Saturday, January 13, 2007

Spitzer's top 10 aides echo Pataki's pay scale

Albany Times Union AP Story MICHAEL GORMLEY

Another view of Spitzer's recent hires and their salaries compared to the Pataki Administration....a political junkies delight..........andy

ALBANY -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer's top 10 aides are drawing paychecks totaling more than $1.5 million, according to payroll records obtained Friday.
That's about the same rate aides for the Pataki administration collected, according to a late 2006 payroll.
Spitzer's top 10 hires so far make nearly $1.55 million a year. Pataki's top 10 made $1.56 million. The governor's salary is set by law at $179,000. But Spitzer had 17 hires paid $150,000 a year or more. That compared to 12 in the closing weeks of Pataki's administration after some staffers left for other jobs.
Many of Spitzer's hires are attorneys and corporate leaders, and some are taking substantial pay cuts to join his team.
But the big bucks are in the state's public authorities, legally separate entities created by the Legislature to run specific systems on their own revenue and borrowing. For example, Spitzer's executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority -- Elliot Sander -- is paid $340,000, including a housing allowance and other benefits.
Pataki's MTA executive director, Katherine Lapp, received a total compensation package of $327,000 a year, according to state comptroller's office records.
How the payrolls compare In the executive chamber, Gov. Eliot Spitzer has altered some of the job titles from those under Gov. George Pataki. But the comparison of Spitzer's payroll so far with Pataki's in late 2006 shows many similarities: Spitzer's executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Elliot Sander -- $340,000; Pataki's MTA executive director, Katherine Lapp -- $327,000 a year Spitzer's secretary to the governor, Rich Baum -- $178,500; Pataki's secretary to the governor, John Cahill -- also $178,500 Spitzer's director of communications, Darren Dopp -- $175,000; Pataki's David Catalfamo -- $175,100. Spitzer's, director of state operations, Olivia Golden -- $169,000; Pataki's James Natoli -- $175,680. Source: State comptroller's office records

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