JACKSONVILLE, FL

May 10, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County (“CTDC”) praise Mayor Alvin Brown for his stand on cost-savings at the new courthouse and congratulate him for his veto of the City Council’s attempt to force disbursement of $750,000 in taxpayer money to pay for furniture in 37 hearing rooms.

“At over $20,000 for a table and chairs in each room the Mayor is right to say the courts need to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible with what is in the current courthouse and in city inventories,” said Victor Wilhelm, a director and former president of the CTDC.  “The Mayor’s frugal attitude is refreshingly different from that of Chief Judge Donald Moran, who presided over the nearly doubled construction costs for the courts and who has threatened to let the new facility sit unused unless he gets new furniture.  There is no irony in the fact that while the Mayor took a voluntary pay cut Judge Moran is both collecting a $113,000 annual pension as a retired judge and his $142,000 salary as a sitting judge, and is more than halfway vested to getting a second pension as judge.  On top of that Judge Moran got a lump sum retirement distribution from the state in 2008 of over $571,000.  The judge said he might loan the courthouse a few card tables until the furniture he wants arrives.  Maybe Judge Moran could use part of the million dollars plus he’s been paid by the taxpayers in the last three and a half years to chip in.”

Nick Callahan, a CTDC member who initially researched the “double dip” enjoyed by Judge Moran, noted that technically the Judge “retired” for pension collection purposes in June 2003.  For five years after that the state paid Judge Moran his full salary and also paid his pension, initially over $89,000 a year, into a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) account.  In 2008 Judge Moran was allowed by the retirement system to finish his term as judge and officially retire from state employment, taking the lump sum and then collecting his pension directly.  Judge Moran, however, took advantage of a loophole by taking office again following his unopposed election in 2008.  The judge then began also earning credit toward a second state pension from the start of his new term as though he were a newly elected official.  If Judge Moran serves or buys in another two years and nine months he will be vested and eligible to receive a second lifetime pension on top of the first.  Assuming Judge Moran is reelected in 2014 and serves until his mandatory retirement date at the end of 2015, his second pension should start at approximately $30,000 a year, on top of the first pension (currently over $113,000).

Information in this press release is based on responses to public record requests directed to Senior Benefits Analysts at the Florida Department of Management Services, Division of Retirement, Research and Education Section, and applicable Florida Statutes.  Additional information is available from John Winkler,  CTDC president, jswpa@yahoo.com or (904) 384-9918.

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A recent article in a local paper referenced the need and value for Taxpayer funded lobbyists.

Taxpayer Funded Lobbyists

Should Taxpayer money be used to lobby on behalf of the city government politicians?  It appears that more often than not that these lobbyists work AGAINST the interests of Taxpayers.

CTDC members recall in particular how the Taxpayer’s money was used to lobby directly against Taxpayer interests.  During our effort to get the Taxpayer Protection Amendment on the ballot, powerful municipal government special interests poured money into lobbyists to defeat the bill to put the amendment on the ballot.

The local politicos appear more interested in using taxpayer funds to fuel lobbyists for “revenue enhancements” and other schemes to get even more Taxpayer money.

Even if all this was not the case, don’t we elect representatives to lobby Tallahassee for our interests?  Isn’t that the entire point of having elected representation?  Taxpayer’s already pay the salaries of politicians and their staff to speak (in theory) on our behalf.

Of the dozens of high paid political appointees by the mayor, couldn’t a few bother to follow what is going on in Tallahassee or (god forbid) make the two hour trip to Tallahassee to speak to these issues or just make a phone call? After all, this is the job that they are paid for.  Perhaps the mayor’s staff is too busy tending to local affairs.  Duval County has a delegation of state house and senate representatives that are elected to represent our interests.  Why do they need lobbyists influencing their decisions?

It would appear that the city is faced with perpetual budget “gaps” year after year.  Isn’t time to start spending hard earned Taxpayer money on the essentials first before worrying about lining the pockets of lobbyists and special interests?  Tell the Duval Delegation and the mayor’s staff to start doing their job and do a little homework on what’s going on.  Perhaps pick up the phone or make a day trip to Tallahassee once in a while.

Taxpayers already pay through the nose for the salaries of elected officials and their staff, not to mention the cost of funding elections.  We have already paid our share for representation of our interests.  If politicians are too busy representing special interests instead of constituent interests, it is time for them to go!

Please feel free to leave your comments below and tell us what you think.

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