DOB: A Challenge for All Times (and Mayors)
An article in The Times this weekend looks at the mayor’s record at cleaning up corruption and incompetence at the Buildings Department and largely finds it wanting; but the paper also notes that no other mayor has had much luck in that department either. The problem, as the article frames it, is an inherent one…
An article in The Times this weekend looks at the mayor’s record at cleaning up corruption and incompetence at the Buildings Department and largely finds it wanting; but the paper also notes that no other mayor has had much luck in that department either. The problem, as the article frames it, is an inherent one when you have low-paid bureaucrats with quite a bit of power and discretion charged with policing an industry that’s making money hand-over-fist. When you pay people who have the responsibility as inspectors so little, they’re prone to having their hand out, said Daniel J. Castleman, a former chief assistant in the Manhattan district attorney’s office and current managing director at FTI Consulting. That’s not endemic to one mayor or a dozen mayors, that’s just the way it is. There’s so much money to be made in construction and development that people are going to offer you things and people who are paid less are going to think, ‘Who’s this going to hurt?’ The answer, as the numerous crane and building collapses in recent years show, is a lot of people.
Buildings Dept. Woes Have Persisted Despite Bloomberg’s Overhaul [NY Times]
Photo by Jon Meyer
(And those figures are BEFORE the most recent contractual increases… so the average is probably more like $62,000 now.)
G_man — the city Council voted last year (December) that DC-37 union members no longer have to reside in NYC if they have completed 2 years of city service. In short, the City Council has recognized that it is too expensive to live in the city and the city cannot support it employees.
And it’s not a straw man. (#1) $48k might be the starting salary, but that doesn’t mean it’s the salary someone actually starts at… bottom step vs. actual starting step. For example, there is an “Elevator Inspector” position posted at “$42,914 – $61,200.” That ENTIRE range is available as the starting salary… chances are, it will be something in the middle ($50k)
(#2) I would suspect that the majority of inspectors in this city have well over 8 years on the job.
(#3) And here’s the ACTUAL data for DOB employees with “Inspector” in their title (from http://www.seethroughny.net)
426 “Inspectors” — Average = $60,044.73
247 (57%) make less than $60,000
112 (26%) make between $60k and $70k
54 (13%) make between $70k and $90k
12 (3%) make over $90,000
G_man — my point is that these are jobs that earn plenty of money (and benefits) for their duties. However, this city’s $$$ illness has made everything twisted. In fact, there are 85 inspectors making $47,882. This is a FINE wage… but not in this city. When a 2-bedroom apartment costs $1200-$1800 minimum, that doesn’t surprise me that folks are on the take. My solution is NOT to raise these salaries… the same inspector in Philadelphia probably earns half this. The solution is to figure out how to control the unsustainable “growth” of all costs!
I’m glad city workers are allowed to live in NJ now. Previously, it was just forced poverty.
Politics as usual for the last eight years. It’s enough. Bill Thompson will change all of this.
***Bill Thompson for Mayor (TOMORROW!!!)***
Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at November 2, 2009 10:26 AM
ROTFLMMFAO…Read the article about Thompson in the other thread
Politics as usual for the last eight years. It’s enough. Bill Thompson will change all of this.
***Bill Thompson for Mayor (TOMORROW!!!)***
Another reason why I am not voting.
P.S.: Most city employees are REQUIRED to live in the city.
If the starting salary is $48K, the salary after two years (the “incumbent” rate) would be around $54K. (I checked for actual numbers but there are currently no inspector positions advertised at DOB.) Salaries then increase at the cost of living per union negotiation; let’s say 3 percent per annum. At that rate, an inspector would need to have about eight years on the job to make $65K and approximately 15 years of seniority to make $80K. Does this alleged “average” inspector actually exist or does s/he just make a good straw wo/man?
tybur6, I have to disagree with you. Los Paisanos (butcher) and Fish Tales are quite reasonably priced. Unfortunately most neighborhoods don’t have access to places like that anymore, like they used to.
Benson,
There are only two kinds of butcher shop that can exist in NYC now. The big, high-volume place in a big factory type setting…. or the “gourmet” butcher that charges $36.50/lb for his grass-fed steak.
In the former, none of the employees except the owner can live comfortably in the city… and in the latter, well… that’s just part of the problem.