ALBANY – Following the revelation that Dutchess County District Attorney William Grady has submitted papers with the state retirement system to collect his pension while still serving comes word that Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R, New Windsor) has introduced legislation prohibiting that in the future.
Schmitt said politicians created the “double-dip loophole” solely to benefit themselves, and that, in his view, is wrong.
“They exploit taxpayers and their elected position for their own benefit. Members of both parties have been doing it for years in New York at various levels. It is completely unacceptable,” he said. “You have teachers, firefighters, police officers, who do not have the ability to benefit from this loophole, but purely elected officials looking out for their own wallet, pocketbook. It’s shameful. No current public official should participate in it even if they are legally able to.”
Schmitt is a member of the Republican minority in the Assembly and unless his bill secures a Democrat sponsor, it will likely go nowhere.
