If you think your town manager is well paid, consider Bell, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles where residents apparently awoke from a deep slumber to find city officials gorging themselves at the public trough.
The city manager was earning $787,000 per year, just under twice as much as the president of the U.S. The police chief made $456,000 per year and the assistant to the city manager $376,000.
Four of five city councilors were paying themselves $100,000 per year for their part-time positions.
Bell has about 37,000 residents, so it’s about the size of Lewiston. The average citizen makes $30,000 per year and the city has a 17 percent unemployment rate.
Beverly Hills it is not.
Residents were in a lather last week upon learning they had been had. But they should be angry with themselves as well.
Are there no newspapers? No municipal watchdogs? Do people go to meetings or watch the proceedings on TV?
Thomas Jefferson warned that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. The citizens of Bell have learned that the hard way.
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