Wednesday

Obscenities of government!

California Official's $800,000 Salary in City of 38,000 Triggers Protests

By Christopher Palmeri - Jul 20, 2010

Hundreds of residents of one of the poorest municipalities in Los Angeles County shouted in protest last night as tensions rose over a report that the city’s manager earns an annual salary of almost $800,000.

An overflow crowd packed a City Council meeting in Bell, a mostly Hispanic city of 38,000 about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, to call for the resignation of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and other city officials. Residents left standing outside the chamber banged on the doors and shouted “fuera,” or “get out” in Spanish.

It was the first council meeting since the Los Angeles Times reported July 15 that Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo earns $787,637 -- with annual 12 percent raises -- and that Bell pays its police chief $457,000, more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck makes in a city of 3.8 million people. Bell council members earn almost $100,000 for part-time work.


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1 comment:

Chief Instructor said...

I was astounded when I heard this story. The police chief makes his $457k to run a department of 33 cops.

The city manager, if he makes it to age 83 in retirement, will draw nearly $1 million.

Why wasn't there nationwide TV coverage of the citizens "storming" city hall? Might it be because many, if not most of them were Hispanic, and it would destroy the media image of the Tea Party movement only being a rich, white person gig?