Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Good, The Bad and The Wealthy Man In the City of Waterbury


If there was ever a tale that best told a story about the good, the bad and the wealthy in Waterbury, one only needs to read the Front Page story found in today's Waterbury Republican Newspaper. It seems that the Waterbury's now retired Water Superintendent struck a high stakes payout that if left unchallenged will allow him to begin collecting a monthly check that is nothing more than immorally legal thievery from the city. At issue is a sweetheart of a deal that allows Kenneth R. Skov more than double what the average city employee should get and to add insult to injury a green light that allows him to start confiscating taxpayers dollars a decade to early.



Any clear thinking person can rationalize the morally void specifics of this are just too stark to accept. The fact that Wealthy Man Jarjura believes Skov should begin to collect $67,000 a year as of Sept. 1 to fulfill the city obligations detailed in his lucrative employment contract that the Wealthy Man agreed to in 2002 tells me all I need to know about the status quo of Waterbury Politics at it's best.


Now the meat of the matter is this, according to published reports: "If his retirement plan is approved, former superintendent [of the Bureau of Water] Kenneth R. Skov will cost Waterbury residents at least $737,825 more over the coming 11 years than the city's Retirement Board is willing to give him. That contract, which Jarjura negotiated with him in 2002, agreed to credit Skov with two years of service for every year worked, thus giving him a big boost in his post-retirement city
earnings"


To hear Jarjura tell it, one would have to believe that Skov was another pillar that kept the sky from falling on this Great City as he was a key player in a lawsuit way back when. As a result he was given a sweetheart deal with his good friend Jarjura, or maybe not as Jarjura seems to, according to the newspapers quote " blames that on former Mayor Philip A. Giordano, who hired Skov." How convenient.


One wonders if that sweetheart pension of over $700k to the water and taxpayers bill was recouped in that high stakes lawsuit.

At this moment, I am certain we all should rest and look the other way because Jarjura, according to the paper " went on to say he could have tried to strip it from Skov's contract, but Skov would have quit if he had tried to get rid of that perk or the 2-for-1 clause. In the end, that is what prompted Skov to resign." So by Jarjura's logic the ends [a sweetheart deal] justified the means, [he quit in any event]. Now I understand completely!

Currently, the retirement Board weighed in on this and credited Skov with 13 years of city service, which is how long he actually worked for the city, instead of the 21 years credited by his employment contract, according to a pension worksheet. They also did not allow Skov to boost his pension by using unused sick time to pump up the base pay figure at the heart of most municipal pension calculations which calculates t an additional $46,036, to bolster the base pay figure used to calculate his pension.


Now if Wealthy Man has his way Skov gets to up his yearly base pay from $103,000 to $149,055 for the purpose of calculating his pension.

The paper went on to report that Skov was unreachable for comment, I for one disagree. It appears Skov said all we needed to hear from 2002 when the contract was signed up to his departure to take another job.

I for one am all for fair, and stupid is as stupid does, something Jarjura and company has proven for far too many years. To me fair is this: Allow Skov to collect his pension in 2022 at the rate of $29,653 yearly, which is what he is entitled to. The pension would be withdrawn directly from the pension fund.

If that does not work, I suggest this. Let's sue Mr. Skov for an unfair, deceptive and misleading contract and bring Mr. Jarjura in as a additional party defendant. His gross negligence and usurpation of due diligence certainly exposes him to some form of liability.


Either way, at the end of the day any clear thinking attorney is certain to convince a judge that these sweetheart deals were not only unfair and deceptive but equally appalling to those dedicated workers that put in their 30+ years and seek only what is fair and equitable, something the spirit of any law would not allow.


Although this recent outrage turns the stomach of all of us taxpayers, it speaks more of the reality of where we stand in the City of Waterbury today.


I for one believe that the corrupt and avoidance of common sense by Michael Jarujura has brought this once rising star back down again. When the head is sick, the body is far from an illness, ours being higher taxes, greater unemployment and a weaker business base. But then again, this is just another example of the Good, the Bad, and the Wealthy Man in The City of Waterbury.

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