Homes Without Mirrors

At least, that's what I figure a couple of Philadelphia city officials have. Because I am an optimist and believe in the innate goodness of human beings, I can't see that these people could ever look at themselves in the mirror again. Otherwise, they just might be approaching the event horizon of irredeemability.

A Philly city councilwoman and a functionary with the title "Recorder of Wills" both retired from their jobs last week. No problem, except that their retirement lasted all of one day; they'll be back on the job Monday to start the new year. For that one day of retirement, the city councilwoman will take home $478,000. The irreplaceable Recorder of Wills, who after his one day of retirement decided the city could not do without his services and also returned to the job, pocketed $376,000.

This cash grab was made possible by a retirement system which allows exactly this kind of one-day "retirement" and multi-thousand dollar payout, approved in a bill introduced and voted for by the city councilwoman herself. Philadelphia's mayor vetoed the bill -- he may be one of those rare public officials who has yet to have his shame removed -- but the councilwoman courageously led a fight to overturn the veto.

All this makes me realize my dad is doing it wrong. See, he also went back to work after retiring, but he waited several years and, rather than spend his days figuring out how to put six figures of other people's money into his bank account, he drives around and takes census surveys. I don't know exactly what he clears, but if it's 400 K he must be blowing a lot of it at the track based on what I see around the folks' house.