Excessive Payments to Elected Public Officials

Excessive Payments to Elected Public Officials

People who are elected to public office are accountable to the citizens and taxpayers for their conduct and for spending of tax dollars. The original motivation for running for public office was that of wanting to Money provide a public service, not personal financial gain. In recent years, however, scandals regarding public officials taking financial advantage of their position have become more frequent just as the reports of excessive payments to CEO’s have become commonplace. (See post 4/6/07) The Seattle PI reports that the outgoing chief executive of the Port of Seattle has not only been paid a whopping $339,841.00 a year salary (as well as a large expense account) but will receive this for a year after he retires as a retirement package in addition to an annual pension of $107,000 per year. Not only that, but authorization for the retirement gift was apparently made by one Commissioner. When challenged by the other Commissioners she insisted they had all agreed, but that it as done in executive session, without an staff in attendance and where no minutes or records are kept. Keep in mind the President of the United States is paid $400,000 so his annual salary was almost as much as that of the President. But, now we have this huge severance package which has caused controversy since the P.I. exposed it, as well it should. Most of us have almost given up ever having the federal government held accountable for their abuse of taxpayers money, but on a local level we held out the hope of maintaining some fiscal accountability. The P.I. is to be congratulated for being the watchdog on this issue. As it said in an Editorial: "Secrecy, clubbiness and grand expenditures of public money to smooth any strains are precisely the problems the port must address."

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