Felipe Fuentes, Valley Assemblyman, Proposes to Outlaw Pensions For All Elected Leaders Convicted of Felonies

By Dennis Romero Fri., Jul. 22 2011 at 3:01 PM

Obligatory head-above-the-frame shot of Felipe Fuentes.

As it stands many leaders in California who scam the people while in office can ream y'all one more time by taking healthy retirement benefits home when they hang up their fangs.

It sucks, we know. People like some former members of the Bell city council, accused of getting fat on the people's dime, could still get paid a healthy package, on you, for their golden years -- theoretically, anyway.

Felipe Fuentes, a California assemblyman repping the East Valley, wants to change that:

He introduced a bill today, AB 1433, that would take away the public pension of any elected official convicted of a felony -- ever.

Current law says only those electeds who took office after Jan. 1, 2006, can be stripped of such goodies. Fuentes' office states that " ... the majority of elected or appointed officials statewide took office before that time."

Fuentes:

I believe that an elected official who is convicted of a felony - particularly one that involves their official duties - has abdicated their responsibility to the people they serve and should lose their right to a publicly funded pension Public service is an honor, and an official that breaks that trust shouldn't be rewarded with a pension of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The bill, according to his office, covers "any felony involving perjury, accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, tampering with a witness, money laundering, the preparation of false documents, any felony arising directly out of his or her official duties, or conspiracy to commit any of these crimes arising directly out of his or her official duties, shall forfeit all rights and benefits under any public retirement system in which he or she is a member, effective on the date of conviction."

And carjacking. (Joking).

Good work, Felipe. Sure beats writing letters about Ching Chong Ling Long.

Tags:

Bell, California Assembly, East Valley, Felipe Fuentes, Los Angeles, pensions, public pensions

We Recommend

Apples

Fuentes had better watch it or he'll lose his own pension through his own bill one day. He plays pretty fast and loose sometimes. He also does the LA City Council "favors" at the State level. The expansion of the CRA throughout all of Los Angeles is just one of those favors... Not too smart. Weekly did a pretty good write up on how bad Fuentes is not too long ago.

woodymcbreairty

Unfortunately elected officials make their own rules and police themselves, and they are usually more take than give. Politicians always find a way to exempt themselves from the laws, both legally and morally. I just wonder how much more abuse the working people will take from their "public servants" before they rise up in rebellion.

David_Barron

Change elected officials pension plans to the same as the private sector. Besides, being a public servant, means being a servant. The taxpayers are the Master's. The servant should be paid less. No studies allowed outside of California. All talent is here within the State. Otherwise, log onto the internet for any pertinet information.

briansays

read the ex post facto clause in the US Constitutionit may run afoul of it

Nando

Makes 3 of us. Why not even go a step further and compensate them bases on how the community evaluates them. That way, if they actually accomplish something-instead of just raking in our money-they will get paid accordingly. Way too many politi-conners get paid for just showing up to City Council meetings and agreeing with the rest of the herd.

anonymous

I had no idea that eleceted officials were getting a pension. Outlaw it for all of them. Convicted only? What a joke. As long as we have DAs like Cooley and useless State attorneys none of the politicians will ever get convicted. After all they all drink from the same cesspool.