Rio Hondo College president's pay, benefits draw ire of faculty association

So using the taxpayer dollars to increase adminstrative costs instead of spending the limited dollars on service-delivery to students (offering classes instead of cutting them) was deemed a priority? Lifetime medical benefits only after a mere five years of service? It's fun spending other people's money!

I don't know ANYONE who receives a 16% raise after one year of service!!! Cutting classes to students, laying off employees, raising fees, etc... It is CLEAR where the board and the President place their priorities. It is unfortunate that Board President, and the current board members, feel that Dr. Martinez has been a "stabilizing force" on the Rio Hondo Campus - not true! This just goes to show how disconnected the current board is from the students, staff and faculty!

Too bad Tracy Garcia doesn't know how to do any type of investigative reporting. It is typical for her to turn any story toward the view point of the administration. I have been reading the daily news for the last several years, and I have never witnessed a story written by Ms. Garcia where she doesn't take a positive spin for the school administration (in all school districts). It is just too bad that the members of the Rio Hondo communities, the taxpayers, never seem to get the same respect! I say replace Tracy Garcia with a true reporter and let's get rid of that Board of Trustees and get some new accountablity for the board. This is why I am voting for Madeline Shapiro! I have paid my taxes for over 40 years in East Whittier and we haven't had a true representative for our area since Barbara Stone left the board.

it is not just my instructors that are upset. i am a student who has seen my classes cut for the spring semester and overstuffed with students this semester. too bad the president and the board are concerned with thier own success and not mine - the student.

Considering the 'unexpected' Financial Crisis that followed right after this "summer 2008, bringing his annual pay to about $215,000" event - I guess the Board and President were lucky to have gotten this done before it looked inappropriate!!! Yeah Right!!!
The ONLY quality education that Rio Hondo Students can expect from now on are WELL PAID Administrators and Deans along with the President - who, I made add, had inappropriate - perhaps even conflict of interest, ties to the new Learning Resource Center Dean during the hiring process!(El Paisano Newspaper source)
The upper echelons of RHC are reaking of self-awarded, board incompetent leadership who have no interest in quality education - only selfish intentions covered up with public relations charades!
Sincerely,
Faculty Member wondering what the hell is going on in the Admin Blding!

that's rio hondo for you! always give the big bucks to the first chair that doesn't need to put food on the table for their dependent kids. this is so typical of RHC and always has been. RHC classified employees gave up raises for 3 years in a row during the last crises with the promise to receive a gainful raise at the end but that NEVER happened....I haven't seen any triple dipping faculty or administrators being cut. what faculty can retire and then be hired as a director and then teach parttime while receiving their strs? Soooooo many

The board should be recalled for for extending the current President, he should have been let go in a year, actually he never should have been hired. The board needs to be removed as well. In this economic state they give more money to the president of the college and he accepts it, especially after the letter he sent the employees at Rio Hondo college about cuts to the college. With this action how can any of the employees at Rio Hondo college feel anything but disgust, hate and sadness as to how we are thought of.

Tracy Garcia has always put the NICE on the admistration--not once has she reported the real news....I sure could write an investigative report and I'm sure it would become a best seller. I also love the unspoken words from RHC Watcher. A few words often say a lot.

Coven Mistress wrote:

The board should be recalled for for extending the current President, he should have been let go in a year, actually he never should have been hired. The board needs to be removed as well. In this economic state they give more money to the president of the college and he accepts it, especially after the letter he sent the employees at Rio Hondo college about cuts to the college. With this action how can any of the employees at Rio Hondo college feel anything but disgust, hate and sadness as to how we are thought of.

The continuing board just continues....remember the comments published in the Board Minutes from Gary directed at Rose Marie? why wasn't he let go? what about the inappropriate links (I guess alleged)during the hiring discussion of the current president? what about the double and triple dipping of retired FT faculty and still earning wages, Not true that a qualified president can't be found! If you don't just try to fill the ethnicity and the eeoc you would find a huge pool of qualified candidates.

What RHC and Quintero won't tell you is that CA Community College are expecting funding cuts through 2013.(www.ccleague.net/impact/index.html... ) Faculty and classified employees across the state are bypassing pays increases and even contemplating pay cuts to save jobs and services to students. This pay increase today equals fewer student services and more layoffs tomorrow.

Hey Mr. Quintero (and other board members), I have a question for you. Can you tell me, joe taxpayer, what exactly did Mr. Martinez accomplish in ONE YEAR in order to deserve a 16% raise????? Why do your employees have to work for the distrcit for over 15 years in order to get lifetime benefits but your new college president gets this benefit after 5 years?? I would like to know specifically what he has accomplished. Maybe Ms. Garcia can ask that question to the board and maybe, just maybe she would ask others associated with the campus (staff, facutly, student leaders) what they think Martinez has accomplished.

Wow! How much did Tracy Garcia get in the president's contract. This article is pretty biased. Ms. Garcia failed to mention that the lifetime medical benefits and the years of service credit cost about $200,000 combined. Also, it is not just the faculty that are upset by the compensation increase. Students who have had classes cut due to budget constraints and staff who rank amongst the lowest in the state in salary are also upset. Taxpayers should be upset as well. It is a good thing that the president got a 25% increase in his car allowance because of the rising costs of transportation since he doesn't even live in the area. He commutes to San Diego each weekend, perhaps carpooling with the three cronies he hired from his former administrative position (from which he was fired). Oh, by the way, gas costs me more money each month as well, but my car allowance has remained unchanged ($0 per month).

This is an OUTRAGED ! Rio Hondo's Financial Aide Department is not "wheel chair friendly" and this presidents vehicle is more important than the needs of the students. Without students this guy would not have a job ! This college needs an independant audit. Life time medical ? Is this the reasond Redondo College is trying to eliminate and push out employees that have been there for over 20 years so they can afford his medical insurance. Whittier wake up and smell the roses our young people are being pushed into a financially challenged state, we pay taxes and our kids deserve better.

This is ridiculous! Why should they accommodated Dr. Martinez for his needs, I think the needs of the students should come first. They are laying off good people, cutting positions why not do the same to Dr. Martinez. EVERYONE IS REPLACEABLE!

CORRECTION RIO HONDO COLLEGE NOT REDONDO....sorry just very frustrated over the administration so quick to grease their palms.

We are all members of this declining economy !!

This is a bunch of crap! Why should he get more money and the students have to suffer?

Okay, I'm a little confused. The raise happened almost a year and a half ago and now it's an issue. Regardless how you feel about College President compensation he is still making below both the state and national average. Excessive salaries is not just a "President" thing, I wonder how many faculty members make over $100,000 a year for their 28 hour work week. Maybe the Daily News should do an article on that.

Obviously "Concerned Resident" is not too concerned with where their taxpayer money is going. The point is, why wasn't this reported over a year ago??? Hmmm, makes one think. What else is the President and the Board hiding????? It has taken the faculty and staff over a year to uncover this mess...and even now, they cannot receive a true copy of the president's contract. No, it is not how much he is making....but hey "concerned resident" bet those faculty members had to work for 20 plus years in a position to earn that money, Not Just ONE!! Get it?? One year of work, 16% raise!

Several things here concern me. Why does Tracy incorporate so many comments from an outgoing board member?? Do we really care what his spin is on this situation?? Or is Tracy trying to keep options open, in case Mr. Quintero is elected in another public position?? Also, 16% in these trying times?? Unheard of, oh wait, I guess I have heard of it now. Car Allowance?? Where does this person drive, I remember when I attended Rio, it was just a single campus. Are we now paying him to come to work?? Sooo many unanswered questions, If only the President would set up a booth on campus, then I could ask him myself.

I'm surprised that the Board didn't mention the fact that classified and part time faculty have lost their jobs or had their positions downgraded to take a major cut in pay on campus. The Board approved these measures. So it's important to retain a president who has done nothing to improve morale on campus, has implemented the first layoffs since the early 90s and refuses to meet with constituent executive boards? That makes sense... This to me is no different than what the banks have done. Let's lay off the people who make less than anyone else, and give bonuses and increases to our CEOs, not because they can't LIVE on what they're making but because we need them. I am sorely disappointed in the Board and Rio Hondo.