Every time I pick up the paper there is news of another ethically challenged appointment by one of our new Republican state wide office holders. First it's the governor appointing Glenn Coffee, term limited and now former state senator as Secretary of State. The former Secretary of State pulled in about 94K. It will be interesting to see what Coffee ends up making.
Next John Doak, the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, appointed 3 former Republican legislators who lost in the primaries to now serve as deputy insurance commissioners. The Democratic Commissioner had only 4 deputies but now we need 7? Their credentials are outstanding too, one was a wholesale air-conditioning distributor, another a realtor, and the third a banker. How any of those disciplines are relevant to the insurance commission beats me.
The Superintendent of Education has hired lobbyists and campaign workers to be her assistants. Jobs that have a regulatory requirement for personnel to have at least a masters in education. It seems obvious that in this instance, who you know is more important that what you know.
Many of these people were hired despite the fact that our state Constitution prohibits hiring legislators with appropriated funds for two years after they leave office. All were hired in agencies that claim to be predominately funded with fees instead of appropriations. I wonder how they keep that money separate.
According to the state finance office website, salaries for deputy commissioners range from $67,900 to $92,000. This will be a hefty raise for legislators who only make about $50,000 a year when you include their per diem and other benefits. If they work for the state for only three more years at the higher salary, it will literally double their retirement benefits.
That's okay though, our state pension fund is the most underfunded in the U. S. and is scheduled to be unable to pay full benefits by 2020. I wonder if these newly appointed state employees remembered all the money they borrowed for other expenses with these funds when they decided to work on a larger pension?
Next John Doak, the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, appointed 3 former Republican legislators who lost in the primaries to now serve as deputy insurance commissioners. The Democratic Commissioner had only 4 deputies but now we need 7? Their credentials are outstanding too, one was a wholesale air-conditioning distributor, another a realtor, and the third a banker. How any of those disciplines are relevant to the insurance commission beats me.
The Superintendent of Education has hired lobbyists and campaign workers to be her assistants. Jobs that have a regulatory requirement for personnel to have at least a masters in education. It seems obvious that in this instance, who you know is more important that what you know.
Many of these people were hired despite the fact that our state Constitution prohibits hiring legislators with appropriated funds for two years after they leave office. All were hired in agencies that claim to be predominately funded with fees instead of appropriations. I wonder how they keep that money separate.
According to the state finance office website, salaries for deputy commissioners range from $67,900 to $92,000. This will be a hefty raise for legislators who only make about $50,000 a year when you include their per diem and other benefits. If they work for the state for only three more years at the higher salary, it will literally double their retirement benefits.
That's okay though, our state pension fund is the most underfunded in the U. S. and is scheduled to be unable to pay full benefits by 2020. I wonder if these newly appointed state employees remembered all the money they borrowed for other expenses with these funds when they decided to work on a larger pension?
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