One of the advantages of public sector pension programs that allow workers to retire early with significant benefits is that retirees can then often seek new full-time employment which, together with pension pay that often approaches or exceeds their former government salaries, provides the retirees with hefty income.
This is the case in Rhode Island, where the $100,000 pension club, that is, the list of retired government workers in the state taking home a pension of more than $100,000, includes a number of workers who have reentered the workforce, often in new government jobs. Chief among them, according to the Providence Journal, is retired state police superintendent Steven Pare, who checked out at age 46 after 26 years on the job and now enjoys a pension of $104,101. Pare didn't stay retired very long, however. He grabbed a job as the city of Providence's public safety commissioner at $150,000 a year.
This is the case in Rhode Island, where the $100,000 pension club, that is, the list of retired government workers in the state taking home a pension of more than $100,000, includes a number of workers who have reentered the workforce, often in new government jobs. Chief among them, according to the Providence Journal, is retired state police superintendent Steven Pare, who checked out at age 46 after 26 years on the job and now enjoys a pension of $104,101. Pare didn't stay retired very long, however. He grabbed a job as the city of Providence's public safety commissioner at $150,000 a year.
The biggest category of $100,000 pensions earners in the state, however, isn't public safety officers, but retired judges. And many of them, it turns out, return to the public payrolls to work on a per diem basis in the courts after they've retired.
In general, the $100,000 club in Rhode Island consists mainly of former government administrators and supervisors, not rank and file members. And their numbers are growing rapidly. A year ago there were 48 former state workers earning $100,000, compared to 75 today.
But not everyone who retires jumps back into public service. One in six checks that go to top-earning pensioners in the state are sent to Florida addresses, the newspaper reports.
In general, the $100,000 club in Rhode Island consists mainly of former government administrators and supervisors, not rank and file members. And their numbers are growing rapidly. A year ago there were 48 former state workers earning $100,000, compared to 75 today.
But not everyone who retires jumps back into public service. One in six checks that go to top-earning pensioners in the state are sent to Florida addresses, the newspaper reports.
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