Rick Scott: pay cuts for union workers … raises for his appointees

March 28, 2011 · Posted in Florida, Gollum is Governor, News and Current Affairs, People, Political News, Rick Scott 

Rick Scott and his staff are living it up. As for the rest of you? Sorry, suckers!

Rick Scott says he’s running Florida like a business. Apparently, that business is on Wall Street.

And just like Wall Street, the big boys are getting raises, while the low level staffers are getting the shaft.

When he’s not trying to yank paid holidays state workers don’t even have, or working with his minions in the state legislature to gut union benefits, or just play laying folks off, Scott is asking those who remain on the state payroll to cut back on salary, take a pay cut to fund more of their benefits, and submit their urine to the state for random drug tests.

But not everybody is being asked to sacrifice. From the Florida Tribune:

State employees haven’t received a raise in more than four years, but most agency heads that Gov. Rick Scott has appointed are making $20,000 a year more than their predecessors.

Scott has named 10 new department heads with salaries of $140,000 compared to $120,000 or less for their predecessors, according to a web site database launched by the governor.

Scott this week named three agency secretaries, with both Ken Lawson at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Dr. Frank Farmer, secretary of theDepartment of Health, earning will $140,000 compared to $120,000 for their predecessors.Liz Dudek was elevated to secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration at $140,000 a year compared to $164,380 for her predecessor, Tom Arnold.

Asked this week why he was paying most of his secretaries significantly more when state employees haven’t been given a raise, Scott did not directly answer the question. Instead he said that state employees are “very hard working people.”

“And they clearly are doing a great job for the citizens of our state,” Scott told reporters. “And I want to make sure I do everything I can to make sure we get the best people and we pay them a fair wage.”

Some former agency heads now are making more money under Scott than when they previously served as heads of those agencies.

Secretary of State Kurt Browning is receiving $140,000 now compared to the $120,000 he received secretary of state from 2007 to April 2010, when he resigned his position. Browning was enrolled in the Deferred Retirement Option Program and was required to resign in 2010. He received a lump sum payment of nearly $500,000.

At the Division of Emergency Management, former Director Dave Halstead now receives $110,000, which is $5,000 more than he received as director in 2010. Scott appointed Bryan Koon in February to take over the division with a salary of $140,000 per year. A division spokesman earlier this month said Halstead remains there because of his valuable experience in dealing with disasters.

Eight department heads apparently continue to work under Scott for the same salaries they received in 2010 under Gov. Charlie Crist. The salaries of former agency heads can be accessed at another database established in 2009 by WTSP in Tampa.

Don’t you love the way that works?

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Comments

16 Responses to “Rick Scott: pay cuts for union workers … raises for his appointees”

  1. Alicia on March 28th, 2011 11:07 am

    Once again the rich is getting richer on the backs of the poor and middle class people. Since, we have to cut the budget let’s start at the top!!!

  2. Flo on March 28th, 2011 11:45 am

    Isn’t that the sort of thing that got the Miami mayor recalled?? If only we could do that to this guy.

  3. Rose Thompson on March 28th, 2011 11:53 am

    Why can’t we ??????

  4. Flo on March 28th, 2011 12:14 pm

    Rose, I don’t think Florida has a recall procedure for Governor; maybe Joy can clarify.

  5. jreid on March 28th, 2011 2:56 pm

    @Rose, @Flo –
    Florida currently has no recall mechanism for governor, statewide officials or members of the state house and Senate. There is a bill sponsored by Dems to try and get an amendment initiative on the 2012 ballot, but it likely won’t go anywhere. It would take a citizen-driven petition to get such an amendment on the ballot.

    Currently, the only way to get rid of Scott would be to impeach him, but first you’d have to do better than the federal government did in 1997 of catching him in a crime.

  6. Flo on March 28th, 2011 3:33 pm

    Or we could hire Paula Jones to make up a story.

  7. Rita Cassady on March 29th, 2011 12:00 am

    No, I din't and that photo is really pissing me off,too.

  8. Nathan on March 28th, 2011 10:59 pm

    I bet before long the citizens will hit the pavement and go get the required signatures. No one seems to want him anymore.

  9. motorfingaz on March 28th, 2011 11:46 pm

    What kind of freak is he?? Look at him!!!

  10. DirtyScott on March 29th, 2011 12:02 am

    Hopefully something gets pinned on him soon. The snake can only slip through the slime for so long…

  11. Lars M. on March 29th, 2011 3:51 pm

    On Facebook there is a link titled “RECALL FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT” , It has a petition attached plus other information.
    When all is said and done, “Slick Rick Must Go, He Is Bad For Florida”!!!

  12. judy mccracken on March 30th, 2011 12:56 pm

    No recall option..sounds like a petition for an admendment to recall might be possible…many groups are irate re this guy, but hands are tied and he knows it, hence the crazy glare in his eyes..I hope Fla has an opportunity to undo everything this crook has done to date…I bet we will be more aware and active nxt time around…

  13. Michelle steele on March 30th, 2011 2:14 pm

    So disappointing. Take it from the everday workers but my staff gets raises. Well what did we expect looking at his history?

  14. Rex Uranus on April 12th, 2011 12:21 pm

    WORSE THAN WALL STREET – this guy is paying his cronies these highfalutin salaries with YOUR MONEY. And not your money that you bought a valuable product or service with, but money confiscated from you by his taxing authority! Kinda makes me wonder about the state of Florida’s budget and debt – if FL is like other states, he is blowing the budget and saddling the state’s residents with MORE DEBT just so he can give his cronies those enormous raises!! No doubt it is worth it to him, if 20K of YOUR money buys HIM their silence about his antics…

  15. Anne on May 5th, 2011 7:03 pm

    I work for the state. After 23 years at a job that requires a college degree, I make $37,000. I have not had a raise in 5 years, and now I’m moving backward because I have to contribute more for health insurance, and I have to start contributing to a retirement fund “because the private sector does”. Right, and a person in the private sector with my job and experience would make $60,000. I voted for Rick Scott, and I rue the day. I have been a die hard Repubilican but never again. These hypocrites like Scott and President of the Senate Haridopolis who has 33 people on his staff making over $100,000 (one making $179,000) should be tossed out on their ears.

  16. Rick Scott’s Guide to Unpopularity « Main Street on December 7th, 2011 2:55 pm

    [...] 6.)    Display your callous disregard for working families by raising the salaries of your personal staff while slashing wages for state employees. [...]

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