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Núñez 'proud' of pension offer
By Shane Goldmacher - sgoldmacher@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, March 28, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A3
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez on Thursday defended his "golden handshake" offer to veteran Assembly employees as a way to save budget funds, after a top Democrat said earlier this week Núñez had punished him for challenging the plan.
"We're proud that we did it," Núñez said of the pension offer, which was made to 222 employees, including 13 who already qualify for $100,000-plus pensions.
The deal offers two years of additional service credit for Assembly workers over 50 with at least five years of experience working for the state. At least five employees have already accepted the offer.
Núñez called the offer a "very, very small piece" of how the Assembly was trimming its budget, as the state faces an $8 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year. "The quote-unquote golden handshake is one of many different options (to save money)," the Los Angeles Democrat said.
The speaker declined to address his decision to demote Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, who said this week he was ousted as chairman of the powerful Rules Committee after challenging Núñez's pension deal as wasting taxpayer dollars.
"You'll never get me to say anything negative about Mr. De La Torre. I think he's a good member of the caucus," Núñez said at a caucus retreat where Assembly Democrats were huddled for two days to strategize about the state's budget.
"I have the power within my role as speaker to decide who's a member of my leadership team," Núñez added.
De La Torre, a South Gate Democrat, said this week that he told the speaker he "just can't abide by" the pension deal.
"I felt it wasn't good for taxpayers and didn't make sense in light of everything else that's going on with the budget," said De La Torre, who was removed from his chairmanship two weeks ago.
The pension offer is part of the Legislature's effort to cut spending by 10 percent and mirrors a similar deal offered to employees in 2003. The goal is for 30 to 40 employees to take the buyout, saving the state $2 million to $3 million, according to Jon Waldie, the Assembly's chief administrative officer.
The jobs of those who retire would be left vacant for three to 18 months, Waldie has said.
About the writer:
- Call Shane Goldmacher, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5544.
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FABIAN NÚÑEZ He declined to discuss his demotion of a legislator who opposed the pension offer as a waste of taxpayer dollars.
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