Politics? or How to get $93,803 a year for doing nothing

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=767070&TextPage=1

 
As he tells it, Randall Hinton is paid $93,803 a year to do nothing.
   
He spends much of his workday at the State Insurance Fund donning headphones, listening to rock 'n' roll, blues or classical tunes and his superiors are cool with that.

His work agenda involves placing his feet up on his desk, staring out his office window and counting cars on the New York State Thruway. He arrives at 7:30 a.m., leaves at 3:30 p.m., sees no one and talks to no one.

He never does any work. It's been this way for Hinton for most of this decade.
 
Since February 2002, Hinton has been director of investigations for the Insurance Fund, but he said he has never been allowed to investigate anything. Instead, he builds up pension credits, year after year, but is unproductive at work because his superiors are blackballing him, he and his former boss say.

Hinton contends he is without portfolio as retaliation for suing Gov. George Pataki's administration 10 years ago, alleging discrimination then, too. That was after getting stuck in a storeroom for two years for refusing to leave his post at the Department of Environmental Conservation heading investigations to make room for a Republican appointee, he said.

In a January 2002 settlement in his suit against then-DEC Commissioner John Cahill (who later became Pataki's top deputy) and then-Assistant DEC Commissioner James W. Tuffey (now Albany's police chief) he was guaranteed state employment as a director of investigations.

"We didn't offer to settle, they did," said Tuffey. "They said just transfer him." Tuffey said the friction between Hinton and DEC officials developed because he wanted to go to the police academy to become a sworn DEC officer, but had not taken the civil service tests required.

Court papers show the stipulation promised Hinton his post at the Insurance Fund, controlled by Pataki's appointees under multi-year terms that continue years into the future. They gave him a job and an office but told his boss not to let Hinton handle anything of substance, according to Hinton and his former manager.

On Monday, Hinton filed a complaint with the Division of Human Rights claiming discrimination stemming from the retaliation of his original claim against the DEC.

Hinton said he's treated as a second-class employee with fewer resources than even the lowliest Insurance Fund worker. "I have no Internet access, no printer, no laptop, no car. Every day it's a struggle for me to bring in something I haven't read or listened to. I can tell you how many white cars pass on the Thruway . . . I can't take it anymore."

[schild]

What a toolbox. If I had a job that paid $100k a year & built up pension and I didn't have to do anything... well shit. Buy a fucking DS you ninny. Or hell, a "portable" dreamcast or PS1.

I want to punch him.

[Bungee]

No Internetaccess really sucks...

[schild]

No Internetaccess really sucks...

I'd take 100k a year for no internet access between 7 and 3PM on weekdays on the east coast. Sounds like this whiny yutz needs a smart phone. He has no excuse for not having internet access.

[Cyrrex]

Phew.  I thought somebody had found me out.  At least I have the intrawebs.  And the phone.

[Righ]

Hinton said he's treated as a second-class employee

Uh. 

He should be doing another job while he's getting paid. Buy your own laptop, pay for a cellular modem. Make twice what you're earning. Hell, use the safety net to take risks and do contract gigs and make five times what you're earning.

I had a friend who did something similar (nothing) for a living. He used to party all night and used the office to sleep.

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

I did not copy the whole story but this is his current duty on the job:

"The unit he ran was later regrouped under customer service and Hinton was given just one duty — approving one person's time sheet every two weeks, he and his former manager said."

[schild]

I did not copy the whole story but this is his current duty on the job:

"The unit he ran was later regrouped under customer service and Hinton was given just one duty — approving one person's time sheet every two weeks, he and his former manager said."

God I want that job.

[ashrik]

Lucky son of a bitch.

[Hawkbit]

Set up an alarm system tripwire, so anyone coming close to your office sets it off. 

Sleep the day away; do whatever you want with your life for the rest of the time.  Write a book.  w/e.

Not a bright move to bitch about it though, he'll likely lose that job now. 

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

He should suggest "going green" and offer to telecommute.

[Oban]

Taxes are funding this guy's salary.

 

I do know a federal government worker who brings two newspapers to the office so he has something to do before and after lunch because he knows the network admins scan the firewall logs.

 

[Tebonas]

Happens all the time with people they can't fire for contractual reasons. They do this so the people quit the job on their own. I never understood how this works, I would thank them and slack away.

[schild]

Happens all the time with people they can't fire for contractual reasons. They do this so the people quit the job on their own. I never understood how this works, I would thank them and slack away.

The guy is clearly a fucking idiot.

[MrHat]

Ya, I don't know about just sitting there all day. I've found it almost a requirement to be remotely productive once or twice a week.

The second job or sleep all day sounds like the right way to approach it.

[Broughden]

Ya, I don't know about just sitting there all day. I've found it almost a requirement to be remotely productive once or twice a week.

The second job or sleep all day sounds like the right way to approach it.

Its like being a cop in NYC. Very similar work. Interrupted by periods of violence or abusing civil rights.
Why I left.

[MrHat]

Ya, I don't know about just sitting there all day. I've found it almost a requirement to be remotely productive once or twice a week.

The second job or sleep all day sounds like the right way to approach it.

Its like being a cop in NYC. Very similar work. Interrupted by periods of violence or abusing civil rights.
Why I left.

I fail to see any similarity at all.

[Oban]

Source of paycheque.

[Morat20]

What a toolbox. If I had a job that paid $100k a year & built up pension and I didn't have to do anything... well shit. Buy a fucking DS you ninny. Or hell, a "portable" dreamcast or PS1.

That's pretty much what they want him to do. It's a fireable offense.

[schild]

What a toolbox. If I had a job that paid $100k a year & built up pension and I didn't have to do anything... well shit. Buy a fucking DS you ninny. Or hell, a "portable" dreamcast or PS1.

That's pretty much what they want him to do. It's a fireable offense.

Then I would doodle. I'd still take his job.

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

Another tidbit from the story:

"I want my dignity back," Hinton said in an interview before returning to his corner office in the back of the Insurance Fund's district office along I-90 East.

"I don't know how I could get through the day without my iPod," Hinton said.

[FatuousTwat]

This makes me RAGE.

If he hadn't of complained, I would have thought it was awesome. Fire this fucking moron.