Santa Ana to pay new city manager more than $500,000 annually

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0808-santa-ana-phoenix-20130808,0,2055691.story

"I'm not leaving for the money. I'm not going there for the money. Just like I came here for an opportunity, I'm going to Santa Ana for an opportunity."

Well then why not take on the opportunity for a "modest" $200k in salary and benefits?

Something inherently wrong with a public sector position paying out $500k annually for any position. While at the same time the city is operating in a deficit, roads, water, or sewer will go on neglected because there's no money for those projects.

How many Santa Ana resident's, pooling together tax revenue, will it take just to pay for Mr. Cavazo's salary and benefits? 100? 110? 120? Meanwhile residents don't get anything in return, not single pot hole fixed.

Mr. Cavazos will now come in to "save" the city of Santa Ana, cutting salaries, jobs, projects, and pensions for the employees who actually contribute progress and revitalization, and real infrastructure for the city residents. Its a lose lose scenario for the residents of Santa Ana.

Disgraceful!

Makes you wonder. Seems to happen frequently in California for some reason.

There's a big problem in California. Many 90% pension guarantees of highest annual salary throughout tenure are in place. Underfunded pensions, cities skipping pension payments.

In Los Angles takes 60% of all tax revenue pays for people, either a salary or a benefit. 20% of this is funding pensions. Only 40% of all tax revenue has a chance of providing service or infrastructure. Chicago just a couple months ago skipped a multi-hundred million dollar pension payment. San Francisco is in a similar boat.

The only thing worse than this is the professional hucksters in the education industry with a myriad of empty "Dr." titles. Corruption and cronyism is the word of the day, every day, year after year. They get run out of one town only to be hired as a savior in the next. Dallas ISD has made this an art form. They hire criminals straight out of Alcatraz and a few million missing dollars later, they do so again.

These leeches have latched themselves to the public sectors teat and we all pay. Especially our children and grand children. Liberalism has destroyed this country and I am afraid there is no turning back.

And as the proverbial $%^ hits the fan taxes increase, companies move, residents move, home prices decline, revenues decline, and city bankruptcy plans accelerate.

Doesn't the President of the US make less than that?

I'd do it for 100K and put the rest into schools, police, or infrastructure. Something better.

I think the president makes $400k. Of course the lifetime benefits are incomparable.

Yep $400k is the President's base salary.  With an annual expense account, benefits, and entertainment stipend his total payout is around $550k annually. There are things like secret service protection for his entire life that aren't calculated into that.

He flies on AF1 to Martha's Vineyard, his wife and kids fly in later. Then he has his dog airlifted in on a third flight.

That is the definition of WASTE.

I don't think the engines on AF1 have powered down since he's been in office. He loves that thing.

People and media should be raising cane over it, but they aren't.

What kind if sense does it make to fly dogs and basket balls on V22's?  It doesn't, they should have to explain the logic.  The media and people should demand it.  

His trip to Kenya cost a $100 million.  http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2013/06/14/white-house-defends-obamas-100-million-africa-trip/

He shouldn't be allowed to leave the podium until he can justify this expense.  The media should relentless ask him and demand answers and accountability.

Then to top the trip off, the US tax payer is funding to the tune of $7 billion electricity for Kenya and others.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/02/a-closer-look-at-obamas-7-billion-plan-to-bring-electricity-to-africa/

Quote :

Obama promised $7 billion in financial support over the next five years to bring “electricity access” to 20 million new households in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania, as well as help countries like Mozambique develop their oil and gas resources.

This and many others simply are not justifiable with the US's current debt and economic state.  There's no amount of rational that can support borrowing money to give it away and leave the obligation and the interest for the US tax payer to worry about at a later date.

Not one reporter will stand up and ask or demand an answer.

Jimmy Carter was right when he stated we no longer have a functioning democracy.

We don't have reporters anymore, we have blind, worshiping cult members drunk on the kool-aid.