Ms. Erin Grey:
I am writing this to you through thefrontpageonline.com because the email address at the end of your retort this morning (ewwe@gmail.com) was returned “user unknown.”
Boy, don't ya hate it when a sender gives out a dead address?
I take it you were being facetious when you called for me to throw my hat into the pool of City Council candidates. Even if I really wanted to run for the office, which I do not, the last day to officially file for the office was 10 days ago. Or did you mean for me to go jump in a lake? Oh, well.
Info Based on Budget
Please go on the official Culver City website. Here's the link: http://www.culvercity.org/Government/Finance/BudgetBooks.aspx Download Volume I
On page 71, you will find the city expenses for the Council members and member retirees' categories that I used to come up with my $20K figure.
Regular Salaries = $29,106
Group Insurance = $68,740
Cell Phone Allow = $ 7,800
$105,646
These are the three catagories I thought involved Council members’ compensation. They add up to $105,646. If you divide that total by the five Council members, it equals $21,130 average.
So I rounded down to $20K in compensation, not in salary.
Don't get these two terms mixed up. They are not interchangeable.
A salary is a part of the overall compensation package a business agrees to pay to employ a worker. An employee's compensation includes his salary plus, among other items: Personal use of a company vehicle, health and medical insurance, deferred salary… etc.
School District Practice
The Culver City Unified School District handles its past School Board members quite differently, in a more conservative way. When they retire, Board members may continue to purchase their healthcare plans through the District at the group rate. They may do so only with their own out-of-pocket money. This is a much more prudent approach to past members. It costs the taxpayers nothing, and it helps the past member to save on the cost of his health insurance for the rest of his life.
They Should Be Compensated
I wanted you to know I didn't pull that figure out of my still dry hat or from thin air.
Before anybody else says to the contrary, I am not suggesting that elected Council or School Board members should not receive some compensation for their service to the community, including health and medical insurance. I am suggesting that conferring healthcare for life upon Council members’ retirement is too expensive a perk for local taxpayers. I am glad that four of our present Council members have put an end to this practice.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
