Excessive UMass Payroll

'Tis the season. No, not that season. I'm talking about the season where it's Christmas everyday for a lot of employees of the UMass system. What pains me is that while the system is saturated with hacks and overpaid employees, I am a supporter of UMass Dartmouth. That said, here's what's wrong with the bureaucracy. Some professors aren't paid enough to make ends meet while other employees, like men's basketball coach Derek Kellogg, made $1.06 million in 2015, and the team completely missed the NCAA tournament last year and presently is crawling with a 5-4 record. Ouch, that stings!

University of Massachusetts President Martin T. Meehan, like the Grinch, hit the students up for a tuition hike this year, while at the same time like Santa, handed out raises for $19,000 to his staff and other fat cats, like one of his cronies, former President William M. Bulger. Are you serious? Billy Bulger getting a raise for what? UMass Executive VP James Julian Jr., Bulger's former top aide, making $371, 384 a year, was handed a hefty $19,000 pay raise! And this stuff happens all the time, while hardworking citizens have never heard of raises like $19, 000. Have you ever received a pay raise like this?

And these salary hikes kicked in a few months ago, about the same time Meehan and others moved into plush Beacon Hill offices, despite a budget stalemate with our Legislators. The Boston Herald published a list of some of the UMass employees and your eyes will pop! $852,930, $660,000, $707,638, $573,406, $450,000, $852,930 represent a hangnail of the hand in pocket, funded by you and me.

So, while Chancellors are getting moved out because of a lack of fund raising, the hacks are making paychecks that fill their Christmas stockings with lots of treasure! Absolutely disgusting, but don't let this stop you from getting an education. Even if it's expensive.