In the wake of the Bell salary scandal, state Controller John Chiang created a database showing public employee salaries. The database has grown and now includes compensation figures for all employees of California cities and counties and many of its special districts.
Three hospital district executives have emerged as among the highest-paid public employees in California, according to the database, including an official in San Diego County who made more than $1 million in 2009.
The salary survey comes after public outrage over the high compensation of some city officials, including former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo, who was set to earn more than $1.5 million in 2010. The Times also found that Vernon’s onetime city administrator, Eric T. Fresch, earned $1.65 million in 2008.
But hospital officials and their advocates tell The Times’ Sam Allen that it’s important to put the salaries of the hospital directors in context, given the complexity of their jobs and the fact that they are in great demand in the private sector. “You’ve got to look at what the market demands,” said Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Assn. of Southern California. “This is not your typical government job; a hospital CEO in the public sector is extremely sought after.”
What do you think?
again, blood curdling scream.
Here on my desk I have an article from the Chico News and Review I’ve been meaning to blog about – Enloe CEO Mike Wiltermood, who makes “about a million a year,” just in salary, commenting on the “profit motive in healthcare.” Wiltermood insists that “our intentions and our mission are to do right by our community and take care of those in need…” but “it is certainly not wrong for a nonprofit hospital to try to earn enough money to replace equipment and meet state and federal requirements.”
What state or federal requirement says a hospital CEO has to make “about a million dollars” in salary? Wiltermood denies that “some greedy capitalist is lining his or her pockets on the misery of others.”
I disagree.
thanks Jack, I got a busy day ahead of me and it was nice to come over and chat with you about this stuff that really bugs me.
Jack can you clarify one point for me please? Are the public sector jobs in this article private sector jobs or government jobs paid by taxpayers?
Jack and Juanita, as much as I respect Juanita I have to respectfully disagree on her stance towards Mike Wiltermood.
I had the opportunity to build he and his wife’s pool last summer. I got a glance at the family and a chance to sit with Mike personally and chat about things. Mike comes from Lincoln just down the street. He struck me as a man that was well mannered, soft spoken, never intentionally mean, very protective of his family and Enloe Hospital to whom he represents; not only the institution itself, but the employees that work there also. Yeah you might think I’m biased because I built his pool. Well, the deck subs I hired did in my opinion a sloppy job. Both he and his wife have treated my business with kindness and patience, and the way Mike has handled the problem knowing full well that I’m the General contractor and fully responsible, he gave me the time to get our ducks in a row to make sure that the sub whom did the terrible job, makes both Mike and his wife whole as to the contract specs. Actually, I have found that most wealthy people are the most demanding when it comes to doing jobs for them when they are not happy for whatever reason.
In closing, I don’t believe that a man’s earnings is anybody’s business when it comes to the private sector. The way his family acts around others speaks highly of both he and Kelly’s parenting skills. He always reacts, not attacks, to solving problems. He’s very intelligent and I recommend that you go and sit down with this man and talk to him for an hour. I think you will honestly enjoy communicating with this human being. He doesn’t consider himself above anybody. He just does the best he can. You can see it when you face him one on one.
Rick I totally agree with respect to completely private paid jobs, but you do realize we’re talking about taxpayer subsidized jobs, right?
that’s my only problem – he makes that money off the hospital, off people’s misery Rick. I’m not out to ruin the man, I just wish he’d answer a few questions.
You know, they charge $7500 a day, just for half a room? When we went in with my husband’s appendicitis, they wouldn’t even tell us what they were going to do to him, and when we finally demanded a price estimate, they told us, just the procedure, whatever that would be, just the time in the operating room, would be over $28,000. With a week recovery period, MINIMUM – then they told us the room charge, add that up. Then add all the drugs, add anything the nurse has to touch you to do, add it all up. Then go to Feather River Hospital, where they charge $2300 a day for the room, and the procedure was $7,000.
Why? So Mike Wiltermood can have a pool?
Wiltermood has attacked me on Topix and called me a liar, etc, but whenever I’ve asked him to explain that $7500 a day room charge, he’s had some excuse instead of an answer – finally he said he had to quit spending time on Topix, that was his answer to my question.
And, why does the ER cost $7000 an hour? I have the bill to prove that – and how they charge, from the “top” of the hour, in other words, if you come in there at 11:45, you pay from 11, get it? We were there for 45 minutes and got charged over $14,000, just for the “ER charge”, anything they did was separate. How does that happen? Why?
So Mike Wiltermood can have a pool?
Rick, I don’t think you’re doing the man any favors. My kids are well behaved too. But they spend alot less time in the pool with their dad because he has to go out and work for a living like you do. Yesterday he took the 15 year old with him – no time like the present to put a little reality in the boy’s get-along! Somebody needs to pay for all that hockey stuff! And would you believe – a carpet layer’s child who actually expects to go to college?
My older son worked one vacation from Butte at Webb apartments, cleaning out apartments after college kids, painting them, and when that was all done, painting stair railings and playground equipment with a little tiny roller. It was over 105 for an entire week that summer, and there he was, nothing but a water bottle and a boony hat. I was so proud of him when that summer was over. Now he’s up in the hills clearing brush with a chain saw. Yeeeeee-haw!
That’s my family Rick – I’d think you’d be more comfortable with people like us, but maybe I’m wrong! We’ve only got an Intex pool, I realize that is probably beneath your dignity:)
I don’t care – neither does Biscuit, we still love ya Rick.
Sorry to ramble Jack. Biscuit says, “get out here, we caught the neighbor’s cat in your strawberry patch and we got her tree’d!” Off to work!
You make a lot of sense Juanita. Hospitals are non-profits and they are supported by public and private funds, but all the money originally came from us. So, it’s reasonable to ask for justification for their charges and accountability for their excesses when and where we find them. What is the alternative to going to a hospital? There is none – they have a monopoly. However, in their defense they must accept everyone regardless of their ability to pay and that means a lot of poor people who can never cover their own cost and a lot of illegals who have no intention of paying and have often come here to get “free” medical. (They’ve forced many border hospitals into closure) So all the costs from these people are heaped onto us. It doesn’t help that we are also paying for enormously high hospital salaries.
Responding to Juanita. I agree, all hospitals over charge. My son in his stupid days, took a Vicodin from one of his friends and then went out and tried to run. He collapsed one block from Enloe. An ambulance company charged me $3,000 for the one block ride. The Emergency Room saw him for two minutes and issued him an aspirin. That charge came to over $5,000. It didn’t make sense and it still doesn’t make sense.
But the question here I think is: Does Mike have the power to change the rates? I don’t think so but I could be wrong. I think the BOD of Enloe would have to weigh in on that, and I think they are the people that need to be lobbied.
Yes I agree with you both that public sector jobs should ALWAYS remain under scrutiny when it comes to salaries. I am against collective bargaining when as a taxpayer I am not allowed to look at the deal BEFORE it is signed and agreed to. If I’m paying for something that means I am a party to the deal.