Politics

Huberman Defends Attempt To Keep Police Pension

CTA President Says Part Of His Job Revolves Around Security

CHICAGO (STNG) ― CTA President Ron Huberman on Thursday defended his controversial attempt to hang onto his police pension on grounds that part of his $198,000-a-year mass transit job revolves around security.

This week, Huberman asked the police pension fund for permission to keep paying into that fund, even though he hasn't been a police employee since 2004. The board deferred action on the request.

"Part of my responsibility is security at the CTA," he said. "I'm not saying
I'm a police officer because I'm not. But the law says if you're involved in security work and that's part of your responsibility, you have the right to pay in if you're on leave of absence from the Police Department, which is what I am. I've been paying into the fund for the last 13 years."

Huberman was an officer and assistant deputy superintendent at the Police
Department. Mayor Daley moved him into three top jobs: executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications; mayoral chief of staff, and CTA president. Huberman could choose between three pension funds: police, municipal employees or CTA.

"The way the law reads, you can't bridge out of a CTA pension. So, if I bridge my service into the CTA and then move to another government entity, I couldn't take my pension with me," he said.

One critic is Michael Shields, a Belmont District officer running for a seat on the police pension board.

"He is an administrator," Shields said. "My fellow patrolmen find his arguments absolutely ridiculous."

(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2008. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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