Your tax dollars at work

[Forever_frost]

http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2011/06/dallas-schools-chief-bound-for-georgia-plans-to-supplement/1307380429.column

Dallas schools chief bound for Georgia, plans to supplement new salary with $200,000 Texas pension
Monday, Jun 06, 2011, 12:28PM CST

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By Kevin Lee
money

Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is moving to Georgia to take a new job - and plans on dipping into his six-figure annual Texas pension at the same time.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Hinojosa will earn a base salary of $237,000 and $28,000 in annual perks to become the new superintendent of Cobb County School District outside Atlanta and its 106,000 students.

That’s a drop from the $328,000 base salary Hinojosa was earning in Dallas, but Hinojosa said he will use his $200,000 annual pension to help make up the pay cut, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. The Dallas Observer reported on Hinojosa’s pension a few weeks ago, pegging it at around $180,000.

The coverage is a rare look at a public employee's pension amount. In Texas, those details are not public record. Citing confidentiality exemptions in state law, state government officials denied a public information request submitted by Texas Watchdog earlier this year for the names of some 677,000 state employees currently receiving pensions and the corresponding pension amounts.

In Texas, more than 6,100 state employees enjoy both a taxpayer-funded salary and pension, at an annual cost of $400 million in pay and pensions, according to a Bloomberg report in March on the practice of "double-dipping."

Hinojosa, who is slated to begin his new job July 1, has worked in education for 30 years and has served as superintendent for Dallas Independent School District since 2005. He signed a new contract to remain as Dallas superintendent last year after falling short in his bid for a similar position in Las Vegas.

Texas Watchdog reported last week on a dustup in the search for Hinojosa’s replacement. Dallas ISD Trustee Carla Ranger wrote on her blog that trustees may have violated the state’s Open Meetings Act when they held a closed session to discuss superintendent candidates.

[mstng86]

http://www.dfwmustangs.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11744&highlight=hinojosa

But it is almost worth posting twice. Seems like a crock of shit to me.

[SEB]

It doesnt matter what his name is. They are all crooks in the Federal & State & local Goverment!

[The King]

It makes no difference whether Hinojosa takes another job or not while drawing on his pension. The cost to Texas taxpayers remains the same. Ditto for the 6,100 state employees engaged in "double dipping".

Denying the Texas Watchdog request for names of the 677,000 state employees receiving pensions was the correct decision in my opinion. That's nobody's business except the employees and those to whom they choose to reveal that information. Releasing information about pension amounts is appropriate, but nothing beyond that.

[Forever_frost]

It's time to stop giving these people 6 figure retirement packages. Especially if we're on the hook for his entire life. I think if you leave Texas, you leave the package here.

[The King]

I agree with you, but unless the rules are changed upfront he's done nothing wrong.

[red95gts]

It makes no difference whether Hinojosa takes another job or not while drawing on his pension. The cost to Texas taxpayers remains the same. Ditto for the 6,100 state employees engaged in "double dipping".

Denying the Texas Watchdog request for names of the 677,000 state employees receiving pensions was the correct decision in my opinion. That's nobody's business except the employees and those to whom they choose to reveal that information. Releasing information about pension amounts is appropriate, but nothing beyond that.

Exactly. Having another job doesn't disqualify you from receiving the pension you've already earned. Military retirees do it all the time.

With that being said - I don't understand how, in a career field known for low pay, there is somone making 10x the starting salary of a teacher with a $200K pension to go along with it. It's not like Dallas ISD was some raving success story or something.

[Grimpala]

Exactly. Having another job doesn't disqualify you from receiving the pension you've already earned. Military retirees do it all the time.

With that being said - I don't understand how, in a career field known for low pay, there is somone making 10x the starting salary of a teacher with a $200K pension to go along with it. It's not like Dallas ISD was some raving success story or something.

THIS

Why the fuck is everyone complaining about having to fire teachers because of a budget that's too small, yet these assholes drawing 6 figure incomes are sitting fat.

Take a pay cut so these teachers acna work and these kids can get an education and not end up robbing my ass down the road.

[Gargamel]

Still trying to figure out why someone would hire a DISD Superintendent....

[Forever_frost]

As long as the retirees are pulling 6 figures, I don't want to hear a word from DISD about not having enough to pay teachers.

[red95gts]

THIS

Why the fuck is everyone complaining about having to fire teachers because of a budget that's too small, yet these assholes drawing 6 figure incomes are sitting fat.

Take a pay cut so these teachers acna work and these kids can get an education and not end up robbing my ass down the road.

I get the fact that you have to offer a financial incentive or else no one would apply for a superintendant position. If everyone in the entire school system made $40K a year, no one would want the headaches that come with management. But, $328K/yr? It seems as though they could have found someone qualified for a third of that. Granted, how many teacher's salary would that cover? 5? It wouldn't fix all of our problems, but it's a start.

The bigger issue is the fact that we are overrun with illegal immigrants and the school systems can't afford it. But, anyone who brings that up is automatically dismissed as a mexican-hating racist.

[Roscoe]

I tend to look at it from the flip side....

He was CEO of a ~10,000 company and he made $328k a year.

I wonder how many other Fortune 1000 CEO's make that little. I don't quite agree with the employment contracts for a "golden parachute" of that magnitude after such little time in office, but I do know of a guy brand new to a company to take the CFO spot and after only 18 months in the job, he retired and took $34MM in addition to his $12M annual pay.

Difference is being taxpayer funded, I know, but still.... When you think about it, his salary wasn't that much in perspective.

[DamonH]

I tend to look at it from the flip side....

He was CEO of a ~10,000 company and he made $328k a year.

I wonder how many other Fortune 1000 CEO's make that little. I don't quite agree with the employment contracts for a "golden parachute" of that magnitude after such little time in office, but I do know of a guy brand new to a company to take the CFO spot and after only 18 months in the job, he retired and took $34MM in addition to his $12M annual pay.

Difference is being taxpayer funded, I know, but still.... When you think about it, his salary wasn't that much in perspective.

That's exactly what I was going to say. People also forget that it does take a Doctorate degree and many years in. It's not like he's just got a 4 year degree and started making bank.

[Danny46]

Why the hate? The man put in his time and in my opinion educators are one of THE most underpaid jobs on the planet. Period.

[slow99]

Word. I wouldn't do that shit for 100k a year.