Judge rules Bulger entitled to higher pension
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
November 30, 2005
Former University of Massachusetts president William Bulger won a huge victory in court Monday when a Superior Court judge ruled that his pension must be increased to over $200,000 a year.
Judge Ernest B. Murphy ruled that Bulger must receive a housing allowance and a portion of an annuity in his pension. The housing allowance and annuity had been discounted as perks during Bulger's reign as president of the UMass system.
Murphy's ruling will add roughly $45,000 in annuity payments and a $29,000-a-year housing stipend. Bulger's pension will rise from $179,000 to $208,000 per year.
Bulger's lawyer, Thomas Kiley praised the decision saying to the Boston Globe, his client "has served in positions of great importance to the citizens of the Commonwealth."
The judge's decision has come under fire by several public and private leaders, including Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly.
"I don't believe he's entitled to anything he requested... This sets a precedent that could be very expensive for this state, and we're prepared to appeal this decision," Reilly said in a statement.
UMass originally resisted paying Bulger the additional money in his pension because officials considered the housing and annuity payments as perks.
"He's become a predator on our paychecks, that's the way I can describe Billy Bulger," said Chip Faulkner, associate director of the Massachusetts Citizens of Limited Taxation.
A recent review published in the Boston Herald on Nov. 6 shows several retired state employees making six-figures on their pension plans. The article said that out of all 57 state retirees making six figures, 31 of them are former employees of the UMass system.
"The top 10 highest paid retirees draw between $130,000 and $230,000 a year," the Herald article stated.
"The pension should be based on salary, on pay, and not on perks," Reilly said. "Enough is enough, but unfortunately in this case, enough is never enough."
"I understand how most people think that's an excessive pension, but that's the way it goes," said UMass journalism professor Stephen Simurda. "Bulger is getting a very large pension, but he spent a very long time in service to the state and legislature and here at UMass. And the percentage is based on his earnings over that time and he made a fair amount of money."
"The old argument used to be that with public employees, they earn a relatively low salary, but good benefits," said Faulkner. "What it's turned into now is huge salaries and huge benefits. That's why government costs so much in Massachusetts... That's why we have one of the highest income tax rates in the country."
While Reilly, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2006 also blasted the judge's decision, his potential political rival, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney agreed with his opinion.
Romney called the new additions to Bulger's pension "excessive."
###
Copyright Daniel O�Brien and the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. This article may not be redistributed without written permission under United States law.