Butt-dialing bozo David Bookstaver was fired last week — but not before his accidental voicemail opened another window on New York’s pension scams.
Bookstaver was fired from his $166,000-a-year do-nothing “job” as Office of Court Administration communications director after The Post reported his voicemail confession: The Post’s “story’s true,” he said. “I’m not doing anything. I barely show up to work, and I’ve been caught.”
That Bookstaver was kept on the payroll for more than 18 months after the new administration stripped him of his duties is beyond galling. And OCA fired him only because his secret was out. Apparently, officials, starting with Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, were OK with having him do little to no work.
Why? Heck, why not? Staying on would boost his pension — and, anyway, he wasn’t being paid with their money.
Similar logic explains why FDNY honchos let firefighters rack up hefty overtime pay to boost their salaries before they retire. The Empire Center’s SeeThroughNY reports that more than 60 percent of the city firefighters who retired last year (264 out of 420) are getting New York tax-free pensions above $100,000. A jaw-dropping 102 retirees qualify for pensions above $200,000.
The costs are up not only because of OT abuse, but also because many retirees qualify for line-of-duty disability pay. Yes, many deserve it, having become sick after serving at Ground Zero. But then, who can forget cases like that of retired FDNY Lt. John “Johnny Lungs” McLaughlin, who ran marathons while on a disability pension?
Meanwhile, the Citizens Budget Commission reports OT spending is spinning out of control — up 62 percent between 2007 and 2016. And two-thirds of it goes to police, fire and other uniformed agencies.
The CBC is right to demand tighter controls in upcoming city labor negotiations. One useful fix: Stop using OT to calculate pensions.
In any event, it’s long past time to end the shenanigans — the no-show jobs, the overtime abuse, the pension-padding . . . Taxpayers shouldn’t put up with officials who stick them with the bill as they wink and nod at such blatant rip-offs.