The Employee Bowling League?!
I'm gonna get me a government job, because they're the kind that really, really pay. From MyFoxNY, the New Jersey Turnpike wasted $43 million on employee perks and bonuses. Luke Funk writes:
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.
Their birthdays? If you're over 12, I don't want to hear about your birthday, and taxpayers sure shouldn't be paying for it.
When your a responsible adult the biggest bonus you should expect on your birthday is a birthday cake and a half hearted and horrible sing along of the Happy Birthday Song (TM). And if you do not get thats - themz the breaks.
John Paulson at October 21, 2010 4:41 AM
Fortunately, I have a hidden birthday. It's real easy to lose January 2 in the shuffle. Mostly, I work that day, but every now and again, I'll take a vacation day to cover it.
But man, I'm working for the wrong state. I don't get bonuses, and worse I'm on salary, so if I need to put in 60 hours this week, I do.
I R A Darth Aggie at October 21, 2010 7:07 AM
So where are the global warming zealots? An idling car is a uselessly polluting car.
The whole idea of forcing people to wait while tolls can be collected is so 19th century. I'm against tolls because of the wasted gas and time and money. Raise the gas tax and make the road free.
The direct cost of these toll collectors is the tip of the iceberg. They are civil servants and are going to collect extravagant pensions on top of their outrageous salaries.
MarkD at October 21, 2010 7:35 AM
Problem is, it does no good to raise the gas tax. Highway funds financed by gas taxes are commonly raided by politicians to finance general fund deficits. Then, when there's no money left to fix roads, these same politicians cry that there's no money, and propose both tolls and increases in the gas tax.
It's never an either/or with them. They want both. All the better to take the maximum amount possible out of your pocket.
cpabroker at October 21, 2010 10:37 AM
Turnpike tolls are a scandal. The Massachusts Turnpike has been captured by the unions running it. → Mass Turnpike 2009 Financial
They collected $141 million in tolls and fees. The operating expenses (not including road repair) were $-97.8 million, fully 69% of what they collected.
They spent 69% merely collecting the money. It is a scam on the public, and the high employee salaries, benefits, and perks are the core of that scam.
Andrew_M_Garland at October 21, 2010 1:56 PM
For people worries about the gas being emitted by cars idling, how about trying to get all states to synchronize their traffic lights? Some towns have them synchronized, and you can just cruise on through the lights if you get to the right speed; saves a lot of idling.
KrisL at October 21, 2010 6:12 PM
Wait, these guys run turnpike and the author thinks they should keep snow removal operations to 8-5 monday through friday to cut overtime?
smurfy at October 22, 2010 5:00 PM
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