Strapped colleges are paying double-dippers

At a time when universities are capping enrollment, cutting staffs and losing faculty members to other states, more than 475 employees at state universities have "retired" and returned to the payroll.

On top of state retirement benefits, they are collecting salaries of about $23-million.

Double-dipping among university employees is similar to what has been happening in the rest of state and local government, where 8,000 public employees and elected officials are double- and even triple-dipping. (story here)

Comments

Some of these double dippers are pretty creative with their finances. I am waiting for a story about one of these state employees cashing checks after they're dead.

This is a stupid story and show's a lack of research on the Times part. Those people could have elected to switch from the "Pension Plan" to the "Investment Plan" and then rolled the sum into an IRA. Then they can just draw out of that. If they draw out of their IRA would that be "tripple dipping," because Uncle Sam let them slide on the taxes for that account? Seriously, I don't see a problem with it and most Floridian's wouldn't if you didn't paint it with a yellow journalism slant of "double dipping" - they earned it. It's the same as a 401(k).

12:17 hit the nail on the head. Can we stop with these trivial stories and get some real news reporting on the whats going on in Florida's legislature? It's only the middle of the only 60 days they meet all year and all.

12:17-

Stop stealing our money you double dibber you.

They focus on the Senior Management types who clearly are making great salaries - how about the average state worker, who after working 30 years with years, years, and more years of no raises - and are the lowest paid in the nation - who has to work because their pension is based on their low salaries and now MUST work after they are retired. What do you want them to do - work as a greeter for Wal-Mart and make min. wage. They've been punished enough!!!!

Of course, this doesn't apply to the Legislature - they received a 3% raise last year - they get full-time benefits for their part-time job - they get better than average state employee retirement, plus are often hired by universities and agencies as Senior Management for jobs they don't qualify for and are paid sometimes double the base salary for the position.

Yep - under Republican rule - middle class now means working poor!!!!

Lucy... even with people earning a salary and a pension, it is NOT costing the state any additional money.

I know it may be hard to understand, but if someone receiving a pension isn't making the salary, someone else is... and the FRS is still paying out the pension...

Kinda like your situation... you retired from the SPT, I am sure you are receiving some sort of pension... and when you write a story, I am sure you get some sort of compensation. If you were not getting the compensation, someone else would be writing the stories and getting paid.

Does that help you understand how this doesn't cost the state/taxpayers any additional money?

Sorry, had to log back on...

SPT, got a question for you - how are your subscription and advertising dollars? I hear the trend it downward as a whole... how do you justify still paying Lucy for her work when she is retired?

And your situation is worse - because you have other reporters already on payroll that can write the stories... are you just paying her out of the kindness of your heart?

"how about the average state worker, who after working 30 years with years, years, and more years of no raises - and are the lowest paid in the nation - who has to work because their pension is based on their low salaries and now MUST work after they are retired."

How about some personal responsibility. If you make so little go get a new job. You also forget about the great deal state workers get. Free Health Insurance, great retirement benefits they do not come out of their salaries. I dont buy the whining if it dosent work for you go and work somewhere else. But of course then you wouldnt be leeching off the public.

Yellow journalism? Get real. Its about time folks started payaing attention to this. What entitles some of these people to make 2-3-400k a year? These lard bricks are your typical overpaid bureaucrats who never accomplished anything in their life but staying under the radar to stay unnoticed. They just worked in senior management, shuffling papers, attending meetings, conference calls and justifying their existance. Every one of these double dippers should have to spend 5 days a week in the classroom teaching inner city kids. Screw them. Thanks for shining the light on these useless lard bricks, St Pete Times. I hope Fasano sticks a hot cattle prod right up their hiney.

The rationale for DROP was to get rid of the "highly paid" senior managers and replace them with lower paid employees, establishing a career ladder.

Most of these people would not be missed if they left for a few months. Also interesting that after 30 days, they are rehired at the same or greater pay in their same position. In the lower ranks, you would have to start over at the bottom of the pay grade after you terminated, with no guarantee of the same job.

3:43 - how about there aren't other jobs in Tallahassee. Try moving when you make so little money that you can barely survive where you are! Perhaps you can just load all your belongings in the car and drive goodness knows where and immediately find a great paying job, but for the rest of us who live in the real world it isn't that easy.

The FRS was never meant to be the end-all be-all for retirement. How about the City of Tallahassee employees who will not get Social Security since the city does not participate... FRS was one part of three - state retirement, social security, and PERSONAL savings...

As for folks making 200, 300 or 400 thousand a year, that is not the norm... and what is being said about low-paid employees - most will get a retirement check of less than $2,000 a month...

As for replacing senior management with lower paid employees - get real, people work their way up the ladder and after 20-25 years of service, there is no reason that person shouldn't make as much as the person before them.

As for making so little money - read Dave Ramsey and put some personal responsibility on your finances...

The Times needs to do more research on how many legislators are making money off the system. Start looking at how many of them are Double and triple dipping. Do some research and you will find many who do what they say they want to stop. The state employees who have opted for the drop program gave up increases to their salaries in the years prior to their actual drop time. The state gave them this benefit so they could hire on new people for less money. Why don't you guys take a good look at the legislators and how much they really make off this process. Stop being used.

The Times knows how many legislators are mooching off the system.

Considering how many other workers are in jobs they get after "retiring" from the military, post ofice, cops, what-have-you, I'm having a problem seeing the news in this.
Legislative leadership who get jobs in places they're funding---yes, that's a problem.
But this so-called double-dipping goes on everywhere, and nobody thinks twice about it. (except for some people, who must have been fired or rejected to have all the biterness displayed above)

6:12 - I've read Dave Ramsey and I am debt free. A remarkable thing to be on a state paycheck when you're not senior management (which only goes to those who are politically connected).

Debt free because I drive a 15-year-old car and shop for clothes at Goodwill and garage sales.

I've worked for the state for 15 years, have outstanding evalutations. However, merit raises are only for the politically connected or the supervisor's "favorites" and unless you are politically connected even when you transfer or obtain a higher level position, unless you are politcally connected you won't be hired over base.

The Republican administrations has turned working for the state only viable through politcal patronage.

You sleep with the right person, give enough money to the right campaign or are related to a politically powerful or connected and you will make a living wage.

By the way, plenty of money for Rubio's pork and his buds ($10,000 a month jobs) and they are laying off child abuse workers. Kids don't count 'cause kids don't vote.

Rupblicans only support one industry in this state - PRISONS. Rubio is increasing dollars for prisons - but who gives a darn about kids, the handicapped, the elderly. Yep - so much for "Christian family values."

If the Times knows how many Legislators are mooching of the system, why are they not reporting this to the public? Over and over?

9:13 - congrats on being debt free... I am on my way - and I am doing better than I deserve!

But I do have to comment on a time when I worked for a republican legislator when the democrats were in control of the legislature and the cabinet... and it was amazing the patronage that went to buddies of those in power at the time... same ole same ole, just a different focus of priorities.

once again 9:13 takes no personal responsibility. If a job is not rewarding enough look elsewhere. It is called freedom for a reason not charity.

[Betty]

How about writing an article about what some of these double dippers bring to the job with their years of experience, talent, skills, and university history? We are very fortunate to have some of these double dippers return. You should print the whole story not just some headline grabbing, one sided, misleading garbage. You should look at what it would cost to hire a new dean for USF Sarasota and you would realize what a bargin the campus has with Anderson. And so what if people, who have worked and EARNED their retirement wages want to keep working? Good for them and lucky for us who reap the benefits of their talents.

[Buzzard]

I don't mind state/county/local government workers making a decent living and getting a pension. What bothers me is when they get it and the taxpaying public doesn't. Good paying jobs are scarce on the outside and pensions non-existent. Jealous? You bet. Taxpayers are the employers. Something's screwy when the employee gets a better deal than the employer. I once spoke with someone from a communist country who complained that only communist party members - especially officials - lived high on the hog while everyone else had to scrounge. Sounds familiar.

Buzzard,

There are plenty of private sector opportunities to earn pension/retirement and still work.

Lucy Morgan is doing it.

Did Lucy retire? Is this ironic or what?

[Buzzard]

9:05 - Last I knew, Lucy wasn't feeding at the public trough.

I appreciate her keeping our public officials from being little piggies.

Lucy Morgan is the most over rated person in Tallahassee. She is a mean old lady whose time has passed.

[Buzzard]

10:42 - SQEEEEEAL like a piggie!

I hadn't realized Gailey hired Lucy on the Editorial staff?

Wonder why Lucy went on this double-dipping crusade. She never offers opposing quotes or facts, and takes credit for the bills moving through committee in her stories.

It seems like a personal agenda, which is so unlike her.

[Old He-Coon]

Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered!

If you wonder why some legislators or staff do not get written about, you might look at the friendships involved, and their source value.

How many times does the combined total of their salaries go into the price of the CSX deal???? 28. Fun facts for all you bean counters out there. See how far $650 million dollars can go?

[Buzzard]

1:28 - That's like telling someone who just got beaten up that they have a REAL thumpin' coming in a few minutes.