State employee: I get $93,803 for no work Native American claims retaliation by state superiors who set him up in an office without meaningful tasks
By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau First published in print: Thursday, February 5, 2009
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.
"I just sit here," said Hinton, 55, of Niskayuna, a 27-year state employee who has held several high-level posts at various agencies.
At 6 feet 4 inches and 265 pounds he is an imposing figure who will begin to tear up when he discusses his situation. A member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine, he said he is being discriminated against because of his national origin and retaliated against for having sued the state.
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.".......................http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=767070
there you are picking on little guys again you repubs
New definition of little guy! State lob that makes over $92,000 and admits he does nothing. Not surprised-Sallie also defends Lumpy Kosiur's make work position. What a County!
Do-nothing job spurs state inquiry Inspector general begins investigation into the State Insurance Fund after whistle-blower alert
By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau First published in print: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
ALBANY - Inspector General Joseph Fisch has ordered an independent investigation of the State Insurance Fund in the wake of a slew of allegations of mismanagement, abuse and waste at the agency, which is being described by a whistle-blower as a landing spot for political patronage appointees.
Fisch said Tuesday he called for the probe of "the Hinton case" to respond to a sworn statement he received from Edward Obertubbesing, an insurance fund lawyer who once managed Randall Hinton, the fund's director of investigation. Hinton was featured in a Times Union story last month in which Obertubbesing confirmed that Hinton has been given almost nothing to do for most of the past decade.
Hinton said he listens to music and watches traffic outside his window while being paid almost $94,000 a year. Hinton says he's being retaliated against by Republicans controlling the fund.
"We are conducting a full investigation of the allegations relating to the State Insurance Fund," Fisch said in an interview. He said he is also monitoring a Human Rights Division complaint Hinton filed last month alleging he is being discriminated against for having sued the state during the administration of Gov. George Pataki. He is an American Indian. As part of a settlement of his suit years ago, Hinton was guaranteed a job as director of investigations at the fund. He alleges he got the post, but no responsibilities that comport with the job, and Obertubbesing said Hinton was blackballed and intentionally deprived of meaningful work by the top brass of the fund, who are serving in long-term appointments made by Pataki.
"We're looking at the whole package," Fisch said. "We take allegations of this type of abuse seriously." Fisch's office has subpoena power and its investigations typically result in a public report with recommendations on how to correct any abuses discovered. The office can also refer the case to another investigatory agency.
Allegations by Obertubbesing, which were also sent to the Insurance Fund's chairman, the Attorney General's Office, the Office of the State Comptroller and the Civil Service commissioner, include the fund's practice of hiring people at the behest of Republican leaders such as Pataki or former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, giving them work that does not match up with Civil Service titles and relatively high salaries. The situation, Obertubbesing said, harmed morale among civil servants who had to pass tests for their posts and in many cases had to train the higher-paid appointees. Such long-serving employees, he said, were denied opportunities for advancement and better pay while the fund's management violated labor agreements and state regulations.
A look at the fund's payroll shows several people formerly working for Pataki in the executive branch received posts around the time of his departure from office at the end of 2006. Others got high-wage jobs well before Pataki's last term. For instance, Elizabeth Sweeney, the first wife of Pataki's first labor commissioner, former Rep. John Sweeney, was hired in 1998 as a secretary. She retains that title and is paid the same pay as Hinton, $93,803. She and the former ...................http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=776092
Acutally, based on what I've read so far, the employe who did nothing,seems like it's not his fault. Story seemed to indicate he has asked for tasks to do and some angry managers wouldn't give him anything. I take it that the employe did no wrong because if he had, then the management would move to terminate him.
This shows that it's wrong to blame state employes. Blame the elected officials, legislators, and patronage-hired people.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
First...this guy is a imbecile. What was he trying to prove except that he has been a lob for years at almost $100G's. And why blame the elected officials, legislators, and patronage-hired people? They are not the ones whining.
If we read the first post, the guy is described as a 'native American'. So basically an indian. He was clearly trying to claim discrimination so he could sue the state. This clearly had nothing to do with his do-nothing job. I'd say he faired pretty well making almost $100G's at a 10 year position. Perhaps it was just a token job and the guy knew it and that's what pi**ed him off. IMHO
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I am SICK OF YOU people trying to knock the state workers who do more work and are more under - paid then any one else over here. THIS IS HATE SPEECH AGAIN
I am SICK OF YOU people trying to knock the state workers who do more work and are more under - paid then any one else over here. THIS IS HATE SPEECH AGAIN
No hate speech here sallie. People sue everyday for discrimination. Nothing new. It's the american way.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
HATE SPEECH! THAT'S RICH! I'M HAVING TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTY AS I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!!!! SUING FOR DISCRIMINATION, THEN SELF-PROCLAIMING HE'S A DO-NOTHING STATE EMPLOYEE, AND YOU CLAIM HATE SPEECH! I'M SURE MOST STATE WORKERS (WORKERS. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE WORKING FAMILIES EMPLOYEE TYPES.) FIRST ROTTERDAM HAD CONSTANTINO, SCHENECTADY - THE LIST IS ENDLESS, AND NOW THIS RAUCCI THUG. WHAT'S THE PATTERN? PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, SCHOOLS, SCHOOL BOARDS, TEACHERS,OUR COMMUNITIES, ALL LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. THE FOCUS IN THIS YEAR'S SCHOOL ELECTIONS IN SCHENECTADY COUNTY HAS TO BE A LAZER-BEAM ON THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, NEVER ALLOW THOSE SCHOOL BOARD TYPES WHO LOOKED THE OTHER WAY ON THE LIKES OF THESE GUYS BE ALLOWED IN CITY HALLOR OUR TOWN BOARDS. WE HAVE ONLY OURSELVES TO BLAME. IF OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT SAFE, OUR KIDS HAVE NO FUTURE, THESE JOKERS THEN GET ELECTED IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND WHO'S TO BLAME? US.
Yes, we are in part to blame. But ya can't put us all in one basket. There are some that are informed with the majority being nothing more than sheople. Sheople that believe everything they read in the bias gazette.
This is a bunch of BS. The government should not be in the employment business to begin with. Everything the government touches goes to sh*t. Where are the real leaders? The ones that put self aside and public service first? The ones that are not politically motivated but instead service motivated? Ones that want to see things change and make a difference instead of the status quo and what's in itfor me?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
This is why NYS leads in one area HIGH TAXES. Just wonder how many other State and County employees have either no work or no show lob jobs? 
