Connecticut Represented in the U.S. Senate by Two Retired State Employees.
What a big start of the year it was for Richard Blumenthal. He took his seat in the United States Senate in January and retired as a state employee on February 1st. According to the State Comptroller’s office, Blumenthal “elected the 50% to spouse option and is currently receiving a benefit of $4,280.00 per month.”
As a Tier I retiree, Blumenthal and his wife enjoy one of the most generous health care plans in the nation.
Mrs. Blumenthal enjoys a considerable fortune of as much as $100 million. Sergeant Blumenthal had to sell his portion of their Greenwich, Connecticut, manse to her so he could put $2 million into his 2010 Senate campaign because it was, after all, an auction and he wanted to get in on the bidding.
Connecticut’s senior senator, Joseph Lieberman is also a retired state employee. Like Blumenthal, Lieberman served in the state legislature and as attorney general.
5 comments
We need to get business people into Washington, DC! It’s no wonder the country is such a mess. I am so tired of retired state and federal workers retiring young and taking these big pensions and working toward another one! How are people who are part of the problem going to solve it!?!?!
..Rauhs report which generated headlines in major newspapers across the country found that Connecticut is one of seven states which will run out of money for its retirees by 2020. He suggested the trend could be off-set if the state goes from a defined benefit plan which promises workers a specific annual amount to a defined contribution plan such as a 401K type plan. The National Association of State Retirement Administrators whose members are directors of statewide public retirement systems have also released a deconstructing most of Rauhs conclusions.
Great pension for someone who helped and continues to drive ths state off the cliff. He’s only good for getting a photo op.
You’re kidding!
No Blumen Way!
Until last year, I never knew Dick Blumenthal was worth $100 million. I would see him at dozens of events shaking hands, meeting and greeting people, getting his name into programs and often speaking words of wisdom. I have been part of a non-profit for almost as long as he’s been involved in politics. Since he was–or at least I thought he was–a struggling public servant, we never pressed him to buy his ticket like we did with everyone else who have attended our many events. (Even our legislators would pay their own way, mostly because they
insisted.) So now I ask myself–and every other not-for-profit in the state of Connecticut: now that Senator Blumenthal is worth over $100 million AND is collecting over $4,000/month in a state pension, as well as virtually free health care benefits, will he start contributing more than his mere presence at our fundraisers? Or will finally cut a check? And I ask every other non-profit out there, has Dick Blumenthal ever paid his way to support the social safety net, or has he been stiffing you, too?
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