Harris picks up pension reform in Senate
State Senator Andy Harris (R-Baltimore County), is busy this afternoon drafting a pair of amendments that make changes to lawmaker pension plans. He plans to offer them tonight if they are ready.
**UPDATE** Harris said Monday night the amendments will be ready Wednesday.
The first would create a so-called “bad boy clause" in the lawmakers' pension eligibility code. This means state lawmakers would not get pensions payouts if convicted of crimes related. Harris said he drafted the bill in part because of voter outrage after former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon kept her $83,000-a-year city pension despite a jury conviction on a theft charge.
The Dixon drama, however, is not the greatest example because the proposal Harris described for us Monday is actually weaker than the Baltimore’s clause. Harris’ provision would only apply to lawmakers found guilty of felonies related to their public duties. In the city, lawmakers found guilty of any felony or any misdemeanor related to duties can't collect pensions.
(Here is a Sun story describing a protest outside of Baltimore's City Hall over the Dixon pension, and explaining why she gets to keep it.)
Harris also wants to move all lawmakers into a defined contribution (401K-type) pension plan. Currently retired lawmakers receive a defined benefit, meaning they can count on a set amount each month. Harris believes the change will save taxpayers $750,000 a year. Del. William J. Frank (R-Baltimore County) tried and failed to offer a similar amendment in the House last week.
Comments
Why do people in highly paid PART TIME positions even DESERVE a pension from the state taxpayers? If they want a pension, THEY SHOULD FUND IT 100%!
Does anyone out there know of anybody in a part time job that get any pension?
There should also be no double dipping on the taxpayer. You only get ONE pension from the taxpayers.
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | February 15, 2010 4:36 PM
Amen to Voters Ignorance post. And thank you Andy Harris for telling the liberal monopoly that they can't enrich themselves at the cost of us average taxpayers. They're supposed to be public servants, not king-makers.
Posted by: Jobless | February 15, 2010 4:59 PM
Making an issue of legislators' pensions might play well on talk radio and blogs, but all the effort and airtime the Republicans have used up would yield only $500,000 to $750,000 in actual savings.
Every dollar counts, but the Republicans are cynically using this issue to cover up their failure to offer real and specific spending reductions over the past four years.
By the Republicans' admission, they've been meeting for several weeks to figure out a way to exploit this pension issue involving $500,000 while Maryland and the rest of the country wrestles with billion dollar budget gaps as the deepest recession since the Great Depression bears down on us and the world.
Even worse, after plotting and planning for "several weeks," the Republicans still blew it by not getting their act together in time.
The House Republicans' silly play has real consequences: This week they admitted they were unprepared for a February 23rd hearing on $3 billion in spending cuts and asked for a delay.
Talk radio may encourage this kind of game playing, but voters will give Maryland Republicans yet another enthusiastic "thumbs down!" this November.
- Steve Lebowitz, Annapolis
Posted by: Steve Lebowitz | February 16, 2010 10:30 AM
Het Steve what did OweMalley have for breakfast this morning ?
You blast the Republicans for being unprepared for the 23rd-how is that Democratic plan for slots going.
Vote yes for slots, no new taxes.
Yeah right Steve. All of us on both sides of the aisle need to pull together, grow a pair,
cut the crap and work together to solve Maryland's fiscal problems. As the 4th highest taxed state in the country the average Marylander cannot afford yet another round of tax increases.
Posted by: jay | February 16, 2010 5:58 PM