Many retired government employees keep working -- often in another government
job covered by a separate pension plan. So they get a paycheck on top of their
pension, all paid by taxpayers. Here are a few of them:
Craig Bazzani, 62
Salary: $246,100 as senior vice president of the University of Illinois
Foundation
Pension: $243,055 for working nearly 26 years, mostly for the University of
Illinois
Pension: $29,289 for five years in Gov. Ogilvie's budget office
Pension: $10,829 for two years as a teacher
Annual income: $529,273
Bazzani was 55 when he started getting government pensions that so far have paid
him more than $1.6 million. He retired in 2002 as the university's vice
president of administration, then immediately went to work for the nonprofit
foundation that raises money for the U. of I. It's a private entity, but
employees still are in the State Universities Retirement System, which pays most
of Bazzani's pensions.
"This is in no way going back into the state trough, this notion of
double-dipping," Bazzani said.
Glenn 'Max' McGee, 58
Salary: $225,857 as president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy,
an elite public boarding school
Pension: $184,119 as superintendent of Wilmette School District 39
Annual income: $409,976
McGee was 56 when he took early retirement from the Wilmette schools in 2007 and
began drawing a pension from the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System for his 34
years as an educator. The next day, he started at the academy, which is covered
by another government pension plan, the one for university employees. His
pension includes his years as state schools superintendent.
Why didn't he not retire and just take the IMSA job? "Moving to IMSA
involved a 20 percent salary reduction, which -- at the time of saving for a
child going to college, saving for a daughter getting married and dealing with
other personal, extended family matters -- would have been a challenge,'' he
said.
Patrick T. Murphy, 70
Salary: $173,803 as a Cook County judge
Pension: $118,841 as county public guardian
Annual income: $292,644
The longtime advocate for abused children retired from the county when he was
elected a judge in 2004.
Joseph M. Fratto, 54
Salary: $181,867 as chief of staff for Cook County Board President Todd Stroger
Pension: $86,648 for 26 years with the Chicago Park District
Pension: $19,228 for six years with the City of Chicago
Annual income: $287,743
At 51, Fratto retired as executive director of the Park District pension fund,
started taking his pensions and went to work for Stroger.
Jim Edgar, 63
Salary: $160,000 as a guest lecturer at the University of Illinois
Pension: $127,111 as governor
Annual income: $287,111
Edgar was 52 when he finished his two terms as governor, but under state law
couldn't get his pension until his 55th birthday. Edgar has gotten more than
$940,000 in pension checks, while also lecturing at the university.
"It's always been one of the things that helps get people into government
service -- the benefits," Edgar said.
Thomas G. Byrne, 60
Salary: $157,092 as Chicago's Streets and Sanitation commissioner
Pension: $115,492 for 24 years with the Chicago Police
Annual income: $272,584
Byrne was 56 when he began getting his police pension. He retired as a deputy
police superintendent on a Friday, then started on Monday as Mayor Daley's
Transportation commissioner. His pension so far has paid over $400,000.
Dana V. Starks, 59
Salary: $132,792 as Chicago's human relations commissioner
Pension: $131,105 for 30 years with the Chicago Police
Annual income: $263,897
Starks was 57 when he started taking his pension. After serving as interim
police superintendent, Starks retired on Jan. 31, 2008. The next day, he started
as Daley's human relations commissioner.
Steven M. Bylina, 60
Salary: $168,512 as Cook County Forest Preserve District superintendent
Pension: $85,881 for 30 years with the City of Chicago
Annual income: $254,393
Bylina was 53 when he began collecting his city pension. An ally of Ald. Edward
M. Burke, Bylina was running the city's forestry bureau when he retired in June
2003. A month later, Cook County Board President John Stroger hired him.
William R. Haine, 65
Salary: $78,163 as a state senator from Downstate Alton
Pension: $126,364 for 26 years with Madison County
Annual income: $204,527
Haine was 58 when he started collecting his state pension. Haine, a Democrat who
served 14 years as Madison County state's attorney, retired when he was elected
to the Senate in 2002.
Leroy Martin, 80
Salary: $88,949 as a Cook County medical examiner investigator
Pension: $113,094 for 36 years with the Chicago Police
Annual income: $202,043
Martin was 63 when he retired as Chicago's police superintendent in 1992 and has
been with the medical examiner for several years.
William Beavers, 74
Salary: $85,000 as a Cook County commissioner
Pension: $85,779 for 20 years as a Chicago alderman
Pension: $14,684 for his years with the Chicago Police
Annual income: $185,463
Beavers was 65 when he started taking his police pension in 2000, on top of his
paycheck as Chicago alderman. Beavers, a Democrat, started collecting his
aldermanic pension in 2006 when he was elected to the Cook County Board.
Jesse White, 75
Salary: $156,541 as Illinois secretary of state
Pension: $10,171 for 18 years as a Chicago school teacher
Pension: $7,687 for six years as Cook County recorder of deeds
Annual income: $174,399
White, a Democrat, was the elected recorder of deeds when he started collecting
his teacher's pension in 1996. He began getting his county pension in 1999, when
he left the recorder's office to become secretary of state.
Monique Davis, 73
Salary: $78,163 as a state representative from Chicago
Pension: $72,524 from 34 years as a Chicago teacher and school administrator
Annual income: $150,687
Davis was 67 when she retired from Chicago Public Schools in 2003. The Democrat,
with 22 years in the Illinois Legislature, has gotten more than $350,000 in
pension checks.
"I think our pension problem is one of the greatest problems the state is
experiencing, but I don't think I, in any way, contributed to that,'' Davis
said. "I believe part of our pension problem occurs because some people get to
retire at an earlier age -- police and firemen. They don't have to work until
they're 60-something years old.''
Daniel J. Burke, 57
Salary: $85,903 as a state representative from Chicago
Pension: $63,828 for his 26½ years with the City of Chicago
Annual income: $149,731
Burke, a Democrat, was 52 when he began collecting his city pension, taking
advantage of an early retirement program that let him buy five years of service.
Burke, the brother of Ald. Edward M. Burke, had been Chicago's deputy city
clerk.
"I'm very fortunate to have had an opportunity to collect a pension from the
city, and I look forward to collecting a pension from the state,'' Burke said.
"To identify me as some slacker or fat cat is not appropriate."
Deanna Demuzio, 66
Salary: $78,163 as a state senator from Downstate Carlinville
Pension: $47,937 in death benefits from the state pension for her late husband,
state Sen. Vince Demuzio, a former chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party
Annual income: $126,100
When her husband died in April 2004, Demuzio was appointed to fill his Senate
seat, getting his salary and part of his pension.
Louis S. Viverito, 78
Salary: $78,163 as a state senator from Burbank
Salary: $69,697 as Stickney Township supervisor
Pension: $11,944 from the Cook County employees pension fund
Pension: $10,896 from six years with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Chicago
Annual income: $170,700
Viverito was 55 when he started getting a government pension. He retired in 1986
from the water reclamation district, where he was a commissioner, and from the
county, where he was on the zoning board of appeals.
Viverito, a Democrat, was elected to the state Senate in 1955. His son, Dean
Viverito, 54, is also a retired government employee and began collecting his own
$17,687 pension last year from the Cook County Forest Preserve District.
Cherryl T. Thomas, 62
Salary: Unavailable. President of Ardmore Associates, a management company that
gets city contracts.
Pension: $104,463 from 31 years with the city, including serving as buildings
commissioner.
Thomas was 52 when she began collecting her city pension in 1998 when President
Clinton appointed her chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. She later
created Ardmore Associates, a minority-owned company that has gotten $7 million
in city business.
Brian L. Crowe, 70
Salary: Unavailable. An attorney with Shefsky & Froelich, a law firm that does
work for City Hall.
Pension: $80,862 for 12 years as a Cook County judge
Pension: $9,383 for three years as Daley's corporation counsel
Pension: $5,655 for work as a Cook County employee
Combined pensions: $95,900
Crowe was 60 when he left the Daley administration and began collecting his
government pensions. He has gotten more than $700,000 in pension benefits. He
helped select his replacement, Corporation Counsel Mara Georges, who later hired
Crowe's firm to handle cases for the city, which has paid the firm more than $2
million in fees.
"The lawyers gain respect for you when you work over there," Crowe said. "They
want to use your talents.''