# "We were at war, I did my part" (to pad my pension and abuse the system). **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379 "2003-05-20T20:33:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/1 "2003-05-20T20:33:28Z")
[Robert Fabiszak, a NYC PA “police officer” worked a whopping 16 hours a day for 360 out of 365 days last year, bringing his salary up to **$280,000**](http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/75824.htm). This guy’s slick. I’m not blaming him, he saw the opportunity to pad his final year’s pay, and he took it. Is it his fault the Port Authority of NY & NJ bases their gov’t employee pensions soley on the final year’s salary? No. Is it his fault NJ & NY taxpayer dollars pay people in these “make-work / look busy” jobs a $70K base salary? No Is it his fault his union president masked the issue by stating “Our police officers are tired of working these hours.” No If this scam wasn’t taken directly out of the noses of the hard-working, over-taxed NY/NJ taxpayers, I wouldn’t care how much money is in his pension check. When are these slimy lawmakers gonna pull their empty heads out of their asses, tell these Civil Servant Employee Unions they’re breaking our backs and change the way we do business here? Who the hell supervises these people? There’s no way Officer Fabiszak worked 3,737 hours of overtime. Anyone who actually “worked” that much OT couldn’t have a 50" waistline. NY State, NJ and NYC are broke. Taxes are higher than high, private sector employers are fleeing and deficits are balooning. Can’t anyone take the Berlin example ($40+ Billion of red ink) and learn from that socialism is a very expensive proposition? Nothing’s going to change, so why continue to rant? My only delight will be in seeing the the September '04 GOP convention hosted in the backdrop of a financially ruined city, with no one to blame but themselves and the protesters encircling them. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/2 "2003-05-20T20:40:38Z")
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is not funded by any local, state or federal tax revenue. But don’t be surprised when your bridge tolls go up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/3 "2003-05-20T20:44:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JohnBckWLD \* > \*\*My only delight will be in seeing the the September '04 GOP convention hosted in the backdrop of a financially ruined city, with no one to blame but themselves and the protesters encircling them. \*\* Will the protesters be brandishing torches and pitchforks and shovels? One hopes so.😛 ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/4 "2003-05-20T20:50:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is not funded by any local, state or federal tax revenue. But don’t be surprised when your bridge tolls go up.😉 \*\* They already did Sunday at Midnight. Varrazano-Narrows $8.00 Toll passenger car (a tax, IMHO, that can’t be deducted from one’s individual tax returns). For Trucks, it’s even worse: 3 axle vehicles $26.00 4 axle vehicles $34.00 5 axle vehicles $44.00 6 axle vehicles $52.00 7 axle vehicles $62.00 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/5 "2003-05-20T20:51:31Z")
Well, shit. That’s why I take the subway. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/6 "2003-05-20T20:52:25Z")
[Cagney voice] Dirty Copper, got balls of brass! [/Cagney voice] ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/7 "2003-05-20T21:17:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JohnBckWLD \* > \*\*Nothing’s going to change, so why continue to rant? My only delight will be in seeing the the September '04 GOP convention hosted in the backdrop of a financially ruined city, with no one to blame but themselves and the protesters encircling them. \*\* Yes. Nothing else happened in NYC between 2000 and 2004, other than the GOP. Nothing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/8 "2003-05-20T21:22:53Z")
Gee, John; care to tell us why you put “police officer” in quotes? IIRC, the Port Authority really does have sworn police officers. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/9 "2003-05-21T09:51:55Z")
Indeed. Port Authority cops have broad law enforcement powers in both NY and NJ. They also fight fires and do marine rescue operations in port waters. They train with NYPD, FDNY and the USCG. A very unusual law enforcement organization. [Port Authority Police Dept](http://www.panynj.gov/pap/papmain.HTM). ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/10 "2003-05-21T10:55:15Z")
Of course, it’s great that they are “Our Nation’s Heroes” after 9/11, but when the bill comes in for all the extra work that was put upon them, you complain. Right. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/11 "2003-05-21T10:57:35Z")
I think **Mr. BckWLD** was complaining about the absurdity of one specific officer claiming ridiculous, inhuman amounts of overtime. If he has super powers, what the hell is he doing working for the Port Authority, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/12 "2003-05-21T11:08:00Z")
Hold on. > [@](#): > > He heads a list of almost 200 Port Authority officers who at least doubled their base salaries last year - when mandatory overtime and heightened security measures added up to a record $86 million overtime tab for the bistate agency. > > During the first four months of last year PA cops were required to work 72 hours a week - 12 hours a day for 6 days because of post-911 security. In May “it was adjusted to 60 hours - 12 hours a day for 5 days a week. Anything above the 8 hours was overtime,” said PA spokesman Greg Trevor. As well as the Manditory overtime that they were made to work, he took on extra overtime. As a result, he’s had to retire becuae in his own words, he’s “Burned out”. the post 9/11 security that was demanded of the police forces has to be made up from somewhere. > [@](#): > > The PA spokesman said that commanders monitored Fabiszak "very closely during the year, including surprise inspections and they had no complaints and found nothing unusual about his carrying out of his duties. So this wasn’t “make-work/look busy”, he was fulfilling the duties expected of the PA in the new security arrangements. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/13 "2003-05-21T11:32:08Z")
I question the OP’s seemingly proofless assertion that this man was solely padding his schedule and not doing work. It would appear his co-workers had nothign to complain about, and its certainly not ipossible to work that many hours, particularly if you are working 12-hour shifts on the weekends. It would be hell, but hardly impossible. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/14 "2003-05-21T17:46:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*Yes. Nothing else happened in NYC between 2000 and 2004, other than the GOP. Nothing at all. \*\* My GOP convention remark has less to do with circumstances or blame & more to do with Rove’s / Bloomberg’s slick political maneuvering. I’m not solely laying blame on the NYS or National GOP, I just find it ironic that here they were, planning this staged political show, the first of its kind for them in NYC, with the initial intent of exploiting post 9/11 sentiments. Intead, what they’re now more likely to get is a host city on the cusp of financial ruin, with recently laid-off public-employee union members chanting en-masse about pink slips along side private sector employees unable to find work right outside MSG. Instead of this band-aid approach of financial gimmicks, along with trying to walk the tightrope between mollifying the public employee unions, Randy Weingarten, el al and raising the taxes even higher in an already overburdened region, Hosts Pataki, Bloomberg & Bruno should have picked one or the other. Now everyone’s pissed off at them, as they squirm about in the tar-pit known as the mushy middle. My rant was toward a gov’t employee system that allows this to continue, not Officer Fabiszak, who just epitomizes the abuses that too often occur. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > **Gee, John; care to tell us why you put “police officer” in quotes? IIRC, the Port Authority really does have sworn police officers.** That’s my bias. I’ll try to tiptoe gingerly in this post 9/11 environment. The PA officers, and to a greater extent, the TBTA (Triboro Bridge & Tunnel Authority) officers I see on a daily basis really don’t do much in the way of traditional, life-threatening police work. They’re more like glorified Brinks Truck guards, who provide armed escorts for the wagon loads cash they take out of the booths every hour or so. Either that or they stand around and wait for to log EZ pass errors on their clipboards. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > **So this wasn’t “make-work/look busy”, he was fulfilling the duties expected of the PA in the new security arrangements.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \* > **I question the OP’s seemingly proofless assertion that this man was solely padding his schedule and not doing work. It would appear his co-workers had nothign to complain about, and its certainly not ipossible to work that many hours, particularly if you are working 12-hour shifts on the weekends. It would be hell, but hardly impossible.** Bullshit. With a wink from his supervisors, his main duty became getting his salary as high as is humanly possible in his last year, with the sole intent of collecting a huge, state-tax exempt pension. In fact, now that Fabiszak’s retired he has plenty time to post, and with that big-fat bank account, I think he should buy your screen name from you, smilingbadit, and become a member. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/15 "2003-05-21T18:07:55Z")
“Can’t anyone take the Berlin example ($40+ Billion of red ink) and learn from that socialism is a very expensive proposition?” Socialism has nothing to do with this. And the GOP is hardly socialist. And why is it okay if he did this in a private company, but not a public one? Taxes? It’s not like taxpayers were only paying for him. And what should the base salery be for these people, eh? 10,000$ a year? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/16 "2003-05-21T18:10:41Z")
Your description, John, of what those police officers do is the bullshit being spewed here. I don’t suppose you think that the appropriate legislatures involved decided to arm those police officers just for sheer entertainment value, hey? ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/17 "2003-05-21T18:27:58Z")
Did you get this pissed off about WorldCom or Enron or the execs of American Airlines giving themselves raises while the company went to shit? ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/18 "2003-05-21T20:04:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jurhael \* > **…And what should the base salery be for these people, eh? 10,000$ a year?** I’ll be overly generous, the median income for a family of 4 in NY is $66498. That’s $32 an hour, more than fair. The problem is Fabiszak is going to be netting a minimum of $67/hr ($280K @ 50%) on his state tax-payer funded (& ironically state-tax free) retirement pension. If you don’t see a need for civil service pension system reform in the story cited, perhaps you’re one of the lucky few who doesn’t pay taxes…either that or you sympathize more with the CSEA than I do. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Your description, John, of what those police officers do is the bullshit being spewed here. I don’t suppose you think that the appropriate legislatures involved decided to arm those police officers just for sheer entertainment value, hey? \*\* By your logic, I’d have to refer to state watershed authority inspectors, ASPCA officers, railroad inspectors, park rangers, fire marshalls, etc. as police officers…I don’t, peace officers; yes, police officers; no. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vibrotronica \* > **Did you get this pissed off about WorldCom or Enron or the execs of American Airlines giving themselves raises while the company went to shit?** I fail to see your comparison of the consumer-funded free market and the tax-payer funded gov’t service monopoly. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/19 "2003-05-21T20:51:28Z")
So, if you just put the words “free market” in front of it, it makes everything OK? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379/20 "2003-05-21T21:28:49Z")
You are truly a moron, John. Peace officers are police officers. Hie ye to a dictionary of the English language instead of whatever it is you’re using now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-at-war-i-did-my-part-to-pad-my-pension-and-abuse-the-system/176379.md?page=2)