are ultra brave guys in an ultra dangerous job. Never forget September 11!
Now, if there is some abuse of disability claims, then fix that, and voila! money is saved to prevent closing firehouses and cutting manpower.
In mid-January city council hearings regarding station closings, Fire Commissioner Scopata admitted to Council Member Tony Avella that he is a "yes man" when it comes the Commissar Death and Taxes' command to cut firehouses. Scopata said that the Commissar demanded a $68 million dollar cut. Scopata could find that sum only by closing firehouses. Yet, here, we now read that there are $billion$ each year in faked disability claims.
Scopata couldn't uncover just $68 million in fake claims to offset closing a firehouse?
Or, is he just another chicken-shit toady for the Commissar?
My inclination is to support disability claims by firefighters and police without any questions at all. These are ultra brave guys in an ultra dangerous job. Never forget September 11!
So because firefighting is a dangerous job, we should not hold firefighters accountable for cheating the pension system out of money. What kind of reasoning is that?
Hey Mr. Weprin, if you dont want us to get hurt, maybe we'll just stay outside the building when its burning. It'll save the city money, but the civilian deaths will be on your hands.
Oh and don't forget the increase in disability retirement is because of 9/11, hundreds of members are coming down with different types of cancer, oddly enough they were all working that day. Some even already died but the city is denying their ailments connection to 9/11 because they dont want to pay out.
Retirement after 20 years is one of the perks of having a dangerous but secure civil service job where you see death & destruction daily. Don't attack firemen, cops, and teachers because your city was frivolous with money the past years (lets not forget billions to the yankees & mets, where's the receipt for that? oh and 4 million to rename the triboro bridge?), the crisis is not our fault.
Which direction were you traveling on September 11th Mr. Weprin?
mr weprin remember 9/11 maybe if u se what the brave members of the fdny are suffering with due to the effects of 9/11 you would understand . stick with your cause regarding the carriage drivers because you are a horses a**
Well said, Anonymous. Supporting the carriage industry shows poor judgment on Weprin's part. He does not deserve to handle the city's finances. He should have investigated the fact that they overcharge consistently, even online. Why is he promoting an industry that bilks consumers (and taxpayers)?
Weprin is a Horse' ass. Perhaps he can haul those lazy tourists in nyc traffic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSun_1Ly6ro&feature=channel_page
Hey Werpin, crack on on this abuse of fraud and leave our brave men alone!!!!!
the only problem with Weprin hauling tourist in traffic is that he produces more shit then the horses.
To the commenters here - have you no shame in defending disability fraud? This basically is stealing taxpayer money. Genius.
The NYPD and FDNY are notorius for putting in countless overtime hours in the last year. Why hasn't anyone been paying attention?
He is a horse ass because he has no substantial proof there is fraud in FDNY and he doesn't even give them the benefit of the doubt yet he looks the other way when there is videos and proof of fraud in the carriage industry
fires are way down. Injuries are not that serious anymore. You should study what kind of injuries receive a disability pension. I bet you 98% are backs and knees. We all grow old and our knees and back go but (no pun intended) give me a break. Any other injury like reportory or heart or burns etc. i am 100% for. Look at the doctors and set a strictor policy for firemen. Get real. The firemen know whats going on.
excuse my spelling I did not proof before publishing
In return for their plush pensions they are supposed to spend their retirement campaigning to elect more "Giuliani Time" officials!
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