Tim Longmeyer recently entered his third guilty plea arising out of the kickback of about $200,000 he received. The first was in federal court, then before the state executive branch ethics commission, and now in state criminal court. And, each time he said he apologized to all the people he let down. Baloney!

Tim Longmeyer is the face of pension spiking. He went from about 20 years in the Jefferson County Attorney's office where it looks like his highest pay would have been around $70,000 to about 7 years as Deputy Secretary and Secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet where he made $140,000. Because the High Five used to determine his pension which he will collect when in prison and for the rest of his life, he will get a pension of around $84,000 which is more his average pay in public employment.

As best as I can figure, he will get about $1.5 million more than justified. That make the $200,000 kickback chump change. And, the most serious part of the spiking is that he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Retirement Systems which is paying his spiked pension as a result of being Deputy Secretary and Secretary. It was his responsibility to prevent the very spiking he benefited from.

Longmeyer is not receiving some windfall. A good business person does not apologize. He or she fixes the problem. That is a real apology. And, a trustee has legal obligations of fair dealings. Also, as the old saying goes, a public office is a public trust. Longmeyer is continuing to let the people of the Commonwealth down every time he receives his monthly pension check for the spiked pension benefits he is unfairly receiving.

If Governor Bevin and the Board of Trustees he controls are serious about fixing the Kentucky Retirement Systems, they should take all steps necessary, including legal action if necessary, to reduce Longmeyer's pension to an amount justified by the contributions made by for him. And, it should be based on the effective 4.6% investment returns he presided over and which continue. Longmeyer pleads guilty: Courier Journal

Tim Longmeyer, your false apology is NOT ACCEPTED.