Second Massachusetts State Police head to do so, at an estimated $25,000 per year hit on federal tax revenues.  Former state police commander to collect tax-free disability pension.

Ho hum!  Another big-city police disability pension system that lets trick knees and bad backs qualify cops for decades worth of tax-free payouts, often while otherwise employed, until their regular pensions kick-in.

City paid $18 million in disability to cops, some with other jobs – Chicago Sun-Times.

First Vallejo, now Stockton as California municipalities join sister jurisdictions in the South and New England in the bankruptcy club.  True trickle down at work here: Once anti-tax zealots gained a stranglehold over federal and state legislatures, the aid spigot for local services such as public safety and education was shut down.  And the folks who live in cities such as Stockton don’t have the werewithal to fully fund their schools, cops or firefighters.  “It’s on them” say the anti-tax ayatollahs, as if educating kids serves only the locality or crime never spills over to the next town. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/us/stockton-california-heads-for-bankruptcy-court.html?smid=pl-share

Though this story is about yet another government operation in Pennsylvania that rose from the dead after an elected leader was shown the door, most jurisdictions in the state continue to elect leaders for basic business functions that need professional management but instead get political operatives who can pay little attention to how effectively things run.    New team brings Clerk of Court’s office into the 21st century.

Pennslyvania judges have to get elected, and thus may employ campaign tactics prosecutors could interpret as indictable, as happened here. One hopes for a speedy trial since Judge Melvin continues to draw her 195K salary though relieved of her duties. Pa. Supreme Court justice: I’ll fight charges.

The pension tsunami ripples across the country, threatening to swamp pension deals long held sacred.  Rahm’s pension reform: Freeze retiree pay hikes, up retirement age – Chicago Sun-Times.

The exploitation of the Long Island Railroad’s disability retirement system will likely end up the biggest single case to date in which public authorities/taxpayers/fee-payers shoulder inflated pension payouts because the system is so easy to game.     http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/nyregion/more-long-island-rail-road-retirees-face-fraud-charges.html?smid=pl-share

The methodology employed by the Atlanta Journal Consitution to identify schools that manipulate test scores may be going on the road.  Principals beware!  If you teach political science or public administration, or even plain old statistics, this case is well-suited for showing that statistical analysis is a real public policy and management tool, not just disembodied math stuff students are forced to learn.  http://www.ajc.com/news/cheating-our-children-ajcs-1398178.html

Some government agencies are more welcoming of patronage appointments than others, with seemingly little rhyme or reason that applies across jurisdictions and time.  In this Massachusetts story, the probation agency allegedly went from role model to patronage mill. Ex-probation chief, 2 aides indicted in hiring scandal.