June 22, 2009: Retired chief runs for Council. Can we afford him?

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April 7, 2009: Catching up on Council | April 17: You might be a right wing extremist.... | April 17, 2009: Tea parties not about taxes...but about Big Government | April 20: City Council | June 10: Here's what I think | June 16, 2009 The Council Meeting Another no bid contract | June 17 -- Picking our pockets, one no-bid contract at a time | June 22, 2009 SCS Voice is back | June 22, 2009: Retired chief runs for Council. Can we afford him? | June 27, 2009 -- 'Bidding?...We don't need no stinkin' bidding!' | June 30, 2009: EPA Coverup on Climate Change | June 30, Guest Column...Letter Shows Stabenow believes health care a "right" | June 30, 2009: House energy bill a piece of S***T | July 3, 2009: Forget Socialism --we're racing toward Totalitarianism | July 4, 2009: Independence Day | July 6, 2009 Letter to Editor - Climate Change Not Real | July 6, 2009: Seniors Beware! Government run health plan might just kill you | July 10, 2009: Bill Clinton would be proud...it depends on what your definition of a 'bid' is...business as usual in the Shores | July 10, 2009: Minutes of Special City Council -- Ahearn and Activities Committee, 2006 | July 20, 2009: City Council: Sometimes you just get tired of the BS! | July 21, 2009: You decide | July 23, 2009: ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’ is anything but. | August 3, 2009: VOTE TOMORROW | August 3: Shocking things from Health Care Reform Bill! | August 3: Look at Frederick's property on Elizabeth | August 12, 2009: Bev, get a life! | August 12, 2009: President's rigged town hall | October 11: Teddy Boys' support should be kiss of death | November 3, 2009: Now comes the hard part | November 11, 2009: Wahby distances himself from losers; Veteran's Day and other matters | November 16, 2009 A new day | November 19, 2009: A personal message | November 17, 2009: Socialized medicine failing in Germany | City -- Some Pension Costs, Oct. 2007

Frank Troester retired about two years ago as chief of the St. Clair Shores police department.

Perhaps you remember an 'anonymous letter' SCS Voice received back in 2007 which showed that upon retirement, using a cumulative figure of about $154,000 for a walkaway base, Chief Troester would receive a pension of $118,039.20 a year, which is $21,297.20 MORE than he was making while working. ( City -- Some Pension Costs, Oct. 2007 click here to read the article, which first appeared October 16, 2007 on the original SCSVoice).

Now, Troester is running for city council and I find it hard to believe that he could be unbiased when it comes to votes on issues which will directly effect not only those who are currently working for our city, but his own pocket as well. Based on COL increases, I estimate that former chief Troester is currently receiving about $122,000 a year or $10,166 a month as a pension. Even if you discount any COL with the $118,000 figure, that's $9,833.33 a month in retirement pay -- a bill footed by every taxpayer in the city -- which Chief Troester finds in his mail box every month.

Over ten years, Chief Troester will receive between 1,180,000 and $1,220,000 as a pension and he is just one retired city employee. If you add up JUST the figures shown on the sheet you will quickly see that no government can sustain such numbers without breaking the backs of its citizens. And then take these numbers and add them to the millions of public service employees throughout the country and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that it is simply unsustainable.

It surprises me that there is all this outrage over the "golden parachutes" executives of PRIVATE companies have received, yet when it comes to the golden ones our public employees -- including members of almost every legislative body in the US-- receives there is nothing but silence. At least in the private sector, stock holders can approve or deny such payouts by simply not buying the stocks. We have no choice when it comes to public employee pensions and in fact have our hands tied behind our backs. See PA 312 link on "City" link page.

If you want an example of how the deck is loaded against those of us who do not have a publicly funded pension, consider that last week the President and about 100 members of his administration decided they would not attend the Mayors Conference, being held in Providence, Rhode Island. Mayors from all over the United States (maybe Mayor Hison attended, who knows?) were in Providence to discuss their struggling economies. Michigan is not the only state and St. Clair Shores is not the only city suffering from plummeting housing and manufacturing tax revenues. All over the nation economies of states and cities are in free-fall and tax revenues are declining. Providence has a current unemployment rate of 11.3%. It should be noted that David Cicilline, Providence mayor, who is described as a "liberal Democrat" had been discussing the city public employee benefit costs.

But, the Providence, Rhode Island fire department had set up a picket line, and President Obama decided to cancel his and members of his administrations' attendance rather than cross it. So big no-no are public employee benefits that to even suggest they be cut, or reigned in any way, so powerful have these unions become that even the President of the United States will not cross a picket line and will shun hundreds of mayors from struggling cities throughout the nation. (In my opinion you can bet that any 'stimulus money' the cities receive will come with heavy strings...strings which will benefit anyone who belongs to a public employee union and punish those of us who do not.)

It is my opinion that Chief Troester, when push comes to shove on votes which will effect him and other retirees will show no more courage than did our President when it comes to facing the music of public employee pension.