From the Orange County Register:
An unlikely voice has joined the pension debate, singling out what he calls “pension abuse†in Orange County.Nick Berardino (left), general manager for the Orange County Employees Association, says the countywide practice of hiring retired county employees to return and perform part time work is wrong. At a time when the county continues laying off employees, it’s not fair to keep retirees on the county’s payroll while they’re also collecting pensions, he says.“If they eliminate this abuse, they’ll have room for people continuing to work who are paying for their retirement,†Berardino said. “Double dippers under any circumstances are wrong.â€
Berardino’s criticism comes amid discussions with the sheriff’s department over plans to lay off 29 non-sworn sheriff’s workers represented by OCEA. He’s hoping to convince the department to find other ways to save money in hopes of saving jobs. And he’s arguing that full time employees pay into the pension fund, while working retirees just suck it dry.
Read the complete story here.