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From AL.Com 

The head of Gov. Robert Bentley's security detail made $16,918 in August, thanks to overtime he earned following the governor across the globe. At that rate Wendell Ray Lewis would pull in $203,000 a year, or about $112,000 more than his annual salary as a state trooper. It pushes his actual pay so far this fiscal year to $153,000, with a month still to go. It's almost fifty grand more than the colonel who runs the Department of Public Safety made in the same time period. robert bentley.jpg Gov. Robert Bentley. (File photo) It sort of, um, flies in the face of the governor's whole "I don't take a salary" thing. It doesn't mean as much to skip a paycheck when your actions allow other people to double theirs. Lewis, a trooper from Bentley's hometown of Tuscaloosa, was removed from actual gubernatorial protection after I started asking questions about the overtime last month. He won't be hopping planes with Bentley and churning overtime for a while, though he still runs the Dignitary Protection Unit. Spencer Collier, the head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, also ended overtime for all members of the protection detail after the Lewis payments were made public (Lewis made $580,000 in the last four years). Overtime will be halted until next year and the process reviewed, Collier said. But there is more going on here than a trooper's overtime. There are more troubling signs. Lewis, who seemed to receive special treatment while standing guard over Gov. Bentley, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant last month even though he tested lower than many others on the lieutenant's test. He was listed in the "third band" of potential promotions (the first is where you want to be) and did not score among the top 10 tested. He was, the way troopers understand the rules, simply "unpromotable." Without intervention, that is. From somebody. The governor's office referred questions about Lewis' promotion to DPS, which insisted without detail that all was kosher and referred questions to the state personnel office. State Personnel Director Jackie Graham said the move was not technically a promotion, but a "re-allocation" from sergeant to lieutenant. It is a process done on occasion when a particular worker has been working at a higher level or rank for five years, she said. The re-allocation was recommended by Col. John Richardson, who was appointed acting head of DPS in July. By Gov. Bentley. Neither Gov. Bentley's office nor DPS responded to questions of whether the governor himself intervened in any way. Attempts to reach Lewis were unsuccessful. Whatever you call it – promotion or re-allocation – the governor's right arm is now a lieutenant, and more than a handful of troopers who studied hard enough to earn a promotion the old-fashioned way feel blindsided by the move. Edward Odom, a retired trooper captain who was "elected" by others as a spokesman, said Personnel can call it what it will, but "it is absolutely a promotion." "In 43 years of working in the merit system I have never heard anybody say anything about a re-allocation," he said. "That's like it's coming out of Washington. They make up words because they think we're too stupid to know what they mean." Odom said many troopers believe it was only the influence of the governor that allowed Lewis to become a lieutenant. It's a big deal and a harsh message to troopers trying to claw their way up. It just stinks. Like breaking in line at the DMV. Troopers feel gutted, Odom and others said. Especially since the department posted another lieutenant's promotion a few weeks later and pointed out in no uncertain terms that those in band three need not apply. But then, troopers feel gutted by a lot of moves lately. [See complete letter from Odom to Bentley here] A bill passed last year by the Alabama Legislature will consolidate the departments of public safety, homeland security, ABC enforcement and a handful of other agencies under the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Collier, appointed by Bentley as Secretary of Law Enforcement over all that, said the consolidation causes some growing pains, but he insists it will streamline law enforcement in the state. Troopers – current and retired – have their doubts. That's why the timing of this Lewis promotion is ... bad. Troopers look at so much power held over so many agencies in a single place, and they see no checks or balances. Instead they see opportunities for politics to trump policy, and perhaps even public safety. They believe they've seen what that looks like already. It comes with lieutenant's bars.

Last edited by smokey1
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Whoever wrote this article needs to go back to English 101.

So, what is the issue? Overtime or the promotion policy? Are troopers expected to work without overtime? Might want to check out FLSA if that is the issue. By the way who pays for Sabin and the Auburn coach to have a trooper with them at games?

I worked in state and local govt for 30 yrs. Positions are often "reclassified" and a person is promoted however going that low on the list is unusual.

Last edited by JJ
Originally Posted by JJ:

Whoever wrote this article needs to go back to English 101.

So, what is the issue? Overtime or the promotion policy? Are troopers expected to work without overtime? Might want to check out FLSA if that is the issue. By the way who pays for Sabin and the Auburn coach to have a trooper with them at games?

I worked in state and local govt for 30 yrs. Positions are often "reclassified" and a person is promoted however going that low on the list is unusual.

==============

A state trooper making half a million dollars in four years? The troopers I've talked to don't get paid overtime when they have to work over. They get comp or payback time. They do get OT to work construction zones and certain traffic grants, but those are paid by the construction company or through federal grants.

The fact that he passed over so many other troopers for a promotion smacks of favortism.

Originally Posted by smokey1:

From AL.Com 

The head of Gov. Robert Bentley's security detail made $16,918 in August, thanks to overtime he earned following the governor across the globe. At that rate Wendell Ray Lewis would pull in $203,000 a year, or about $112,000 more than his annual salary as a state trooper. It pushes his actual pay so far this fiscal year to $153,000, with a month still to go. It's almost fifty grand more than the colonel who runs the Department of Public Safety made in the same time period. robert bentley.jpg Gov. Robert Bentley. (File photo) It sort of, um, flies in the face of the governor's whole "I don't take a salary" thing. It doesn't mean as much to skip a paycheck when your actions allow other people to double theirs. Lewis, a trooper from Bentley's hometown of Tuscaloosa, was removed from actual gubernatorial protection after I started asking questions about the overtime last month. He won't be hopping planes with Bentley and churning overtime for a while, though he still runs the Dignitary Protection Unit. Spencer Collier, the head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, also ended overtime for all members of the protection detail after the Lewis payments were made public (Lewis made $580,000 in the last four years). Overtime will be halted until next year and the process reviewed, Collier said. But there is more going on here than a trooper's overtime. There are more troubling signs. Lewis, who seemed to receive special treatment while standing guard over Gov. Bentley, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant last month even though he tested lower than many others on the lieutenant's test. He was listed in the "third band" of potential promotions (the first is where you want to be) and did not score among the top 10 tested. He was, the way troopers understand the rules, simply "unpromotable." Without intervention, that is. From somebody. The governor's office referred questions about Lewis' promotion to DPS, which insisted without detail that all was kosher and referred questions to the state personnel office. State Personnel Director Jackie Graham said the move was not technically a promotion, but a "re-allocation" from sergeant to lieutenant. It is a process done on occasion when a particular worker has been working at a higher level or rank for five years, she said. The re-allocation was recommended by Col. John Richardson, who was appointed acting head of DPS in July. By Gov. Bentley. Neither Gov. Bentley's office nor DPS responded to questions of whether the governor himself intervened in any way. Attempts to reach Lewis were unsuccessful. Whatever you call it – promotion or re-allocation – the governor's right arm is now a lieutenant, and more than a handful of troopers who studied hard enough to earn a promotion the old-fashioned way feel blindsided by the move. Edward Odom, a retired trooper captain who was "elected" by others as a spokesman, said Personnel can call it what it will, but "it is absolutely a promotion." "In 43 years of working in the merit system I have never heard anybody say anything about a re-allocation," he said. "That's like it's coming out of Washington. They make up words because they think we're too stupid to know what they mean." Odom said many troopers believe it was only the influence of the governor that allowed Lewis to become a lieutenant. It's a big deal and a harsh message to troopers trying to claw their way up. It just stinks. Like breaking in line at the DMV. Troopers feel gutted, Odom and others said. Especially since the department posted another lieutenant's promotion a few weeks later and pointed out in no uncertain terms that those in band three need not apply. But then, troopers feel gutted by a lot of moves lately. [See complete letter from Odom to Bentley here] A bill passed last year by the Alabama Legislature will consolidate the departments of public safety, homeland security, ABC enforcement and a handful of other agencies under the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Collier, appointed by Bentley as Secretary of Law Enforcement over all that, said the consolidation causes some growing pains, but he insists it will streamline law enforcement in the state. Troopers – current and retired – have their doubts. That's why the timing of this Lewis promotion is ... bad. Troopers look at so much power held over so many agencies in a single place, and they see no checks or balances. Instead they see opportunities for politics to trump policy, and perhaps even public safety. They believe they've seen what that looks like already. It comes with lieutenant's bars.

Some paragraphs would be nice...

Originally Posted by Kenny Powers:
Originally Posted by smokey1:

From AL.Com 

The head of Gov. Robert Bentley's security detail made $16,918 in August, thanks to overtime he earned following the governor across the globe. At that rate Wendell Ray Lewis would pull in $203,000 a year, or about $112,000 more than his annual salary as a state trooper. It pushes his actual pay so far this fiscal year to $153,000, with a month still to go. It's almost fifty grand more than the colonel who runs the Department of Public Safety made in the same time period. robert bentley.jpg Gov. Robert Bentley. (File photo) It sort of, um, flies in the face of the governor's whole "I don't take a salary" thing. It doesn't mean as much to skip a paycheck when your actions allow other people to double theirs. Lewis, a trooper from Bentley's hometown of Tuscaloosa, was removed from actual gubernatorial protection after I started asking questions about the overtime last month. He won't be hopping planes with Bentley and churning overtime for a while, though he still runs the Dignitary Protection Unit. Spencer Collier, the head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, also ended overtime for all members of the protection detail after the Lewis payments were made public (Lewis made $580,000 in the last four years). Overtime will be halted until next year and the process reviewed, Collier said. But there is more going on here than a trooper's overtime. There are more troubling signs. Lewis, who seemed to receive special treatment while standing guard over Gov. Bentley, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant last month even though he tested lower than many others on the lieutenant's test. He was listed in the "third band" of potential promotions (the first is where you want to be) and did not score among the top 10 tested. He was, the way troopers understand the rules, simply "unpromotable." Without intervention, that is. From somebody. The governor's office referred questions about Lewis' promotion to DPS, which insisted without detail that all was kosher and referred questions to the state personnel office. State Personnel Director Jackie Graham said the move was not technically a promotion, but a "re-allocation" from sergeant to lieutenant. It is a process done on occasion when a particular worker has been working at a higher level or rank for five years, she said. The re-allocation was recommended by Col. John Richardson, who was appointed acting head of DPS in July. By Gov. Bentley. Neither Gov. Bentley's office nor DPS responded to questions of whether the governor himself intervened in any way. Attempts to reach Lewis were unsuccessful. Whatever you call it – promotion or re-allocation – the governor's right arm is now a lieutenant, and more than a handful of troopers who studied hard enough to earn a promotion the old-fashioned way feel blindsided by the move. Edward Odom, a retired trooper captain who was "elected" by others as a spokesman, said Personnel can call it what it will, but "it is absolutely a promotion." "In 43 years of working in the merit system I have never heard anybody say anything about a re-allocation," he said. "That's like it's coming out of Washington. They make up words because they think we're too stupid to know what they mean." Odom said many troopers believe it was only the influence of the governor that allowed Lewis to become a lieutenant. It's a big deal and a harsh message to troopers trying to claw their way up. It just stinks. Like breaking in line at the DMV. Troopers feel gutted, Odom and others said. Especially since the department posted another lieutenant's promotion a few weeks later and pointed out in no uncertain terms that those in band three need not apply. But then, troopers feel gutted by a lot of moves lately. [See complete letter from Odom to Bentley here] A bill passed last year by the Alabama Legislature will consolidate the departments of public safety, homeland security, ABC enforcement and a handful of other agencies under the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Collier, appointed by Bentley as Secretary of Law Enforcement over all that, said the consolidation causes some growing pains, but he insists it will streamline law enforcement in the state. Troopers – current and retired – have their doubts. That's why the timing of this Lewis promotion is ... bad. Troopers look at so much power held over so many agencies in a single place, and they see no checks or balances. Instead they see opportunities for politics to trump policy, and perhaps even public safety. They believe they've seen what that looks like already. It comes with lieutenant's bars.

Some paragraphs would be nice...

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