3 ms·
What's the difference between retiring and taking a job elsewhere and retiring and taking the same job? If these people want to keep working to make additional
by allenp 16y ago
What's the difference between retiring and taking a job elsewhere and retiring and taking the same job? If these people want to keep working to make additional money on top of their pension payout that is their choice. The bottom line is that the pension draw is going to happen after they've been working for 30 years.
The only scheming I see is the possibility of circumventing state mandated hiring practices to not have to compete for their old jobs back.
What is really broken, in my opinion, isn't the double-dipping as much as the system that makes double-dipping a drain on the public good. If instead of a pension the money was drawn from a 401k would we have the same feelings against this behavior?
Edit: Tried to clarify/stay focused.
- spoiledtechie 16y agoIts not just the old jobs back. They do this because they know its possible and allowed. Lets say your out in the work force. Work for 20 years and decide to retire. You don't get your pension until you turn 65 in the U.S. These double dippers start their pension right away. So they are collecting on the pension while they get rehired. Government pension usually does not stop paying out when you decide to go back to work in your mid 40's. They pay you even if you took the same exact job back. So not only is a official getting paid their current salary, they are also getting paid their pension on top of that and they are only 40. When they go another 20 years and retire, their pension doubles. And if they are alive for the next 40 years after, we as tax payers are paying double their salary. Its immoral.
- bphogan 16y agoWith the exception of these higher-level executive positions, the state gets workers on the cheap for those 20 years. My student interns graduate making 1.5 to 2x what I make per year. Seriously, are you gonna do Oracle DBA duties for $50k a year at a university or $100k a year in industry? Taxpayers don't want to pay high state salaries, even though they end up doing so with the pensions. And I'm one of those burdened taxpayers too. I have to pay state taxes at my state job :) So I literally pay part of my own salary. I choose to work here for lower pay. But I have a great job that I love. There's no better reward than teaching people to program. Not everyone's in that same boat. And I won't lie - if the opportunity presented itself for me to retire, keep my pension, and come back to work, I don't think I'd feel too bad about it. Can you honestly say you wouldn't do the same?
- yummyfajitas 16y agoSeriously, are you gonna do Oracle DBA duties for $50k a year at a university or $100k a year in industry? In my experience, the administrators making $50k in academia would be making precisely $0 in industry. Unlike academia, industry cares about getting things done.
- bphogan 16y agoIn my experience, "getting stuff done" in the academic world isn't about making money for the business owner. It's about teaching students. So I think your statement is a little unfair. Network admins, DBAs, and developers have to keep the infrastructure working so people can teach, and students can learn. Try explaining to a student that you lost her transcripts, or explain to the government how someone got in and got 10,000 SSNs from your database. The challenges are the same. But it's a lot harder when you can't hire the DBAs who know how to stop that kind of stuff cos you can only pay $50,000. And there's no shortage of under-qualified IT "professionals" in industry. If you've ever done code audits for others, like I have, you know what I'm talking about.
- spoiledtechie 16y agoIts like asking me if I am a moral man. Do I worry about stealing from other people? Yes. Do I worry about stealing from people that pay their HARD EARNED money into a big pot and distribute it wrongfully. Yes. If I were to compare this type of wrong doing to another industry, I would put it right along with Gambling. Working for a Casino is a moral question. Thou shall not Gamble. Sure they pay a bunch of money and if I cheat the system, I can get paid better. I only care about my self anyway, right. Wrong... If people stop caring for other people, then what will this world come to? I would rather do the Moral thing and NOT cheat other people out of their tax money. But thats just me.