It must be nice when you can get the rules written just for you.
There must come a time when even the most disinterested, blasé, apolitical person living has to look up from whatever else occupies his interest and say, “Wait a damned minute. This just ain’t right and we’re not gonna do it.”
Or, as Peter Finch as Howard Beale in the classic movie Network would say: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
Just when you think you heard the last of Mike Edmonson, the erstwhile Superintendent of State Police, he comes back to haunt us and taunt us.
Remember way back in 2014 when LouisianaVoice first made you aware of SB 294, signed into law by Bobby Jindal as ACT 859? The bill, authored by Sen. Jean-Paul J. Morrell (D-New Orleans), appeared only to deal with procedures for formal, written complaints made against police officers.
But thanks to a little back room deal between Edmonson Chief of Staff Charles Dupuy and State Sen. Neil Riser (R-Columbia and an announced candidate for State Treasurer), a last-minute amendment was tacked onto that bill that, contrary to verbal assurances to legislators that the bill would cause no financial impact, would have actually given Edmonson an additional $50,000 or so in retirement income.
Thanks to a timely anonymous letter informing us of the amendment, we were able to break the story and the resulting furor over that was such that State Sen. Dan Claitor (R-Baton Rouge) filed suit in 19th Judicial District Court to block the raise that Edmonson was already being forced to disavow. District Court Judge Janice Clark threw out the law.
Why?
Because Edmonson voluntarily and of his own free will chose some years earlier to lock his retirement in at $76,000 by entering into the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) while he was still at the rank of captain. That decision, which is considered irrevocable, locked in his retirement at a rate based on his captain’s pay while netting him a higher salary at the time.
But now he’s back and because of a rather complicated quirk in the law—applicable, apparently, only to State Police—it appears he will get that extra retirement income after all—not $76,000 as dictated by his decision to enter DROP way back when, but $128,559, according to Jim Mustian’s Baton Rouge ADVOCATE online story.
Here is the way Retirement says it’s calculated, according to one retired Trooper:
Act 1160 relative to the re-computation of the pre-DROP benefit and the pre-DROP final average compensation applies to you if (1) you participated in DROP on or before June 30, 2001, 2) continued in state police employment after participation in DROP without a break in service, and (3) remained in such continuous employment on or after July 1, 2001. These special provisions do not apply to members who retired on or before July 1, 2001.
If You Entered DROP With 25 Years or More of Hard State Trooper Service:
Pre-DROP Benefit – If you meet the criteria set forth in (1), (2), and (3) above, and you entered DROP with 25 years or more of hard state trooper service, you are eligible for a re-computation of your pre-DROP benefit at 3 1/3% multiplied by the number of years of service to your credit prior to your effective date of participation in DROP, and further multiplied by your final average salary as computed when you entered DROP.
Post-DROP Benefit – Your post-DROP benefit will be calculated at 31/3% multiplied by the number of years of service to your credit after DROP participation, and further multiplied by your final average compensation. The final average compensation used will be the average determined at the beginning of DROP, or, a new current final average if you worked for an additional 12 or 36 months (based on your hire date).
If You Entered DROP With Less Than 25 Years of Hard State Trooper Service:
Pre-DROP Benefit – If you meet the requirements stated above and you entered DROP with less than 25 years of hard state trooper service, you may also be eligible for a re-computation of your final average compensation based on your hard 25th year of trooper service (or your highest 12-month average if you have not reached your 25th year) for the purpose of determining your new pre-DROP benefit. This re-computation of the final average salary will be based on any 12-month period of service (but limited to the first 25 years) while a member of LSPRS regardless of hire date.
Post-DROP Benefit – Your Post-DROP benefit will be calculated at 3 1/3% multiplied by the number of years of service to your credit after DROP participation, and further multiplied by the greater of 1) your final average salary as determined when we recomputed your pre-DROP benefit, or 2) your current final average compensation based on a 12-month average regardless of hire date.
The sum of any re-computed pre and post DROP retirement benefit shall not exceed 100% of your current final average compensation.
For purposes of determining the average compensation based on the first 25 years, (1) “state trooper service” does not include military service purchased, actuarially transferred service, or reciprocally recognized service, or any form of purchase of service credit, and (2) “average salary” does not include overtime, expenses, clothing allowances, or any remuneration resulting from military service.
If you are eligible for a re-computation under Act 1160, this does not change the amounts credited to your DROP account. The re-computation is for the monthly benefit amount you receive upon retirement only.
Got it?
Didn’t think so.
But the overriding question that’s impossible shake is this: If this rule existed, why was it necessary back in 2014 to try and sneak the benefit increase through the legislature as an amendment to an otherwise harmless bill?
Something doesn’t pass the smell test here and when you take a look at the makeup of the State Police Retirement System’s Board of TRUSTEES, six of whom are either active or retired State Troopers, the odor doesn’t get any better.
The bottom line here is this:
Whether or not special provisions are in place for State Troopers to circumvent the irrevocable provisions of DROP, if the State Police Retirement System’s Board of Trustees goes forward with giving Edmonson this $128,559, every single state employee who ever opted to enter DROP at any time should retain legal counsel and go after the additional retirement funds to which he or she is entitled.
Louisiana Voice 
We have always been told as state employees our decision to retire is absolutely irrevocable. Once the paperwork has been approved by LASERS, you are locked in forever and nothing you do can change that. I’ve seen people put in for retirement and lose out on money because the next day the agency gives a “retirement incentive” but they are told nope, sorry, can’t be changed, you’re out. But I guess if your name is Edmonson, you can get rules made just for you.
Amazing how that works.
Pitiful. When will the corruption stop? Just like justice for those of us who survived New Bethany. Louisiana politics is a swamp that needs to be drained.
“…every single state employee who ever opted to enter DROP at any time should retain legal counsel and go after the additional retirement funds to which he or she is entitled.”
I hope he gets his additional money because then a precedent will have been set and I’ll be able to get additional $… 🙂
Truly disgusting!
I sent The Advocate article to a friend the second it came out. He said the exp,nation is VERY simple and is heard in the final three words of the young lady on this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmBo7mX9J2Q.
Have to concede. He’s right! The date of Edmonson’s enrollment in DROP is crucial if he needs 25 years Pre-drop. He is said to have 36 years now, and we KNOW he enrolled in DROP well before Jindal was elected in late 2007. Somebody at LSPRB needs to provide the computations for this benefit because, as Tom says, it defies logic why the EA was pursued so vigorously UNLESS Edmonson figured whoever won in 2015 would have no desire to keep him on, so he needed the EA to give him an escape clause. After all, he readily all but conceded he only had a year left to serve when he appeared on the Jim Engster show (listen beginning at the 1:12 mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=633CnBlXC8I#action=share.
Regarding Tom’s final paragraph, I think this young lady would concur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-wX1uPsAaY#action=share
He gave this state 36 years of his life and would have given his actual life for its citizens. He earned and deserves whatever pension he gets. The people of La. owe him a debt of gratitude and much more than that!
Then every state employee that has put their very life in danger has the right to disregard their earlier DROP election. Every State Trooper and not just Edmonson. Every firefighter. Every Fish and Wildlife Agent, Every Revenue Department Auditor. Every School teacher since lunatics now haunt our schools. And the list goes on. Either live by your decision or don’t make it and gamble that you’ll be ahead by not locking in your retirement benefit amount. No one should have it both ways. No one!
Some people go into public service to serve the public. Others want the public to serve them.
Not sure what you are smoking but he is the very definition of state corruption. The state is worse off because of his command. And he should feel lucky to not be in jail.
Dms0953…Edmonson has been a con since he joined the State Police, mess up after mess up he continued to climb the ladder, Edmondon did not spend enough time on the road to protect anyone, he even was involved in a crash due to his own negligence. He was a media whore, that ran behind the Coach waiting for the limelight to shine on his face, who bought and sold favors, promotions where given out if you were willing to give your soul to him in exchange. You Dms0953, must be one that sold his soul for promotions for you to be beating his bandwagon drum so hard. I for one never liked contact with the man, so full of himself it made me sick to my stomach, could not stay out of a picture, invited or not he had to stick his face in, should of tried to pay him to stay out of my picture!
You… My Friend, have been watching waaayyy too many TV COP shows…
Specious logic.
The possible FEMA fraud we’re not even going to discusse that…”
See it for yourself!!
Sorry to be a long. If I were to purchase loaves of bread at the local grocery store to make sandwiches at my deli I would deduct the sales tax already paid from the amount remunerated to the state for only one sales total paid. However with the new sales tax system if a poor lady living in a broken single wide purchased a used tire to keep her children safe not only would she pay the new additional tax but again the tax already paid. We economist can tell you what the annual “loaf of bread” cost or the inflation rate was back to before anyone working today, started their career. The three year average for calculation of retirement dates in large part to before software spreadsheets so that inflation was negated. That excuse is long gone. Retirement is a life time of savings,in part by the employee but in very large part by the employer, taxpayer. A last minute high three year income is not retirement funded or justified. However a friend, when explained how the system worked, gasped, for a family member that was raised in position to department head, that what till that time was considered an honor just before retirement ,realized that instead it was packing retirement pay. All this may happen in private businesses however it is unlikely that the poor woman in the single wide owns their stock, however she is fully invested in state obligations. In that view and the reality that retirement is a support after employment, not the continuation of salary while no longer showing up for work, how can anyone justify large state retirements when you are asking all taxpayers many with out any retirement to support them. Grandma said “stealing is when you take something that wouldn’t be given to you.” That’s how you know if you can borrow something from your neighbor when they aren’t home, You know. Does any one think these thousands of dollars of excessive salaries and retirement amounts don’t smack with the rule that the person that is taken from would give it to you. Should we allow these increases when we are double taxing used tires and our poorest?
I HOPE THIS BACK ROOM DEAL BITES NEIL RISER IN THE BUTT
Mr. DeLouche,
Back in the dark ages when I went to work for state government the pay was low, but the benefits were good. After 10 years any analysis I did told me to stick it out to retirement. Despite the fact my salary was not that great, I had potential for advancement and I was vested in the retirement system.
There are a lot of people like me who retired before pay for state employees, particularly those in management positions, became much more competitive with the private sector. We went to work and continued to work under what constituted a contract – short term sacrifice for long term gain (what a ridiculous way to live, right?) and we are entitled to the benefits of that contract.
Over the years there have been many proposals to move out of these defined benefit systems and into defined contribution plans on a wholesale basis. Surveys indicate younger people prefer such plans as do, of course, people who believe defined benefit plans are archaic or worse, socialistic.
Here’s the essential problem: Our defined benefit retirement systems do not have a deep fiscal problem because they have been abused (though a very limited number of people have benefited from loopholes created for them). Rather, they have a problem because the state underfunded them. As a result, it would be very difficult to transition into defined payment plans for new employees on a large-scale because employee contributions are a very, very important part of the funding mechanism of our defined benefit plans.
Legislation enacted in 1989 provided for elimination of the UALs of these systems by 2029. Well, 2029 is only 12 years away. Unfortunately, the payment/amortization schedule was manipulated in such a way that these last years have very high annual payments – almost like balloon payments. So, now, everybody is up in arms as if they could not see this coming.
This is typical of the way the state has managed everything for a very long time. We know we have problems and we are even able to define them, but we operate under the working motto: NEVER DO TODAY WHAT YOU CAN PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW.
Your Grandma was certainly right, but don’t be so quick to paint all state employees or retirees with the broad brush of thievery or indict them for taking food out of the mouth of a single-wide resident who has to buy used tires (and be double-taxed in the process).
Tom,
This comment makes it sound like there is a definitive amount placed in the account until its used up. Then it’s gone. How do you read this?
“If you are eligible for a re-computation under Act 1160, this does not change the amounts credited to your DROP account. The re-computation is for the monthly benefit amount you receive upon retirement only.”
Please, does anybody know of a good pest control company to get rid of this greedy rat?
I can understand now when he is in front of a camera WHY he has that little half-cracked up smile on his face. He is laughing his backside off to the bank with his money.
Wow, great comments! Big numbers require smart people to manipulate. Steve Scalise got retirements benefits screwed up and a few collected big money. It is a feeding trough at the Corporate level where Execs have big $ buyout if they get caught with a dead boy. gotta run gov like a business! ‘smart, just business”
Always we must redo civil service and realistic ethics reform. The unclassified positions may be only a few but they are paid “business ” level salary and then shifted to other positions to rape the retirement system. and its legal, just ask Putin. love always ron thompson
He should be prosecuted for a felony charge of theft. How much food & drink staples did you take from the cafeteria Mike Edmonson? I will not even address you as as Colonel because you are a disgrace to the guys I work alongside everyday to keep this state safe from predators such as yourself.
How much money was laundered by you, I’m curious?
Hope the feds have a field day with you and your cronies and each and everyone of you lose everything.
Anonymous, you and those you work side by side with need to come forward now and cooperate with the FBI to put M.E. and all the co-conspirators away. The timing is crucial to clean the agency out, and the current focus by various entities will eliminate any reprisals. United you and the Good Troopers and Officers can make a difference.
All entities across the Department, (LSP, DPS) should come forward and report it to your local FBI Field Office.
Lets not forget a good sweep of the retirement board…they need looking in to…lots of coincidence all in Edmonson’s favor…..common factor? Besson and Lafargue…anybody ever thought of that? two crony wannabes, rewarded with unsubstantiated promotions.
Favor for a favor, I think you’re on to something. Never thought about it.
As a retired trooper, I personally know Edmonson to be a liar. He lied to me to my face. That’s all I need to know about any man.
Some years back, when I was a trooper, Edmonson told me an outright lie. Any man that’s a liar, will also steal, and cheat. The Bible states that “all liars will have their part of the lake of fire”. That’s God’s word on the topic, not mine. Edmonson didn’t just become crooked in the end, he was a crook from the start, and a fraud his entire career. Most troopers have more time in coffee shops, than Edmonson ever spent working the road. The guy smooth mouthed his way to the top, he sure never earned it.