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Ex Long Branch Superintendent Collected $616,123 In Sick And Vacation Pay

Ferraina: “I got $600,000? That’s not much,” he said. “There, you want a headline? ‘That’s not much.’

Casagrande: “Those are dollars that would be better served in the classroom”

Retired Long Branch School Superintendent Joseph Ferraina collected $616,123 in unused sick and vacation pay, not all at once in a lump sum at retirement, but over the course of course of his last ten years on the job, according to a report published at LongBranchPatch.

Go read the article. It is an outstanding piece of journalism by reporter Joe Malinconico who discovered the payments via an Open Public Records Act request and conducted a 57 minute phone interview with Ferraina.

According to LongBranchPatch, the records and Ferraina indicate that the educator only took off time from work if a close family member died; a half day for his father in 2004, a four hours when his brother died in 2005 and a partial day when his son died in 2008. On the day of his son’s funeral he went to work first thing in the mornin, left at 8:45 am, fifteen minutes before the services started, and was back at his desk by 2 pm.

Ferriana’s salary was $244,999 when he retired in June. His annual pension is $154,710.

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said Ferraina’s $600K was essentially taken from school children by legislative leaders who have refused to outlaw the practice of paying public employees for unused sick and vacation time.

“This is another example of a system that allows dollars to come out of the classroom and into the pockets of administrators,” Casagrande said. “We had a bipartisan compromise bill that addressed part of the problem and Governor Christie recommended a way to fix the problem, which I support.

“Legislators who agreed this practice is wrong should work with me to enact Governor Christie’s changes so we can end the payout of unused time before there is another example of wasted tax dollars,” Casagrande added.

Casagrande, R-Monmouth, sponsors a bill, A-4193, that incorporates the Governor’s recommendations to ban public employees from cashing in unused sick and vacation days. It incorporates recommendations made by Governor Christie to strengthen a legislative proposal that was approved by the Legislature last year. But Trenton Democratic legislative leaders have refused to advance an outright ban, just a cap on the amount public employees can cash in.

“Those are dollars that would be better served in the classroom,” Casagrande said. “As long as this practice is legal, public employees will continue to use it and every day legislative leaders delay, is another day accrued for public employees, which adds up to many dollars taken from taxpayers and school children.

“These golden parachutes are especially egregious in these trying economic times,” Casagrande added.

Posted: October 5th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Caroline Casagrande, Chris Christie, Education, Long Branch | Tags: , , , , | 18 Comments »

18 Comments on “Ex Long Branch Superintendent Collected $616,123 In Sick And Vacation Pay”

  1. Freespeaker1976 said at 8:42 pm on October 5th, 2011:

    Can’t Wait For The Lib Smurfettes To Chime In On This One

  2. Phil Perspective said at 12:09 am on October 6th, 2011:

    Freespeaker1976:
    Would you be shocked that I agree that Superintendent pay should be reined in? Of course I think teachers should be paid more. So there is that. But if you think I am going to defend Ferraina, you are sorely mistaken. Besides, most superintendents have little in common with teachers except for the school district they work for.

  3. Freespeaker1976 said at 7:51 am on October 6th, 2011:

    “Phil, Whatever”

    Still waiting for that apology Smurf, so your words are wasted. Adios

  4. Rick Ambrosia said at 10:26 am on October 6th, 2011:

    Why in the world would anyone apologize to someone as nasty as you are Freewhatever?

    Anyway, maybe he needs the money for his legal bills….oh, that’s right. The BOE is paying for it. So, the taxpayers get screwed again.

    http://atl.gmnews.com/news/2011-05-26/Front_Page/Long_Branch_Board_of_Ed_defends_Ferraina.html

  5. Freespeaker1976 said at 1:09 pm on October 6th, 2011:

    Ambrosia,

    Where you get the idea that I am nasty, you are entirely mistaken.

    What your problem is that I push back against B.S. that gets started in the first place and people like yourself “can’t handle the truth.”

    But, for your reference, I wasn’t the one that attacked myself for being a lazy disabled person. I just put the Smurf in his place. and refuse to deal with people like Phil.

    Now, if you want to talk about issues and get back on point, that would be fine.

  6. speedkillsu said at 2:18 pm on October 6th, 2011:

    LB is a Abbott District ,our supreme court has already told the taxpayers of the state to spare no expense in those districts …..but it’s nice to know just where that extra 550 million is going

  7. Rick Ambrosia said at 2:36 pm on October 6th, 2011:

    You’re joking, aren’t you Freeloader’76? Take a look back at some of your comments and then tell me you’re not one nasty SOB. Maybe you’re just a bitter little man that needs to take other people down to feel good. But, whatever it is, don’t delude yourself into thinking that your self righteous spewings are “the truth”. The only truth you know about comes from Fox News and the Tea Party talking points bulletins. You have called people that don’t agree with you all kinds of snarky little names. Really, take a look back and then in the mirror and then tell me you’re not nasty. Especially when it came to Olivia’s posts.

  8. Charles M said at 11:17 pm on October 6th, 2011:

    As growing up and being a former resident of Long Branch this makes me sick! The corruption and abuse that goes on in Long Branch is a disgrace! Joe Ferraina wasted so many tax dollars in Long branch it’s a joke.

    He built preschools that have heated window seats, an absolute waste of money!

  9. Freespeaker1976 said at 6:41 am on October 7th, 2011:

    @RickAmbrosia

    Please take a look in the mirror. You just proved how nasty you can be with the “Freeloader & bitter little man” personal attack. I do indeed push back hard against B.S.

    Again, the real problem is that “you people can’t handle the truth.”

    Nothing more needs to be said unless you want to continue the personal attacks.

  10. Rick Ambrosia said at 9:06 am on October 7th, 2011:

    Ahhh…a little taste of your own medicine and you crumble.

    I’m just wondering what “you people” mean. Usually, it refers to some kind of ethnicity…maybe you mean Italians? Who knows what evil lurks in that itty bitty mind of yours… And again, its your version of “truth”, which in reality, is just your myopic opinion and not really the “truth” at all.

    I also never said I couldn’t be as nasty and snarky as the next guy…..which just happens to be you now.

    Hey Phil…maybe he’ll start ignoring me now too….which is not a bad thing.

  11. Freespeaker1976 said at 11:56 am on October 7th, 2011:

    @Rick a r s e

    You just can’t stop with the personal attacks and insults can you?

    YES, “YOU PEOPLE,” meaning lib nation just can’t handle the truth. Go back to looking in the mirror smurf.

  12. Freespeaker1976 said at 12:00 pm on October 7th, 2011:

    @Rick Whatever,

    As to the crumble bit, it’s not my turn to babysit today. I really hate taking up valuable electrons with this stuff; that’s why I like to limit the back and forth. YOUR problem is that you keep asking for it.

    WHATEVER

  13. Rick Ambrosia said at 12:25 pm on October 7th, 2011:

    Bwahhahahhaha….valuable electrons…good one. Like you have any.

    And whoa….smurf and whatever seem to be your go to guys when it comes to insults. Very inventive.

    YOUR problem is that you have to feel superior to others, when in reality, you’re just a one of those trolls that you accuse others of being.

    I do like the “lib nation” comment though…I would bet you could find that in the republican talking points handbook somewhere. I’ll take the moniker liberal anyday…

    liberal (ˈlɪbərəl, ˈlɪbrəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]

    — adj
    1. relating to or having social and political views that favor progress and reform
    2. relating to or having policies or views advocating individual freedom
    3. giving and generous in temperament or behavior
    4. tolerant of other people
    5. abundant; lavish: a liberal helping of cream
    6. not strict; free: a liberal translation
    7. of or relating to an education that aims to develop general cultural interests and intellectual ability

  14. JerryW45 said at 1:37 pm on October 7th, 2011:

    Hey little Rickey

    Why don’t you go out and play in traffic.

    You’re bothering people kid

  15. Rick Ambrosia said at 3:28 pm on October 7th, 2011:

    Thanks JerryW45…I haven’t been called a ‘kid” in quite some time, so I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, playing in traffic is a different story. I’m sure you would like nothing better than to have anyone with a differing opinion just go away and die…or get seriously hurt, ie: playing in traffic, or just following those other republicans that would let someone without healthcare die like they applauded for at the debate, but that doesn’t usually happen in the real world, so you and your ilk will be stuck with my comments for hopefully, quite some time.

    Thanks Art, this has been fun!

  16. Freespeaker1976 said at 8:55 am on October 8th, 2011:

    Gee, I go away for a bit and Rick is still trying to run with the big dogs.

    You see Rick, what you don’t get is that you can’t take a joke like go out and play in traffic. Of course it’s a metaphor, but you take it seriously and “try to teach us a lesson” because you are an elitist who thinks he’s better than anyone else.

    And when some one tries to point that out with a little bit of humor; you start insulting people left and right.

    You’re no better than the Commie Hippies down on Wall Street; people that think they deserve to have the world handed to them on a silver platter.

    Right now, there are nearly 2 million trade job openings that pay good money, jobs in plumbing and carpentry; if only people want to get educated for those jobs.

    ALL OF THESE PEOPLE DOWN ON WALL STREET ARE FRAUDS…

    If they want jobs, there are jobs for them if they would only stop whining and go get educated for the available jobs. They are nothing but professional locusts, professional protesters.

    I’m no longer going to carry on this street battle here. It’s got nothing to do with the content. ‘ll tell you what, you want to insult me? You’ll have to grow a pair of cojones. I’ll pass on my number to Art and you can call me and try to insult me without the protection of your keyboard.

    I’ll rip you to shreds because you simply don’t have a clue as to what the world is about. As Art often says, “you’re nothing but a kitten.”

    Speaking of that, I never saw you attacking Art for the use of that word, which is no different than smurf.

    Oh, and to your definition above, people favoring progress. You think this is progress, the bs that this administration under Obama has given us?

    Tolerant as in your personal and hateful attacks? You don’t even know the meaning of tolerant.

    Please “go play in traffic”

  17. Rick Ambrosia said at 12:02 pm on October 8th, 2011:

    Gee Freeloader1976…it seems that you’re the one hiding behind a keyboard and a fake moniker. Not me. Maybe YOU should grow a set of balls and start using your real name on your posts. Nahh…never going to happen. Cowards always hide. But nice try on your part. And you’re right, I have NO tolerance for people like you that can’t put their name to their posts. I guess I should be thankful that you didn’t start using that disabled card again….oh, wait…I’m sorry, that was NOT politically correct. My bad.

    Also, since when are Americans, who are exercising their right to protest, “commie hippies”? I guess all those Tea Baggers are “commie hippies” too…yes? Or are you THAT hypocritical to say that its ok for one fringe group but not another. Oh, yeah…sorry, forgot who I was talking at.

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