Kenneth Waldvogel (Santa Clara County Fire Department)
SANTA CLARA, (KCBS) – The pending departure of Santa Clara County’s fire chief is sparking some controversy, as critics accuse the chief of “double-dipping,” as he goes into retirement.
As of January 1, Kenneth Waldvogel will retire as fire chief of Santa Clara County and he’ll begin taking his pension of about $212,000 a year. But for a time, the chief is staying on as a consultant, and he’ll be paid his annual salary of $236,000.
KCBS’ Matt Bigler Reports:
“It doesn’t sound right,” one man said. “Double dipping is a specialty of Wall St.”
County executive Jeff Smith said the chief will only stay on untill June while the county searches for his replacement.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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12 Comments
$212K a year?? For a PENSION ??
And a consultant? What complete BS. He isnt retired.. he’s just your average wall street thief.
If he had any pride at all he would forgo one or the other.
THIS is the reason cities are bankrupt as is the state.
Absolutely flippin outrageous.
December 28, 2010 at 12:15 pm | | Report comment
Then you’d better change the labor laws. As much as it appears you’d like to ignore them, public agencies can’t.
December 28, 2010 at 12:26 pm | | Report comment
This is why our country is bankrupt.
Support a new ballot in 2 yrs to stop all gov. pensions RETROACTIVELY
December 28, 2010 at 12:27 pm | | Report comment
One can only hope for a myocardial infarction, or a head-on. Either works for me.
December 28, 2010 at 12:29 pm | | Report comment
Probably the myocardial would be best
December 28, 2010 at 8:34 pm | | Report comment
Fred’s right!
December 28, 2010 at 12:30 pm | | Report comment
What a rip-off.
How dare they do this to us!
December 28, 2010 at 12:40 pm | | Report comment
whether or not you make $448k you have no cause to change the facts of double dipping. and whether or not you only work for a fraction of a day, it’s still double dipping.
December 28, 2010 at 12:42 pm | | Report comment
Come on guys, he has to feed his family.
December 28, 2010 at 12:54 pm | | Report comment
He hearned that pension and he should be compansated for any work he does on top of that…If he was consulting for another city would you still consider that double dipping?? What about a 20 year military Veteran who also serves 20 years as a cop-Isn’t that person entitled to both earned pensions??? Don’t be haters because you’re jealous he had a good job with great benefits—Cops and firefighters put their lives on the line and deserve appropriate compensation…
December 28, 2010 at 1:07 pm | | Report comment
Fire Chief…. basically makes sure that the fire engines work! Doesn’t need a degree, doesn’t need to understand math… a fire-chief job is a ‘warm-body’ job. Most peopel with a pulse will be able to do it. OK, it probably eneds some experience and decision making….. so maybe not everyone, -but there are plenty of people who make such decisions every day. But Government Employees (Police, Fire, Teachers) have learned to milk the system.
212000, -even doctors dont’ get that much money, -and it takes them 10 years to become one.
America is fornicating itself, in the long run such imbalances make a society poor.
December 28, 2010 at 1:08 pm | | Report comment
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