Double Dipping Starts at the Top with Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck and 17 other assembly and senate incumbents
March 1,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, In New Jersey, elected officials can start collecting their lawmakers’ pension once they qualify for it (based on a complex system of accumulating so-called retirement credits), yet stay in office and also garner a salary.
New Jersey state senator, Loretta Weinberg, and mentor to our mayor justified taking nearly a $41,000 pension while still collecting a $49,000 salary on grounds that she had lost money in the Bernie Madoff scandal. Despite taxpayer anger after press reports of her dual incomes, Ms. Weinberg’s colleagues elected her majority leader in November 2011.
This continues a disturbing pattern in the Garden State. Last year, during Jersey’s state legislative elections, 18 assembly and senate incumbents from both parties who double-dip were up for reelection, including Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, who in addition to her $49,000 a year legislative salary receives a pension of nearly $41,000 annually. In her case, both incomes are for the same job because Jersey allows legislators to retire while still in office and get both a pension and salary. All 18 legislators won reelection. Their retirement checks annually cost the overburdened pension system nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.
Elected officials also continue to employ a host of staffers who double-dip, including those working for the governor, the state’s comptroller and the attorney general. Rather than simply resign their state jobs when appointed to the staff of an official, these employees retire, grab their pension and take home a salary, too.
Double-dipping by New Jersey public officials continues to thrive for one big reason: Too many legislators either directly profit or quietly condone a costly practice that drains untold millions from state pension funds.
New Jersey Watchdog found 18 state lawmakers who receive retirement checks totaling $782,000 a year in addition to their legislative salaries. The roster includes leaders of each party in both the Senate and Assembly. (See full list below)
The Assembly’s roll of double-dippers features Deputy Speaker Connie Wagner, D-Paramus; Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Egan, D-New Brunswick; Majority Conference Leader Gordon Johnson, Teaneck; Minority Conference Leader David Rible, R-Wall Township; and Appropriations Officer John DiMaio, R-Bridgewater.
Ranking twin-scoopers in the Senate include Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck and Minority Conference Leader Robert Singer R-Lakewood.( https://watchdog.org/category/new-jersey/)
The biggest dipper in the Legislature is Sen. Fred Madden, D-Turnersville, who collects nearly a quarter-million dollars a year from two public jobs and a state pension. In addition to $49,000 in legislative pay, theSenate Labor Committee chairman receives $85,272 from a State Police pension and $111,578 as dean ofLaw & Justice at Gloucester County College.
“Obviously, I don’t have a problem with people doing it,” Madden told New Jersey Watchdog last year.
“It’s not appropriate,” countered Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Red Bank, one of the few legislators to openly oppose double-dipping. “The pension system is intended to support you at a time you are no longer working. So when you are an active employee, you should not be able to tap into both.”
Gov. Chris Christie has welcomed double-dippers into the ranks of his administration. A New Jersey Watchdog investigation last year found 19 state retirees were rehired under Christie.
Christie’s deputy chief of staff, Louis Goetting, gets $228,860 a year — $140,000 in salary plus an $88,860 pension as a state retiree.
“The governor called him out of retirement,” said spokesman Michael Drewniak. “And we are grateful to have him,”
Also in Christie’s corner are two prominent double-dipping Essex County Democrats who crossed party lines last month to publicly endorse the GOP governor’s re-election bid. (https://watchdog.org/category/new-jersey/)
data provided by https://watchdog.org/category/new-jersey/
You will never hear our Gov. talk about this at his town meeting. Loretta Weinberg, and mentor to our mayor justified taking nearly a $41,000 pension while still collecting a $49,000 salary on grounds that she had lost money in the Bernie Madoff scandal. Well isn’t she special! We all lost money is the state going to give us a pension?
A fish rots from the head down
Meaning
When an organization or state fails, it is the leadership that is the root cause.
If anyone hasn’t read the specs on the governor’s latest pension fix better take a look. Moving from a defined benefit to a defined contribution system will be paid for at the local level – even though the last 20+ years of NJ governors have been ‘borrowing’ from it.
The Choice is Clear
by: Paul Aronsohn
Sat Jul 18, 2009 at 08:54:17 AM EDT
Let’s cut to the chase: The Democrat’s choice for Lieutenant Governor should be Loretta Weinberg. She has the experience. She has the record. And she has the passion, temperament, and fortitude to rise to this historic occasion.
In other words, Loretta Weinberg has what it takes to be a great running mate and a great second-in-command — a fact even privately acknowledged by some of her most public critics.
Loretta – time to pack it in….
This has been an ongoing issue for decades, unless the general public demands change it will continue.
If she does pack it in she give her job to our Mayor. We don’t need an election.
Another White Horse member along with Paul and Albert.
She’s gotta go. And all of these double dipping scum bags need to pay for their own healthcare. Why are the residents of Village like Riidgewood paying all of the 12% annual cost increases in health care benefits for municipal workers and the nine Village retirees making more than $100,000 in public pensions every year? If they want their current $22,000 “platinum” comprehensive health care plans, make them pay for all of the annual increase in their health insurance coverage premiums. instead of making Village taxpayers pay all of the 2014 annual increase in Employee group health insurance, up 11.8% or $624K compared to 2013. BoE, are you listening, too?
Nearly One in Five Members of Congress Gets Paid Twice
They draw government pensions from previous work in addition to their congressional salary. The practice is called “double-dipping.”
Back on Ridgewood again 10:09. No outrage about any of the others who rob the state pension Thing must be fixed form the top down.
“I want to thank you for naming me number seven on the power list that included elected officials. I plan to work my way up to an even lower number during the next year. So be prepared!” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg.
Thing must be fixed from top down and bottom up, no excuses….Weinberg and her fellow “double_dipping” cronies in the state legislature and Christie’s administration all have to go, and so do the massive health care subsidies we offer BoE and Village employees. If you want “platinum” coverage, pay for it yourself. It’s not like the average salaries for BoE and Village employees aren’t high enough for them to pay more towards their own pensions and healthcare ! Why should all of the rest of us be footing the bill for double-dippers and elaborate $22,000 health care plans ?