DROP-kicked!
So I go away for a couple of days and suddenly the biggest story on the planet is Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters. Good! Their unethical behavior has been one of the many roadblocks to progress in the country -- I'd like to see both of them resign, but if there must be a trial, bring it on. Apparently the Democrats will pay a political price for....not quashing a probe into their two worst apples? Only in America. Meanwhile, it should be noted that here in Philadelphia we have a word for people like Rangel and Waters.
Philadelphia's controversial DROP retirement program has cost the city $258 million in extra pension costs over the last decade, according to a much-anticipated report by Boston College researchers released today.
As noted:
The program was initially touted as adding minimal costs while giving the city a strong tool to help with succession planning.
But critics said drop was costly and created the appearance that employees were "double-dipping," collecting both salaries and pensions.
And when high-ranking city officials - and later, elected officials - enrolled in DROP, quit briefly to collect their lump-sum payments, and then returned to their jobs, it unleashed taxpayer fury. Union leaders blame those actions for tainting a program they argue is a valuable benefit with minimal cost.
In a COMPLETELY unrelated matter, there's this:
The city has started temporarily closing fire stations in order to balance its budget. The rolling "brownouts" began with the closing of three fire companies as of 8:05 a.m. Monday.
Not staffing the firehouses will save the city an estimated $3.8 million, or about 15 percent of what greedy pols and the like were stuffing into their pockets under the DROP program. Philadelphia can't get rid of this ridiculous program fast enough.