Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I guess it is. If they're going to pay you
foreigner and thirty five thousand dollars a year, James Quintaro
joins US Texas Public Policy Foundation, is thirty five thousand
dollars more than we paid the President of the United States. James.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Wow, Good morning, Jimmy. And you're right. The new Fort
Worth City manager is getting ready to step in and
take over the role and receive a greater amount of
salary than the President of the United States makes, which
is absolutely absurd. And it's another illustration of the lack
(00:34):
of fiscal discipline that exists at the local level and
why all of our property tax bills are absolutely through
the roof.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
By the way, there's some other nice little perks here,
six hundred dollars per month car alms, because after all,
if you're only making foreigner and thirty five grand a yr,
you can't possibly afford a car payment. And there, I'm
sure there's a great insurance package. And probably he's going
to double his salary when you add all these other
benefits in. So I guess here's my question, because I'm
sure if we were to ask the City of ford
(01:04):
Worth why they're doing this, they would make some sort
of story up about well, we have to be able
to compete with other places to get a quality city manager,
and that's what the job was.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yees, yeah, you're absolutely right to spotlight the car allowance,
which is absolutely absurd on its face, also because that's
what everybody's salary is supposed to be for. But what
I've noticed happening in both in the city manager realm
as well as in the superintendent space is they're starting
(01:34):
to become a bit more sensitive about how this looks publicly,
and so they'll set the salary at a relatively high level,
but then they'll come around on the back end and
start offering allowances and stipends and other really generous perch
related to healthcare, pensions and everything else under the sun.
(01:57):
So it's to still deliver and excessive amount of total compensation,
but it's it's kind of through the back door instead
of just, you know, directly through the salary. So you're right,
you know, these guys are overly compensated, and then you
look at some of the results that are being produced too,
(02:19):
and you wonder why it is that we have to
pay our superintendents, our city managers and other elite administrators
more than the president of the United States.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I think you said said it all when you said elite,
that's that's pretty much well.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And you know what, what what kind of makes it
a little more frustrating is you know Jay Choppa, who
again just earned the top spot in Fort Worth, He's
not even the highest paid city manager in Texas. That
distinction goes to the City of Austin's city manager who
just straight salary. He's pulling down four hundred and seventy
(02:56):
thousand dollars this year. And you look at what's happening
in Austin, where homelessness is rampant, crime is up, property
taxes have made this place absolutely unaffordable. Traffic is a nightmare.
Why are we paying so much to one individual when
our town is a disaster? I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, and I'm guessing the citizens of Austin, just like
Fort Worth, we're not given an opportunity to vote on
this as to as far as whether or not they
thought this was fair compensation for whoever their sending manager
is going to be. But if this is running rapid
all across the country and all across Texas, they've kind
of created this bad situation for themselves. Right, They've created
(03:37):
this monster that they now have to continue to feed
in order to be able to get qualified candidates.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, you know, the blame belongs at the feet of
city Hall. But I'll be honest. You know, the legislature
doesn't escape blame here either, because it has created an
environment where there is no local spending limit. There's nothing
telling these cities, school districts, and counties, hey, you can
(04:06):
only spend so much before you've got to start respecting taxpayers.
And so the legislature for years and years and years
has refused to impose any sort of meaningful fiscal discipline
on these greedy governments. And now here we are, Texas
taxpayers are struggling to put food on the table, wondering
who is going to step up and help us. And
(04:27):
so you know, if I sound frustrated, I am, yeah,
because I've watched the legislature fumble about this issue for
a lot of different sessions. Maybe we're coming up on
a period of change, and I hope we are, but
so far, the legislature has disappointed Texas taxpayers in this
realm specifically.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Well maybe those in Washington, d C. If that's successful.
Maybe that will ignite a firestorm that spreads all the
way to Texas. James, appreciate you joining me. Thank you.
Merry Christmas by the way from the Texas Public Policy Foundation,
James Quintero at six twenty seven
I guess it is. If they're going to pay you
foreigner and thirty five thousand dollars a year, James Quintaro
joins US Texas Public Policy Foundation, is thirty five thousand
dollars more than we paid the President of the United States. James.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Wow, Good morning, Jimmy. And you're right. The new Fort
Worth City manager is getting ready to step in and
take over the role and receive a greater amount of
salary than the President of the United States makes, which
is absolutely absurd. And it's another illustration of the lack
(00:34):
of fiscal discipline that exists at the local level and
why all of our property tax bills are absolutely through
the roof.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
By the way, there's some other nice little perks here,
six hundred dollars per month car alms, because after all,
if you're only making foreigner and thirty five grand a yr,
you can't possibly afford a car payment. And there, I'm
sure there's a great insurance package. And probably he's going
to double his salary when you add all these other
benefits in. So I guess here's my question, because I'm
sure if we were to ask the City of ford
(01:04):
Worth why they're doing this, they would make some sort
of story up about well, we have to be able
to compete with other places to get a quality city manager,
and that's what the job was.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yees, yeah, you're absolutely right to spotlight the car allowance,
which is absolutely absurd on its face, also because that's
what everybody's salary is supposed to be for. But what
I've noticed happening in both in the city manager realm
as well as in the superintendent space is they're starting
(01:34):
to become a bit more sensitive about how this looks publicly,
and so they'll set the salary at a relatively high level,
but then they'll come around on the back end and
start offering allowances and stipends and other really generous perch
related to healthcare, pensions and everything else under the sun.
(01:57):
So it's to still deliver and excessive amount of total compensation,
but it's it's kind of through the back door instead
of just, you know, directly through the salary. So you're right,
you know, these guys are overly compensated, and then you
look at some of the results that are being produced too,
(02:19):
and you wonder why it is that we have to
pay our superintendents, our city managers and other elite administrators
more than the president of the United States.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I think you said said it all when you said elite,
that's that's pretty much well.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And you know what, what what kind of makes it
a little more frustrating is you know Jay Choppa, who
again just earned the top spot in Fort Worth, He's
not even the highest paid city manager in Texas. That
distinction goes to the City of Austin's city manager who
just straight salary. He's pulling down four hundred and seventy
(02:56):
thousand dollars this year. And you look at what's happening
in Austin, where homelessness is rampant, crime is up, property
taxes have made this place absolutely unaffordable. Traffic is a nightmare.
Why are we paying so much to one individual when
our town is a disaster? I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, and I'm guessing the citizens of Austin, just like
Fort Worth, we're not given an opportunity to vote on
this as to as far as whether or not they
thought this was fair compensation for whoever their sending manager
is going to be. But if this is running rapid
all across the country and all across Texas, they've kind
of created this bad situation for themselves. Right, They've created
(03:37):
this monster that they now have to continue to feed
in order to be able to get qualified candidates.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, you know, the blame belongs at the feet of
city Hall. But I'll be honest. You know, the legislature
doesn't escape blame here either, because it has created an
environment where there is no local spending limit. There's nothing
telling these cities, school districts, and counties, hey, you can
(04:06):
only spend so much before you've got to start respecting taxpayers.
And so the legislature for years and years and years
has refused to impose any sort of meaningful fiscal discipline
on these greedy governments. And now here we are, Texas
taxpayers are struggling to put food on the table, wondering
who is going to step up and help us. And
(04:27):
so you know, if I sound frustrated, I am, yeah,
because I've watched the legislature fumble about this issue for
a lot of different sessions. Maybe we're coming up on
a period of change, and I hope we are, but
so far, the legislature has disappointed Texas taxpayers in this
realm specifically.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Well maybe those in Washington, d C. If that's successful.
Maybe that will ignite a firestorm that spreads all the
way to Texas. James, appreciate you joining me. Thank you.
Merry Christmas by the way from the Texas Public Policy Foundation,
James Quintero at six twenty seven
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