Iannello wants term limits ???

[4248]

Michele , just wondering what you think ?

Did you forget to mention better fringe benefits ??????
NEW YORK STATE RETIREMENTS - for all of you.

Below is a portion of legislation our County Legislators have proposed :


F. Therefore, the purpose of this law is to prospectively impose a twelve-year limit on consecutive service by Erie County Legislators. Subject to public referendum, this, reforming County government by reducing or diminishing the influence of special interests on the government process;

G. Further, by increasing the term of office for a County Legislator from 2 years to 4 years, this law would reduce the amount of influence special interest groups would have on county government. This action would also reduce the financial burden that candidates may encounter and may increase the productivity of County Legislators;

Current Charter Provision:
Section 202.2 Election and terms of office. County legislators shall first be elected at the general election in the year nineteen hundred and sixty seven and shall assume office on January first, nineteen hundred sixty eight. All elected county legislators shall hold their respective offices for a term of two years.

Proposed Charter Change:
202.2 (a) Election and terms of office:
County legislators shall first be elected at the general election in the year nineteen hundred and sixty seven and shall assume office on January first, nineteen hundred sixty eight. Effective on January 1, 2008, all elected county legislators shall hold their respective offices for a term of four (4) years, which shall begin on the first day of January following the general election at which the County Legislators are elected.

(b) Limitations on Consecutive Service:
Effective January 1, 2008, no person shall serve as a county legislator for more than twelve (12) consecutive years. In calculating such service time, the following shall be excluded:

(1) Any service prior to January 1, 2008.

(2) Any service by appointment to a vacancy or service after election to complete an unexpired term of another person.

Kathy Konst - Michele M. Iannello - Cindy E. Locklear

If you get your way gals - wouldn't that mean that with another 4 year term under your belts - you all would then be entitled to (taxpayer funded) :
NEW STATE PENSION benefits ?
(five years of "Any creditable service buys you in) .
As well as some of you already have service credits from other positions you've held in the past ?

I guess $45,000.00 a year for a part-time job is not enough . If your true interest is " Public Service " then show it by drafting legislation to remove pensions from your benefits .

Besides your pay , don't you get other perks as well - health care - office expenses ( rent and staff ) , eye care , life insurance and so on . Don't you feel a little guilty - sense the average working stiff gets paid less for working full time - and many of them will never enjoy the benefits and perks you gals and guys receive ?


Thanks for wanting to help Erie County reduce its long term debt.
__________________
If you elected them , they believe you want decisions made for you ! They appreciate your support , Cash , Medical benefits , Eye , Ear and Dental care and don't forget the State Pension.Just my thoughts - could be wrong-Thanks!

[Teddy Bear]

I vote for term limits, but I mean a real term limit.
What is good for the President of the United States should be good for all from the highest to the lowest.
10 years maximum.
That means 2 full 4 year terms only unless the present representative dies or leaves office and you finish his/her term but for no more than 10 years. Of course unless they take over the balance of someones term they won't get a retirement benefit for serving only 2 terms! How much would that save the taxpayer?
Now if they want to serve again after a 4 year sit out, that's ok, but they only get another 2 terms and the last 2 don't count for retirement benefits.
Personally, I only vote twice for a candidate, no matter what party they belong to. I firmly believe our forefathers meant for there to be a change of representatives every 4 years for a reason so I take the time to find out how many terms they have served. One reason is they get too complacent about the job; another they get too powerful.
Term limits absolutely, but really mean it, not just a token of 12 years.

[BigGuy]

HERE WE GO AGAIN.

Bullit has this benefit bug up his ass, and no matter how many times he is told how the system works, he claims short term employees get big pensions.

It just isn't true.

If a County Legislator serves ten years, yes, they qualify for a pension, starting after they are 65. They also contribute 3% of their gross salary to the pension fund towards that eventual pension.

Ten years service at $43k per year times 1.5% per year equals 15%, or $6450 per year, which is a $124 per week gross, before taxes.

BIG DEAL.

Let's discuss serious matters with our legislators, like the pending county tax increase, this new screw the school tax payers proposal, or how they keep blaming every county problem since Moses and the flood on 1.) Dennis Gorski; and then 2.) the State of NY.

Grow up. get off it. Move on. They are not carrying away wheelbarrows of money here!

[WNYresident]

They also contribute 3% of their gross salary to the pension fund towards that eventual pension.

Where did you get $6450 per year ?


43k X 3% = $1290.00 = ~ $24 a week.



At 65 if someone was a legislator for 4 terms. 16 years, how much of a retirement check would they recieve just based on that 16 years? Anyone know?

[CindyLocklear]

Where did you get $6450 per year ?


43k X 3% = $1290.00 = ~ $24 a week.



At 65 if someone was a legislator for 4 terms. 16 years, how much of a retirement check would they recieve just based on that 16 years? Anyone know?

Rez; I dont think you read BigGuy's post too closely. 3% is the amount of the annual CONTRIBUTION from the Legislator's salary.

In his post BigGuy does the math for 10years of service: a Legislator with 10 years in get $6450 per year in benefit: $43K times 1.5% times 10.

If you want to know 16 years, just multiply $645 times 16.

[4248]

Mr.Bigguy
What bugs me is people that trivialize what they don't see as important. Your right when you look at each drop in the bucket - its not so bad.The truth is we are and have been paying these Elected and appointed officials and every year we pay more, their benefits and perks increase while New York goes down the tubes.
They also receive health care,staff and office allowances and many more perks in the case of the County Legislators - for a "Part Time Job."
All i am saying is = stop blaming the working class - we work & get taxed - we shop and get taxed - we put gas in our cars and get taxed - if one dares to save a little , we get taxed again.

But i guess your right lets just rip apart those we don't like and support every party fed clone , i guess we do that because we are feeling powerless to affect real change - its easier to back who we feel the least threatened by - than to stand our ground and risk being berated by people like you.

HERE WE GO AGAIN.

Bullit has this benefit bug up his ass, and no matter how many times he is told how the system works, he claims short term employees get big pensions.

It just isn't true.

If a County Legislator serves ten years, yes, they qualify for a pension, starting after they are 65. They also contribute 3% of their gross salary to the pension fund towards that eventual pension.

Ten years service at $43k per year times 1.5% per year equals 15%, or $6450 per year, which is a $124 per week gross, before taxes.

BIG DEAL.

Let's discuss serious matters with our legislators, like the pending county tax increase, this new screw the school tax payers proposal, or how they keep blaming every county problem since Moses and the flood on 1.) Dennis Gorski; and then 2.) the State of NY.

Grow up. get off it. Move on. They are not carrying away wheelbarrows of money here!

[WNYresident]

Rez; I dont think you read BigGuy's post too closely. 3% is the amount of the annual CONTRIBUTION from the Legislator's salary.

In his post BigGuy does the math for 10years of service: a Legislator with 10 years in get $6450 per year in benefit: $43K times 1.5% times 10.

If you want to know 16 years, just multiply $645 times 16.

Yes and that benefit is too high for the amount you need to contribute.

What your saying is they contribute $1290 a year for 10 years to get a retirement of $6450 a year once you hit 65?

I would like to know the exact pension along with what pension benefits one gets if they were county legislator for lets say 12 years.. 3 terns

If all you did all your life was 12 years as a county leg what do you get for retirement when your 65? for the $1290.00 you "contributed" into it for the 12 years? That is $15,480.00 bucks.

Does that make sense? What's the actual payout at 65

[BigGuy]

At 65, after twelve years of legislative service, it is my belief that the member would receive a pension of 7740 per year.

You must remember that this contribution is put into the huge (sorry to take Tony Fucillo's word) NYS Pension System, which has the best percentage return and growth factor of any system in the nation. Those funds are growing from the first contribution date. And, they remain growing even after the first and subsequent payout is made.

Just as a correction, Tier IV Retirees contribute for the first ten years, and then do not contribute. So the input of 3% stops after 10 service years.

And that's all I have to say about that!

[WNYresident]

Why can't the common man contribute to this pension fund also? We are all part of NYS are we not?

I will gladly put in $1290 a year for 10 years to get $7740. That's tax free isn't it also?

So you live to 80. Your 65. 15 years X $7740 = $116,100 return on a $12,900 investment. Pretty good bene.

Biker? What would a commoner have to put away for 10 years to guarantee them $7740 a year.




Oh do they get health insurance covered too when they are retired? I would like to know what that yearly cost is.

[tinsnips]

Michele , just wondering what you think ?

Did you forget to mention better fringe benefits ??????
NEW YORK STATE RETIREMENTS - for all of you.

Might I suggest -- get over the issue of the pension. The elected officials are public employees. Public employees are entitled to pensions through the state retirement system. New county legislators (in fact, all currently serving legislators, since I think the longest tenured one is Mike Ranzenhofer, who has been in since the late 1980s) are Tier 4, where they pay into the system and receive a far less generous benefit than those in lower tiers.

[moonshine]

Here's a private sector pension for comparison:

Fortune 500 company in the transportation industry with numerous locations in western new york. Non-union.

Each year 2% of an employee's qualifying salary is deposited into the pension fund. The current rate of return is 4%. 100% vested after 5 years of service.

Keep in mind, this is one of the best private pension systems offered by any employer in the country.

[4248]

Might I suggest -- get over the issue of the pension. The elected officials are public employees. Public employees are entitled to pensions through the state retirement system. New county legislators (in fact, all currently serving legislators, since I think the longest tenured one is Mike Ranzenhofer, who has been in since the late 1980s) are Tier 4, where they pay into the system and receive a far less generous benefit than those in lower tiers.

If some one ran a company into the ground year after year - one of a few things would happen.

They'd be fired.
The Company would fold.
Share holders would replace that person.


In the case of Politicians who continually help our area fail ;

We give them : Public funded (tax dollars),

Pensions, increasing yearly.
Heath and other insurance.
Allowances for staff,office,travel,tax deductible clothing etc,etc.
Paychecks
And they are even held harmless and insured in case a smart group of taxpayers sue them for their inept performance.


Ok your right , lets focus on performance !

[BigGuy]

If some one ran a company into the ground year after year - one of a few things would happen.

They'd be fired.
The Company would fold.
Share holders would replace that person.

:

You're right.

And the same should happen to public officials, as the shareholders (voters) can replace them (fire them) if performance is below expectation.

But these private sector employees also work with benefits and pensions.

It is borderline ignorance to advocate that public officials work without, or not be eligible for, health benefits and pensions for their work.

[WNYresident]

And the same should happen to public officials, as the shareholders (voters) can replace them (fire them) if performance is below expectation.

Not when they stack the deck in thier favor.

I noticed in Cheektowaga that it seems quite a few town employees are basically the town democratic party. Election time rolls around and you have your "instant" volunteer group. Oh a group which benefits with thier salaries/benes if they get you re-elected year after year.

[4248]

Not when they stack the deck in thier favor.

I noticed in Cheektowaga that it seems quite a few town employees are basically the town democratic party. Election time rolls around and you have your "instant" volunteer group. Oh a group which benefits with thier salaries/benes if they get you re-elected year after year.

Soon party employees will outnumber private sector . Just look at almost any local town or the county as a whole - soon the employed party faithful will out number private sector jobs!

Then who will support the system?