Shameless: New York Pols Retire then Go Back at Full Pay

You cannot make this up:

ALBANY — When Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg retired last year, there were no sendoffs, no cakes and no serenades. In fact, no one even knew he had left the Capitol, because he never did. Mr. Weisenberg, 75, a Long Island Democrat, “retired” last year but continued to work as a lawmaker and remained on the payroll. As a result, he earns $101,500 in salary and collects a pension of about $72,000, according to the comptroller’s office. Similarly, Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs, a 72-year-old Brooklyn Democrat, retired last year after 31 years, but continued to serve her district. She earns $104,500 and draws an annual pension of more than $71,000. And Assemblyman John J. McEneny, a 65-year-old Albany-area Democrat who retired last year but kept his seat in the Assembly chamber, now earns $94,500 and a pension of about $73,000.

His defense:

Mr. Weisenberg was actually a chief sponsor of legislation last year aimed at cracking down on double dipping by local governments. “Double dipping?” said Mr. Weisenberg, asked about the appearance created by his notional retirement. “I don’t see this as that,” he added. “This is something I earned.”

Bi-partisan disgrace:

Other loopholes remain, including one for lawmakers who leave one local or state elected post for another. Such is the case with Senator George H. Winner Jr., a 59-year-old Elmira Republican, who retired from the Assembly after his 2004 election to the Senate. He now gets an $80,000 annual pension on top of his $89,000 salary, and also has a private law practice.

Mr. Winner said it would cost the state more if he truly retired because he would still be earning a pension and the state would also have to make pension contributions for his successor. “I’m actually saving the taxpayers money,” he said.

Despite Mr. Winner’s argument, finding a critic of the practice is not hard. As Kenneth Adams, the president and chief executive of the Business Council of New York State, put it, “Don’t you have to stop working to collect a pension?”

You would think at least at the place you pulled the pension from!