Hundreds of public employee union members marched into Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett’s office Thursday, protesting his proposal to limit their health care and pension benefits in closing a $300 million shortfall in the wealthy Washington suburb. “Come on out Ike; get off your golden toilet,” they shouted over cow bells, carrying most-wanted posters picturing the county leader and yelling names not suitable for print. Others outside the building brought goats — or scapegoats, as union members called them — and accused the county executive of balancing the budget on the backs of already-squeezed employees.
But Leggett wasn’t in the building or didn’t care to meet the boisterous crowd of a few hundred union members.
“He’s behaving like an outlaw,” said Gino Renne, president of the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization, which organized the protest. “I think we’ve given enough. We don’t need to give any more.”
Under Leggett’s budget — which must be approved by the County Council — general government employees would pay 2 percent more of their salaries for pension benefits and the county would cover 70 percent instead of 80 percent of the cost of health care plans.
In making the proposal, Leggett ignored the legally binding decision of an arbitrator, citing the massive shortfall.
The message of fiscal expediency did little to sway the protesters.
“Walker, Leggett are the same; union busting is their game,” disgruntled employees chanted outside the Executive Office Building in Rockville, comparing Leggett with the Wisconsin governor limiting collective bargaining in that state.
“Ike has money for his friends, not for social workers,” said a sign carried by Dana Naparsteck, alluding to a story first reported by The Washington Examiner.
Leggett’s office is spending nearly $160,000 a year on salary and benefits for longtime political ally and former Councilman Michael Subin to head a commission that meets four times a year. After The Examiner story was published, Leggett proposed to increase the position to full time, add zoning hearings to Subin’s duties, and raise his compensation to $195,000.
“I am so disappointed with him,” the social worker said. “He has abandoned us.”
However, analysts say generous compensation packages for county employees are driving the suburb’s annual shortfalls.
The average general government worker, for example, will bank $106,600, including benefits, this fiscal year compared with $67,000 a decade ago. During the past decade, health and retirement benefits increased more than 120 percent, while employee salaries grew 50 percent, according to the
Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight.
“A lot of people are losing their jobs right now,” said Leggett spokeswoman Donna Bigler. “You have to put it all in perspective.”
