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Former Governor Tom Corbett Collects Pension Despite Reform Efforts

Governor-Tom-CorbettState retirement system records show that former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, a vocal advocate for pension reform, is collecting a $38,765 state pension.

According to Brad Bumsted of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the ex-Governor withdrew a $118,378 lump-sum payment based on his contributions with four percent interest earned.

The pension is based on a final average salary of $186,204, an amount that reflects annual cost-of-living raises which Corbett declined during his tenure, keeping his salary at $174,914 for four years.

While Corbett declined raises, “but he will more than make up for it through a lifetime pension bounce,” said Eric Epstein, co-founder of Rock the Capital, a government watchdog group.

Current Gov. Tom Wolf, who defeated Corbett in November, has declined a state salary and it is unclear whether Wolf would collect a pension after his service.

Corbett could not be reached by the Tribune-Review for comment.

“He’s living by the rules. He didn’t make them,” said Charlie Gerow, a Harrisburg political consultant who worked on Corbett’s campaign.

The Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System provided the Tribune-Review with records showing Corbett’s pension is based on 11.3 years of service – four years as governor, six years as elected attorney general and more than a year as appointed attorney general in 1995.

Corbett’s predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, in office from 2003 to 2011, receives an annual pension of $22,358 and withdrew a lump-sum payment of $96,420, according to records the retirement system provided Epstein, who sought them under the open records law.

Former Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican who served from 1995 through January 2003, receives an annual state pension of $11,961 and withdrew a lump sum of $45,023, the records show.

9 Responses

  1. Thank GOD this joker is gone.All the hard working people in PA. That pay into unemployment can’t even receive it.my kind of work is unpredictable.Either to much work we can’t handle it or slow.that’s how construction work is.Unemployment could’t pay my bills but it helped in slow times. That’s what it’s for.He only lasted one year because he DESTROYED everything he did.

  2. If will take many years to fix the damage Tom Fracking Corbett did to the Great state of Pa !! The worse Governor ever !!! So glad he is gone !!

  3. He is a loser!! Worst Governor ever! He should just crawl under a rock and go away…..and take his buddy Moran with him!

  4. But it’s citing an article from March 30th…what’s the cut off date for thigs kind of thing

  5. Corbett classic case of do as I say not what I do. On 5/09/2001 state lawmakers increased their own pensions by 50%. Without a word of debate it passed the House 176-23. It went to the Senate the next day and passed 41-8 again with no debate. Governor Ridge gave 109,000 State Workers a 25% retirement raise. The Legislators gave 234,000 teachers also a 25% pension raise. The raise didn’t start for 10 years. State surpluses where supposed to pay for the increases. The State never adequately funded these raise in pensions going forward and then the 2008 Recession happened. In 2011 when the pensions raises kicked in there was no money to adequately pay for them. Three Governors and countless lawmakers in those ten years ignored the pension storm that was coming and did nothing to properly fund the pension raises that they had enacted. The State Workers and Teachers never asked for the pension raises but now they are called by some Legislators as the cause of the pension crisis and must change the pension they receive. After this trip down memory lane who do you think caused and should take the blame for this pension fiasco?

  6. This is in reference to Pension Reform: I worked for the Commonwealth for almost 36 years and I make a little more then Corbett and I paid in for 36 years and did not take a lump sum!!! Pension reform should start at the top, Senate and House members. After reading how much Corbett gets, I am steamed!
    Former Gov. Corbett, who tried but failed to trim public pensions for state workers and school employees, is pulling down a pretty good pension himself.

    The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Corbett took a lump-sum payment of $118,378 after leaving office in January and is getting an annual payment of $38,765.

    The amount is based on Corbett’s 11.3 years of state service: four as governor, six as attorney general and a year-plus as acting attorney general, appointed by Gov. Ridge after AG Ernie Preate went to prison.

    Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/growls/Corbett-collects.html#wo5ZpMZsStb6ZGTW.99

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