# Patrick takes aim at agency salaries



## Edmizer1 (Aug 27, 2006)

_Governor Deval Patrick, who has forced out a number of top executives at independent state agencies, is now planning to slash salaries at the agencies, where many top-level staffers earn more than twice his annual pay of $140,000....._

_*Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation*, said the administration needs to be careful about reducing salaries across the board. "They should make a judgment about the scope and responsibilities of each position and what it would take to recruit a good person,'' Widmer said. _
_Patrick scrutinizes salaries of state agencies' top earners - The Boston Globe_

Once I saw Michael Widmer about to be quoted, I knew I was going to have a bad feeling in my stomach. This guy is probably one of the most direct reasons we have lost so much as police officers. It is funny to see that although he has nothing but distain for the average public employee, he has the opposite to say about the elitists that run these agencies. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact they are just like him.

_"It's important to make judgments about what salaries are necessary to recruit the kind of people who will do a good job.'' _I didn't hear him saying anyything like that when he was going after our Quinn Bill and details.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2011)

Edmizer1 said:


> _*Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation*, said the administration needs to be careful about reducing salaries across the board. "They should make a judgment about the scope and responsibilities of each position and what it would take to recruit a good person,'' Widmer said._


Right Michael, because of course, you should slash & burn the salaries and benefits of those to whom you give firearms and the legal authority to deprive people of their liberty, but God forbid you look at the pay of paper-pushers and paperclip-counters.

Just curious....what is Widmer's salary/benefits for being president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation? If I join, can I then find out?


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

> Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, supports the drive to hike the gas tax even higher than Gov. Deval Patrick's 19-cents-a-gallon proposal. *Widmer rakes in $375,000 a year in salary, $19,000 in benefits and deferred compensation and was paid $2,837 for expenses, according to 2007 IRS filings.* Widmer said his compensation includes a car allowance and reimbursement for fuel expenses....


*http://www.cltg.org/cltg/clt2009/09-03-09.htm

*Well, who is this?*

Michael J. Widmer*








*Executive Vice President, Operations of the Company and the Northfield Bank*

*Northfield Bancorp, Inc.*

Avenel , NJ 
* Sector: FINANCIAL / Regional - Northeast Banks *

Officer since January 2002

50 Years Old
Michael J. Widmer has served as Executive Vice President, Operations of Northfield Bancorp, Inc, and Northfield Bank since 2002. Mr. Widmer served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and as a Director, of Liberty Bancorp, Inc. and Liberty Bank, located in Avenel, New Jersey, until they were acquired by Northfield Bancorp, Inc. and Northfield Bank, respectively, in 2002.
Compensation for 2009
Salary * $230,000.00 *  Bonus * $0.00 * Restricted stock awards * $596,400.00 * All other compensation * $46,325.00 * Option awards $ * $507,955.00 * Non-equity incentive plan compensation * $37,376.00 * Change in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings * $0.00 * *Total Compensation* * $1,418,056.00*

That's how he stays so in touch with the working man...

Michael Widmer Archive - CommonHealth Archives


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

I don't think they are one and the same (the Bank VP) I looked into the Mass Taxpayer's Foundation a few years ago, at that time Widmer was making about $350,000+ as a lobbyist for MTF. They changed his title to "President". Why? It would appear they did it so he wouldn't have to register as a lobbyist.

The MTF is a PR firm backed by huge corporations like Wal-Mart and large banks etc. It would seem that their purpose is to keep the public ire directed away from their corporate welfare and bailouts and focused on public employees.

Wedge and Cosmo Macero did a good expose on the MTF a few years ago. Of course, that doesn't stop the Union News and other rags from using him as their go-to guy when they need a quote on public employees.

FYI the other big "think tank", the Beacon Hill Institute is run by Suffolk University (where their President was the highest paid college president in the country a few years ago). It appears they are staffed by Suffolk economics students/grads with zero real world experience.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2011)

bbelichick said:


> I don't think they are one and the same (the Bank VP) I looked into the Mass Taxpayer's Foundation a few years ago, at that time Widmer was making about $350,000+ as a lobbyist for MTF.


Still a hell of a lot more than you or I made last year.


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

Delta784 said:


> Still a hell of a lot more than you or I made last year.


Combined


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