May 17, 2010

Streifer deal saves city $30K a year

I heard from quite a few folks today about the deal that school Superintendent Philip Streifer struck with the Board of Education last fall.
I'm not going to try to sort it all out, except to pass on that school board member Tom O'Brien said that by rehiring Streifer after his retirement takes effect this summer, Bristol taxpayers save about $30,000 annually.
It's probably important to make clear that Streifer didn't do anything wrong. He followed the rules and was free to take a job anywhere as a retiree.
He chose to stay in Bristol for a couple more years, as he promised. But he could have moved on to Fairfield County, where they pay superintendents something akin to what Third World dictators earn.
Bristol taxpayers actually gain a little from the deal, but, of course, it's fair to criticize Streifer and anyone involved if the thought of Bristol's superintendent raking in what amounts to two big salaries is a little too much to stomach.
A November 5 press release was also waived in front of me -- the first time I've seen that -- that laid out the deal struck with Streifer. I'm not sure why it slipped through the cracks back then, but these things do happen.
Believe me, there are always stories we'd like to do and some we should do that just don't get done. There are too many stories and too few reporters to make sure everything that ought to be printed is written.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

But again, where is the mayor on all this?

And wheer is the loyal opposition?

Guess that they are just all one big happy family.

Anonymous said...

Really now? Striefer did us a favor?! Hah! You've got to ask, "Why would anyone turn down a chance to make even MORE money than one (Striefer) does now?" Loyalty to Bristol? I think NOT!

Anonymous said...

O'Brien is such a fraud, I love how he tries to claim they're actually doing Bristol a favor. If O'Brien had any balls he'd cut where the real waste is, in lazy useless administrators. But O'Brien doesn't want to upset anyone making $100,000 or more, those are his kind of people.