Schwarzenegger: City salaries should be placed online to avoid another Bell scandal

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that if local governments have “nothing to hide” then they should post the salaries of top officials online, citing the growing scandal in Bell as an example of the need for disclosure.

City managers from across California are gathering in Sacramento today to discuss damage control.

The Legislature is also considering several responses to the high salaries in Bell, up to nearly $800,000 for former City Manager Robert Rizzo.

“The people should start asking themselves what are their city officials, what are their county officials getting paid,” Schwarzenegger told a group of business leaders at round-table discussion in San Diego.

Schwarzenegger said outrage over the scandal in Bell has the public calling cities and counties demanding to know what officials are being paid.

But local governments, he said, should go one step further and “put your information on a website so people don’t even have to call.”

-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento

Investigating Bell: A Times special report:

Is a city manager worth $800,000?

In depth: High salaries in Bell

Interactive: How the salaries got so high

Bell residents are not happy about high salaries

High salaries fuel anger in Bell

Bell council members under investigation for $100,000 salaries

Video: Why do Bell officials make so much money? The Times' Jeff Gottlieb explains.

Bell city manager might be highest paid in nation

Bell council found loophole to allow big salaries

DA expands investigation of Bell

Bell salary scandal has other cities running for cover

Photos: Protests in Bell

Comments

[Abhi]

I think the neighbouring cities should be investigated as well.

[JIM_B]

The real solution is not only post salaries but too never allow a politician at any level to set their own salary or pay increase. This should be voted on by the citizens at every level from city to the top of the federal government. Can you spell "antitrust" or "it's in there own self interest"?
To allow politicians to set their salary in like hiring the fox to guard the hen house.

The same treatment should be applied for benefits of any kind. I don't get retirement until I put in 20 years. Should a politician get lifetime retirement payments after serving one term or four years? Never. Paid per diems allowances? Please, that's just another way to line their pockets. This abuse of power is totaly unnecessary. I have to pay for my lunch, why not them? People should look up the perks politicians receive because they demand them. By the way, do you have a plane at your demand (Pelosi)? Do you have a limo and driver (Feinstein)?

Our forefathers had the correct idea, government should never be a career job but a matter of contributed service to the citizens of the country. The House and Senate used to meet for just a few months at best every year and then went home to REAL jobs.

Make the needed changes now people unless you want to see the government bankrupt you like they are in California! Demand your rights be restored. Show politicians who they really work for, YOU. Start with their wallets, after all, they've been robbing yours for years.

[michael]

I'm not a big fan of Schwarzenneger but fully support him on this. We should know salaries and pension info on all goverment employees and agencies since they work for us. If some of them don't like it they can go work for someone else or start their own business and good riddance.

[giley1]

Absolutely!
The City of Bell disclosure should be a warning that when citizens put all of their trust on city officials and do not demand accountabilty they become victims. People need to be more involved in the politics and take part in voting to control greedy and sleazy politicians. I am sure that more malficance will be found in other cities. Another example of corruption is the trial of former governor Blagoyavich of Chicago who has no shame and displays the ultimate arogance anc contempt for the public he is supposed to have served.

[3825You]

In a free society
we demand to know...
because concealment protects INJUSTICE.

[MIKE]

Why are they complaining. I know of Radiology Chief who makes 800K running the Radiology department of a UC school. At least this guy is running a whole city. They state pays physicians who run departments just as much. Check on the state pay website and you will see salaries that are just as high.

[A. Davis]

Maybe they should also mention the number of hours folks at city hall actually work? Between public hearings, openings of businesses, meetings that started during business hours and went overtime, the work weeks sometimes passed 70 hours/week for two salaried employees I knew.

[Bernie Miller]

Ask What LA's are /////// City council makes $175+ perks.. For what I'll never know... They are lame, only for themselves and do nothing...

[Ben]

The salaries have been posted online somewhere.

I've been angry about this for along time now. Look at the LA City Counsel salary, its all over the place, not just Bell.

People will be shocked to see how many corruption is going on in the whole state of Caluuuffforrrinaaaa

[Bernie Miller]

May I ask who approves the comments? It's freedom of speech you idiot...
Anyway Los Angeles city council should be investigated.. Trust me when I tell you, what you will find will amaze you.. I know of them, I know who they are, I know what they do, I know more about them then I should.. Trust me they are just as bad...

[Jeff]

Finally, something I agree with.

Seriously, 800k a year?

How does that go unnoticed?

That city is beyond corrupt...

Bring in the LA County Sheriff's, bring in a new City Counsel, and start fresh!

That city deserves better!

[Jones Burrow]

This was not only bound to happen, it was intentionally set-up knowing that this would happen in the future which is now. That way a few have a lot of money (that they get away with) and the majority only think they are winning the financial race when in reality the majority lost the financial race 10 years ago permanently

[Rob R Barron]

Hey, this is something I fully agree with Arnold on. Post ALL salaries, benefits, pensions and perks online. Look what Tony V tried to get away with.

Since when did community service become an opportunity to enrich oneself?

[Johnathan]

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

We, the citizens, pay our taxes. We, the citizens, feel that the services we receive fall way too short on the amount of taxes we pay. Thus, if our government does not slash needless spending, we will.

This is a great first step. There is no reason someone needs $800,000 dollars every year, I scoff that the man is a city manager, when they obviously do not do their job correctly. Heck, four university of California professors do not make as much after receiving their PhDs, doing research, mentoring, and teaching countless students.

[Don Green]

The City of Bell made its people the sacrificial lambs

[Don Green]

City of Bell made their people sacrificial lambs

[Nick]

Why doesn't the Governor and Senators etc cut their salaries?

[Roy Vanderleelie]

About time they do this. In Yucca Valley some town officials make 190.00 a year and that for a population of just over 24000. They don't have the money to fix the streets, but have it for these outlandish salaries. I hope the State will investigate them too.

[Theresa, Ca]

It's is completely ridicuous! Man! this is sweat and tears from norm citizens who work hard to keep roof over their shoulders. Shame on them!

They should be fired Not of 90% salary reduction.

Recommend that other city authorities' salary should be monitored so this same occurrence does not happen again.

[williebleavingcali]

so when will you all see whats going on in cali???

you want to see a place where people are literally starving for jobs to care for themselves, and the needs of their own families. A welfare program thats a complete joke, And a serious lack of job security more rampant than any other place in the country?

you have real people, the likes of which are educated, have a working knowledge of how our system is being ran into the ground, people who just may very well hold the key to change in this state. But because of the job economy, opportunity, and overall moral depravity, these people will never be able to ensure this will ever happen. The corruption is in all managerial positions of society. You cannot show your abundance of ambition anymore and in essence show what you are made of because your very existence threatens the jobs of those above you. And those above you will do everything in their power to keep you and those like you in array and discontent.

Veterans of this ongoing worthless war have almost the same opportunities for growth as someone coming out of prison. When things are like this, after such a selfless sacrifice, and you have people who sent you there and voted for you to stay out there and serve and suffer needlessly for the sake of a college education that you had no way of obtaining before, the same people described in the above collumn who literally are coming up off of those sacrifices, coming up off of all your tickets you accumulate with the rest of the city or state where the police are the keys to making sure that the money and every last bit of it that we all have gets sucked out of you at every chance, it just makes me wonder when all of you californians will get it, and either put a stop to it, or kill the problem by leaving that place and watching what happens to people like that who make 800,000 dollars a year to do absolutely nothing, while you move elsewhere thats not revolved around sucking the people dry, and more opportunity than you will ever imagine.

the problem is the people of california, one for not collectively doing anything to attempt to fix the problem, and two...for obliviously thinking that things are going to get better, when theres no indication whatsoever that this will ever happen anytime soon.

Ive said this before, and I will say it again, "palm trees do not pay your bills, and things wont get better, until the people of the ghetto will stop acting like their part of the cast of the hills." what you have is a whole lot of people with champagne tastes, and beer pocketbooks. I know when enough is enough.

Viva Texas! when was the last time you paid 2.49 cents for gas at chevron cali?

i rest my case.

[Lynneth]

While this is a concern, I think the state budget (or lack thereof) is a much bigger concern. There's been very little news.

[Paul_B]

Many local city council officials speak to be offering many skills, degrees and an interest to serve the community during election season to gain support. With this being said; wouldn't the officials already have great careers and/or be retired and already be recieving an income? Why not make these positions volunteer positions? Your interest is to help and serve the community right?

[TJ]

Most cities in Ventura County already post their salary schedule or salary plan for all employees on their webpage under Human Resources.

[ahuh]

He should post his salary as well.

Matter of fact why doesn't he give up his salary, not like he needs it and then put it towards the mess he's created for Cali. in the years he's been in office.

[glove]

taxpayers can't support big heavy government - start with the judge & the controller - fire, layoff, cutpay of the overpaid, intheway, lazy, overbearing, deadwood, uncivil servants