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Suncoast Pasco News

Double Dipping

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FROM A READER

Published: March 11, 2009

Editor:

Again we are faced with another double dipping scheme by our local politicians.

It seems New Port Richey cannot find a qualified replacement for the current city manager, so it is ready to abuse the taxpayers once again by having him retire and then rehiring him after a short vacation.

At this time of extensive economic woes and a shortfall of funds from the local through the national level, elected officials are all set to perpetuate a scam that was written into law some years back. New Port Richey government is planning to throw more money into this abyss when it should look for ways to economize.

Its justification for this lame action is that the individual has done a good job and he signed up for the Deferred Retirement Option Program in 2004.

He did not join DROP as city manager but as the public works director. Both the city elected officials and the "retiree" are abusing DROP by trying to keep him employed in a job other than the one he was in when he signed up.

DROP is supposed to be used to provide more time for finding and developing a suitable replacement, not for rewarding friends with two checks at the taxpayers' expense.

The elected officials of NPR have been extremely deficient in doing their job of implementing an effective personnel management system.

It's time they stopped double dipping the taxpayers and do their job.

Dale Gottschalk
Hudson

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