Punishment for the corrupt

Public officials found guilty of corruption in the performance of their duties should not benefit from their pension. Abuse of powerin public service should disqualify them from receiving the benefits of the work in which they betrayed the public’s trust.

That is what should happen in the case of city inspector Samuel In, who pleaded guilty to receiving more than $30,000 in bribes while performing his job. The judge sentenced him to two and a half years in prison, but In will continue receiving his annual pension of over $72,000.

This is happening because the city of Los Angeles is governed by avoter-approved charter that puts the administration of the pension system in the hands of the City Council. If this were not so, the case would be subject to a law signed by Governor Jerry Brown, under which public employees convicted of serious crimes lose the retirement benefits obtained during the time the crimes were committed.

The City Council needs to correct this situation so that Los Angeles taxpayers are not paying the pensions of municipal criminals. In’s case is unfortunately not unique; there are several former corrupt employees who, despite taking bribes, enjoy thousands of dollars each month in pensions, plus health benefits.

Council members must make the necessary corrections in order to make an example of corrupt municipal employees. Maybe more than one would think twice before committing a crime on the job if they knew their pension was on the line.

Corruption is a cancer that cannot be treated lightly, whether in Bell, Sacramento, or Los Angeles. Government pensions must be tied to the punishment of a public official who earns a living committing crimes rather than working honorably.