It Takes a Toll
If you haven't heard this yet, brace yourself:
Auditors say the New Jersey Turnpike Authority wasted $43 million on unneeded perks and bonuses. In one case, an employee with a base salary of $73,469 earned $321,985 when all payouts and bonuses were included.
The audit says that toll dollars From the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway were spent on items ranging from an employee bowling league to employee bonuses for working on birthdays and holidays.
It took place as tolls were being increased.
By now, of course, you could write this article in your sleep. It involves huge amounts of overtime, bonus, and extra pay -- line items that accrue without affecting the "base" salary figure and without tripping any obvious alarms. That's the way it worked in Bell, California.
Here's what I'd like: a nationwide audit, top to bottom. It would be depressing, but awfully illuminating. Here's what I'd also like: an amendment to Article I, section 2 of the Constitution -- the census clause -- to include that audit. Top to bottom. Every village, town, city, county, state, government-sponsored enterprise, and the entire federal behemoth. Put everything online, searchable, downloadable.
Then stand back and see what happens.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
The census clause? Heck, it would take longer than ten years for every audit.
Jul '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Now that I think about it:
How about an itemized receipt everytime You pay taxes? Telling Us where each and every hundredth of a cent is going... from federal, state, city, county.... every receipt of every transaction that includes paying taxes.
May '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Just Google the terms "embezzlement public employees." A nationwide audit would do a body politic good.
May '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
After the audit, there out to be an aggressive prosecutor jailing all the crooks who broke the law in the course of fleecing the taxpayer.
Aug '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
How about the percentage of retired union men on disability ? Let's start with the Long Island RR .
May '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
The problem is really not with individual malefactors -- they're just taking advantage of imperfectly designed systems -- but with the culture created through collective bargaining for public employees. It's all built on a narrative of employee as aggrieved victim -- where working on your birthday is somehow an imposition instead of a blessing. I've been drawn into debates with teacher advocates who want to tell you how their profession is more stressful and under-appreciated than any other in spite of endless school vacations and union work rules. Employees that fall into these classes lose touch with how the world operates for the rest of us.
Audits would be satisfying, but not to catch crooks as much as to show the public how public spending, without the benefit of market forces to keep it in check grows and grows as "exploited" workers negotiate more and more. Making the abuse about bad guys within the government misses the larger and more important point that government itself by its nature is the real bad guy.
Jul '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Trace Urdan: The problem is really not with individual malefactors -- they're just taking advantage of imperfectly designed systems -- but with the culture created through collective bargaining for public employees. It's all built on a narrative of employee as aggrieved victim -- where working on your birthday is somehow an imposition instead of a blessing. I've been drawn into debates with teacher advocates who want to tell you how their profession is more stressful and under-appreciated than any other in spite of endless school vacations and union work rules. Employees that fall into these classes lose touch with how the world operates for the rest of us.
Audits would be satisfying, but not to catch crooks as much as to show the public how public spending, without the benefit of market forces to keep it in check grows and grows as "exploited" workers negotiate more and more. Making the abuse about bad guys within the government misses the larger and more important point that government itself by its nature is the real bad guy. · Oct 20 at 9:27pm
Which is why I never hire ex-government employees.
May '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
At least the corrective action should be relatively easy. If the union strikes over the changes in pay rates, the public would be delighted not to pay tolls.
Jul '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Kenneth
Which is why I never hire ex-government employees. · Oct 20 at 9:33pm
Military veterans excepted, I hope?
Jun '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
'Which is why I never hire ex-government employees"
I didn't know there were ex gvmnt employees. I stated other times that government could be reduced by 20% without anyone noticing diminished service, especially if production incentives were put in place. After further thought, I would up the ante to 30%.
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Edited on Oct 21, 2010 at 5:50amAug '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Can't help but notice none of us expressed any surprise at this particular news about the NJTP. (Dismay, anger, frustration - but no surprise.) It is the sort of story everybody, left and right, has come to expect from government. If only it was the opposite story - that the Turnpike operated at peak efficiency and was returning dollars to the treasury. Now that would be a stunner.
May '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Kenneth
Which is why I never hire ex-government employees. · Oct 20 at 9:33pm
My brother learned this the hard way recently. When he fired the guy for gross incompetence, the "man" threw a fit and threatened to sue. He felt entitled to the job.
Jul '10
Re: It Takes a Toll
Only one fly in the ointment that I can see: If the audit were to be done during the census, it would be performed by <drum roll> government employees <ka-ching>!
How about if 10 non-gummint employees are charged to oversee each gummint employee. If 10 strangers were looking into your working habits and remuneration, I'd think you'd sweat the details.