Quoted Text

Mayor to receive both pension, pay
But Schenectady's McCarthy says he'll save city $20G in pension cost
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer
Published 11:11 p.m., Sunday, December 11, 2011


SCHENECTADY — Next year, Mayor-elect Gary McCarthy will become one of the many former government employees in New York state who continues to work full time while collecting a pension.

McCarthy will soon retire from his job as an investigator in the Schenectady County district attorney's office while earning his $96,700-a-year salary as Schenectady's mayor.

But McCarthy is putting his own twist on it, saying he's going to be saving Schenectady about $20,000 by not requiring the city to kick into the state pension system on his behalf.

The Democrat, who defeated his opponent, former Union College President Roger Hull, by only 89 votes in a hard-fought race, said he's decided to retire at the minimum age of 55, thereby securing him a pension based on his three top years of salary during his 30-year job. McCarthy made about $105,000 with the county last year, and he's allowed to get up to 60 percent of the highest three years. But his pension will be less as he's taking an allowance to cover his wife at the time of his death.

It's unknown what McCarthy's exact pension will be; it can take eight to nine months for the state to calculate the amount.

Many former government officials have gotten heat over what is commonly called "double-dipping," when a person takes his/her pension while continuing to work. An individual must get a waiver from the state to do so, but that does not apply for elected officials, whose employment is dependent on the voters.

For example, McCarthy supporter, Democratic Congressman and former Assemblyman Rep. Paul D. Tonko received his $64,632 state pension last year in addition to his $174,000 federal salary................>>>>....................>>>>>...................Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Mayor-to-receive-both-pension-pay-2396105.php#ixzz1gJlWTyvD

"In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment."

It's okay. McCarthy believes the City taxpayers are his personal ATM....for pet projects, his own personal income....whatever he needs to make a withdrawl for.  

Quoted from rachel72

"In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment."

It's okay. McCarthy believes the City taxpayers are his personal ATM....for pet projects, his own personal income....whatever he needs to make a withdrawal for.  

Working together works! Another scoop for the Times Union. In the grand DEM tradition of Congressman Tonko and Assemblyman McNulty. Did you except him to scrape by on the meager City salary? The grand sense of entitlement-illusions of competency. Meanwhile more City residents put out for sale by owner signs and go into tax foreclosure.

He's so nice that he chose the lesser amount so that his wife can be the survivors benefits.  This should also help us out.....since she looks 35 years old.......anyone know how these situations typically work out?

Since he squeaked by with the smallest margin in City history; he's knocked down a historic gem Downtown, pulled the SPD Traffic Office out of Hamilton Hill, socialized the City pollution plant hiring 22 new City workers {to save money- lol}, and taken a huge double dip screwing all County taxpayers. And he hasn't even been sworn in yet. Keep the DEM implosion going!

dems fat morris death ray arrgggggggg

Unadulterated Schenectady/Facebook

But he sold Stratton's Jeep? BFD! How can someone with no private sector expertise run government like a business? Buyer's remorse before he is even sworn in. Rotsa Ruck with his other high priced "savings".

The JERK claims he's going to sacve the taxpayers $20K but in reality he is charging them much more.   Net gain for him

And this is a mayor who will propose a budget every year, most likely raising taxes.   McC will look at the budget stuff and think "gee, taxes aren't so bad, I can absorb a 10% increae."

This action is PROOF POSTIIVE that McC has ABSOLUTEY NO CLUE WHATSOEVER what the average, typical taxpayer/homeonwer/city resident is going through.

And WHY did McC keep this a big secret??????????     Why did he CHOOSE to keep silent about his theft from the taxpayers til AFTER the election ???????  

FOR SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!      Perhaps McC is in competition with fat Morris.   And in the words of DV, "I predict."      I predict that when the time comes that he is no longer the mayor, that he too will flee the city----just wait until all the ills of the city reach his partof the city----when his hotsy-totsy neighborhood is surrounded by vacant, decaying houses, overgrown lawns, and drug dealing occuring on the corners, and drive-by's during the day.   It's one think for McCarthy to ride on a trash truck and VIEW decrepit houses in the city, it's totally another thing to LIVE among them and all the other problems that have exacerbated under the dems

Hugh Farley is a TRIPLE DIPPER but the  teabagger/NNTP nayboob Republicans won't say a word against that.
They (nayboobs) are all hypocrites.

I'm curious, if he is not using a city owner vehicle, not turning in for gas mileage on his personal vehicle....who is responsible if he gets into a accident while on city business?  Will his private personal insurance pay out?  Will the city have to be sued to cover the accident?

The other thing is all this bs about not taking this and not taking that sure sounds good when he is all the talk of the town but what happens when the spotlight fades?  Does he sneak all these things back in when folks are not paying attention or really reviewing the budget prior to voting on it?  

Quoted from mikechristine1

The JERK claims he's going to save the taxpayers $20K but in reality he is charging them much more.   Net gain for him. And this is a mayor who will propose a budget every year, most likely raising taxes.   The JERK

Exactly as he did for the past 16 years. He supported raising taxes MORE than Stratton. He's lying about saving a million by hiring 22 at the pollution plant. And they actually print it. And some DEM politard actually posts he will be re-elected 3 times? He didn't win once.

Quoted from Cel

I'm curious, if he is not using a city owner vehicle, not turning in for gas mileage on his personal vehicle....who is responsible if he gets into a accident while on city business?  Will his private personal insurance pay out?  Will the city have to be sued to cover the accident?

The other thing is all this bs about not taking this and not taking that sure sounds good when he is all the talk of the town but what happens when the spotlight fades?  Does he sneak all these things back in when folks are not paying attention or really reviewing the budget prior to voting on it?  

If he is driving his personal vehicle and is involved in an accident, his personal auto insurance policy would cover it  (his damages and if he is personally sued) ----  I suppose that an attorney might try to sue the city, too ....  but that would be a stretch.  

I don't know if the issue is as cut and dry as this.  

If someone earns a pension, why should they denied the right to run for public office?  This is not like retiring then getting an appointment to another government position - they
had an election and the voters (closeness of election acknowledged) and he won.  

To argue otherwise would be to say that anyone who earns a pension is not eligible to run  for public office.  

If the taxpayer has a say in it, by means of the elective process, and it does not cost the taxpayer anymore than it would to pay anyone else as Mayor - I do not think this is the double dipping scenario.