toldailytopic: Prediction time: Which Republican candidate will be running against Ob

[The Barbarian]

There might be some consequences for doing something that is not illegal?

Yep. Believe it or not, what you can legally get away with doing, might still have consequences when people find out that you did it. Given the ethical climate in politics, it might seem unfair, but there it is.

You're not a well man, are you?

Just observing the way things work in reality.

Steven E. Schier, a political scientist at Carleton College, said the revelation "will damage Perry's appeal among conservatives and Republicans."

"Just like Newt's big consulting fees with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, it's an example of a politician taking a payoff from the public sector while mercilessly criticizing government," Schier said. "Double-dipping on its face is hard to explain, particularly to a GOP electorate skeptical of government. Perry will have to explain this, and when you are explaining in politics, you are losing because you are in a defensive crouch."

Hypocrisy alleged

Perry's decision to boost his income while forcing billions in spending cuts across Texas and railing against government benefits and congressional perks in Washington, D.C., provoked accusations of hypocrisy.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/17/MNHH1MDUCV.DTL#ixzz1gwfpa1p2

 

[The Barbarian]

Unless and until it's illegal to do so, making it seem illegal isn't, IMO, the right way to disagree with the practice.

Unethical. It might be illegal. But maybe there's a loophole that lets Perry give himself a big raise by taking a pension before he actually retires. It's illegal for regular state workers, of course.

And since Perry has loudly complained about such double-dipping, he's pretty much exposed himself, now that people have caught him doing it.

 

[some other dude]

Perry is paid $132,995 to run the state of Texas, but he also collects a monthly annuity of $7,698.96 — more than $92,000 per year — in early retirement, according to disclosure forms filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan said the arrangement is "part of (Perry’s) standard financial planning" and "is consistent with Texas state law and Employee Retirement System rules," citing what’s known as the "rule of 80," which allows state employees to start drawing on their retirement if their age plus years of service credit totals at least 80.


http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view.bg?articleid=1389127


So the thing to be determined is, is it legal? If it is, then couching it as "has now been caught" is disingenuous. Barbarian can argue the ethics of it or the PC-ness of it, but I don't think it's right to make it look something other than what it is.

barbie seems to be trying desperately to make the case that Perry wouldn't allow other state employees to take advantage of the "rule of 80."

I wonder if he can provide any evidence, or if this is just another typical barbie "I hate the Republicans and don't care how badly I lie about them" ploy.

Either way, it's a transparent look at our obsessed friend who so badly needs the healing that comes from accepting Christ.

 

[annabenedetti]

Unethical. It might be illegal. But maybe there's a loophole that lets Perry give himself a big raise by taking a pension before he actually retires. It's illegal for regular state workers, of course.

And since Perry has loudly complained about such double-dipping, he's pretty much exposed himself, now that people have caught him doing it.

I repeat. There are many government workers already doing so. I know it happens at the federal level. So, as far as I can tell at this moment, it's not illegal.
Is it unethical? If you think it is, you could make a case for it if you weren't so busy trying to make it look like he's doing something illegal.

It would be so refreshing if just once you might admit you'd overreached a bit. We're all human, Barbarian, and no one is right all the time.

 

[The Barbarian]

It would be so refreshing if just once you might admit you'd overreached a bit. We're all human, Barbarian, and no one is right all the time.

As you see, the issue is not that it's illegal. It might be, but the issue is that Perry, in attacking others for double-dipping, put himself in a very bad position by doing it himself. For example, my combined military and state service would qualify me for that "rule of 80" pension as well. But of course, regular employees are forbidden to do it. Perry has done the very thing that he condemned, and there are consequences.

If you'll check, you'll find that the blowback so far has validated that.

barbie seems to be trying desperately to make the case that Perry wouldn't allow other state employees to take advantage of the "rule of 80." I wonder if he can provide any evidence,

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/rick-perry-retires-early-to-collect-pension-benefits/

I'm not deliberately trying to pull you into ambushes, Sod. It's just not your day.

 

[some other dude]

By Arlette Saenz
@ArletteSaenz

Rick Klein
@rickklein
Dec 16, 2011 3:26pmRick Perry ‘Retires’ Early To Collect Pension Benefits
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Rick Perry’s personal financial disclosure released today shows the Texas governor essentially “retired” in January to begin the early collection of pension benefits, drastically increasing his take home pay as governor.

The FEC disclosure revealed Perry’s gross annual income as governor of Texas of $150,000 was supplemented in the last year by a $7,698 annuity each month, totaling $92,376 a year. This raises the Texas governor’s total annual income to more than $240,000.

The story was first reported by the Texas Tribune.

Ray Sullivan, communications director for Perry, told ABC News the governor started receiving the Texas state employee retirement annuity on Jan. 31, 2011, and said “the annuity is consistent with Texas state law and Employee Retirement System rules.”

Per Sullivan, Perry, 61, qualified for the annuity based on the state’s rule of 80, which combined Perry’s service in the U.S. military, state service and age.

Sullivan noted “Perry continues to pay into the Employees Retirement System with a 6.5 percent withholding from his state salary.”

Perry defended his use of the system while he continues to serve as governor saying, “That’s been in place for decades and I bought my military time and then obviously the 25 years of public service time, so as you reach that age you become eligible for it, so I don’t find that to be you know out of the ordinary.”

“I think it’d be rather foolish to not access what you’ve earned,” Perry told ABC News.

Perry has admonished the distribution of special perks to members of Congress and also called for reforms to the Social Security system.

The FEC disclosure also revealed Perry’s wife, Anita, received an $65,000 annual consulting fee from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

UPDATE: A bit of context that has Democrats particularly gleeful – over the summer, Gov. Perry signed a bill that makes it more difficult for teachers in Texas to engage in this kind of “double-dipping” of getting a pension while still working.

New retirees in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas have to be out of the teaching workforce for a full year before they can go back to work, or they risk losing a portion of their pensions. (The bill didn’t apply to the broader Employee Retirement System that Perry, as a former state lawmaker, is part of.)

Tough luck for you barbie. :idunno:


I can see why you'd be so furious at Perry that you'd make irrational claims.

 

[The Barbarian]

I'm not sure Americans are going to be impressed that Perry's P.R. employee has endorsed his boss's double-dipping. And it's not just teachers that Perry kept from doing the same thing he's doing. The real issue with teachers is that some school districts of Texas have a hard time finding math and science teachers, and now he's penalized them for persuading retired teachers to come back to make up for the shortage.

The state is financially strapped at the moment, and he says we can't afford to pay them. So far, that's not playing very well with Texans, given Perry's personal behavior.

 

[some other dude]

The real issue with teachers is that some school districts of Texas have a hard time finding math and science teachers, and now he's penalized them for persuading retired teachers to come back to make up for the shortage.

Only if they've been retired for less than a year. :idunno:

 

[The Barbarian]

Barbarian observes:
The real issue with teachers is that some school districts of Texas have a hard time finding math and science teachers, and now he's penalized them for persuading retired teachers to come back to make up for the shortage.

Only if they've been retired for less than a year.

How long was Perry not working before he took his "retirement" raise?

Oh, that's right. He never did stop working. His publicity guy just says that he had the opportunity to cash in before he actually retired, so he took the money. Just being smart, he says.

Maybe not so smart for a guy running for president in a state that's running out of cash.

 

[some other dude]

How long was Perry not working before he took his "retirement" raise?

How long was he not working as a teacher?

About 61 years I guess. :idunno:

 

[Delmar]

Ethics watchdogs, meanwhile, say Perry's campaign may have violated state disclosure laws because of the vague way he's reported what his staff calls "incidental" spending at the mansion.

Perry is not in my top 3, but may have? Are you kidding?

 

[The Barbarian]

Perry is not in my top 3, but may have?

Yep. His publicist insists that it's legal, but far as I know, no governor has ever tried to double-dip before. The real consequences are probably in terms of votes, as that kind of greed is going to play very poorly in a state where the governor insists there isn't enough money available to meet the state's constitutional obligations.

 

[some other dude]

Yep. His publicist insists that it's legal, but far as I know, no governor has ever tried to double-dip before. The real consequences are probably in terms of votes, as that kind of greed is going to play very poorly in a state where the governor insists there isn't enough money available to meet the state's constitutional obligations.

Isn't it interesting that even with his double dipping, Governor Perry makes less than the Beaumont Independent School District Superintendent's $347,842 ?

And isn't it interesting that barbie prefers to rail against Republican Governor Perry and not fat cat Democrat school officials? :chuckle:

 

[some other dude]

In fact, fifty-one (that's right - 51 ) Texas School District Superintendents make more than Governor Perry's paltry $225k double-dip. :chuckle:


Facts barbie doesn't want us to know.

 

[The Barbarian]

How many of them have drawn retirement pay before actually retiring? Oh wait, Perry made sure that no public employee could do that, so none of them are.

Well, for some reason, the governor's situation isn't clearly defined. Must have been an error, um?

 

[some other dude]

You can tell barbie's getting furious when the "um"s start. :chuckle:

Better settle down barbie.

So you chose the wrong career path. You screwed up. It's not the end of the world. Just because other people are doing better than you are is no reason to lie about them and hate them. :idunno:

 

[The Barbarian]

Sod has a white flag with "evil Barbarian" on it. Whenever he runs out of arguments, he waves it, so we know he's finished.

Thank you, Sod.

 

[some other dude]

Looks like this is barbie's new strategy to extricate himself with "dignity" once he's been shown to be dishonest yet again.


Poor barbie.

You don't have to be evil barbie. Seek Christ. In His healing embrace you will no longer feel the need to lie about others in order to vent your anger.

 

[The Barbarian]

Yes, we see the white flag. I'll be standing by if you think of any other arguments you might make.

 

[some other dude]

Ah barbie, that compulsion to lie is a strong one, isn't it?


I'll say a prayer for you tonight.