http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/traffic/...-perks-for-nj-turnpike-employees-20101019-apx MYFOXNY.COM - Auditors say the New Jersey Turnpike Authority wasted $43 million on unneeded perks and bonuses. In one case, an employee with a base salary of $73,469 earned $321,985 when all payouts and bonuses were included. The audit says that toll dollars From the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway were spent on items ranging from an employee bowling league to employee bonuses for working on birthdays and holidays. It took place as tolls were being increased. The biggest expense uncovered in the audit was $30 million in unjustified bonuses to employees and management in 2008 and 2009 without consideration of performance. One example was paying employees overtime for removing snow and working holidays and then giving additional "snow removal bonuses" and "holiday bonuses." The Comptroller's Office audit released Tuesday says taxpayers also paid $430,000 for free E-ZPass transponders for employees to get to work and nearly $90,000 in scholarships for workers' kids. The audit shows turnpike authority employees got bonuses and overtime for working their birthdays and holidays. Comptroller Matt Boxer says tolls are set for another increase in 2012. "While tolls are going up, the Turnpike Authority is overpaying its employees, overpaying its management, overpaying for its health plan and overpaying for legal services," Boxer said in a statement. Public money was also used to cover costs for a toll operators event that none of the authority's employees actually attended. Another audit finding was that employees were allowed to cash out a portion of their unused sick and vacation days at the end of the year to circumvent the current $15,000 limit for sick leave payouts upon retirement. That cost $3.8 million a year. Among the questionable legal expenses was a billing for $111,840 for a law firm's weekly internal status meetings that were generally attended by 10 to 15 of the firm's attorneys and two to three of its paralegals.
that's nearly $250,000 in bonuses.....i don't get it. I'm surprised to hear these toll workers base salary is over $60k. Only if the toll booth was big enough for my trading setup.....rrgrrrrrrgggg
Hey, the poor slob worked on his birthday and shoveled a little snow off the toll booth median. That's gotta be worth most of that extra $200,000. Right? Just ask his union boss.
Don't despair, this is just the beginning of what are sure to be many, many states opening up the bag of dirty laundry. That's why these bureaucratic hacks do everything in their power to coerce anyone who will listen to vote for their lackey. The skeletons in the closets of these public sector sinkholes will amaze everyone. As the article states, tolls increase while these fuckwits rob the place blind. $321,000 for a toll worker..I don't care if the guy is the king of the dipshits in the toll organization, there is zero justification for that kind of salary. The worst of the worst find their way into these organizations...usually a combination of nepotism and organized crime.
I believe the original Illinois toll roads were to be enacted for 4 years to pay for the construction cost and maintenance. These toll roads are being privatized in sweetheart deals.. much like the Chicago parking meters. These private hands have political connections and effectively a license to steal.
Yep. Back in the 70's tolls were put in place to pay for the construction of I-294. Once the project was paid for the tolls were to be removed. LOLOL. More than 30 years later they are still here and yes, good old Mayor Daley sold the City of Chicago down the river by turning the parking meters over to a private company. If I recall correctly, it was one of the large Investment Banks that bought the rights to the meters for a song. While we're on the topic of roads. Good grief! The road construction in the Chicagoland area is enough to make you want to carry a Beretta with you on your drive home so you can put yourself out of your misery when you need to. I was driving south on I-294 about 9:30pm (thankfully it was late) and they had the freakin' expressway closed down to 1 lane -- 1 blasted lane!