Nice work if you can get it...

CORRECTION: WHOOPS! We made a rookie's mistake, basing this post entirely on the Journal Times' story (Oct. 14, Page 13A,). Just received a significant correction from Racine Unified: Stephanie Hayden, RUSD director of communication, writes: "Dr. Jackson Parker's salary will be based on the annual rate of $60,840, which is $14,040 for the period of October 1, 2008 until December 31, 2008."

As Saturday Night Live's Emily Litella would say, "Never mind!" Happy to hear it isn't so.

Original post:

Easy come, easy go!

The city's big spenders burned through $140,000 last night, according to separate stories in the Journal Times today.

First, the City Council's Finance and Personnel Committee voted to give $80,000 to the sexual assault victim of a Racine police officer, to settle her lawsuit.

Second, the Racine Unified School District voted to pay $60,000 to Dr. Jack Parker, who will work 20 hours per week for three months as deputy superintendent on some long-range projects not finished during his year as interim superintendent -- like the creation of a redistricting plan and plans to reform the district's secondary education and special education.

Translate that rate of pay for half-time work to a year of full-time work and it comes to $480,000!

Any way you figure it, Parker's pay rate is at least double that of the man who replaced him as superintendent in September. Dr. James Shaw's contract calls for roughly $210,000 a year: $180,000 salary, $20,000 deferred compensation in lieu of retirement fund contributions (if he stays for three years), and a $10,200 car allowance. Plus a one-time payment of $20,500 into his retirement savings plan.

Shaw presumably will also work more than 20 hours per week...

Parker spent last year as the district's interim superintendent after Dr. Jim Hicks was forced out resigned (at full pay for a year). Hicks, if we remember correctly, was earning $144,000 per year, plus $15,000 into the retirement fund and whatever other perks.

But, hey, it's only money... Compared to what the really big spenders in Washington doled out yesterday -- $250 Billion!! -- it's just a rounding error.