Lifeguard Pensions Questioned as Atlantic City’s Finances Falter

As this fading gambling mecca reels on the edge of bankruptcy, its finances scrutinized by a host of auditors, some objectionable expenses have bobbed to the surface. But none have drawn such broad resentment as the realization that Atlantic City pays about $1 million a year to provide pensions for retired lifeguards.

 

In much of the Northeast, lifeguard stands are the province of youth, teenagers and college students making the most of a break between semesters. But members of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol return year after year, lured by the prospect of turning a summer on the sand into a lifetime of payouts.

 

Some, like Norman Draper, 69, are collecting $15,000 or more annually for stretching a temporary beach job into a second career — a modest sum, but still an unusual amount for seasonal work. In Mr. Draper’s case, the gig lasted for 51 summers.

 

But the dedication of weathered veterans like Mr. Draper has not earned much sympathy from those trying to save Atlantic City from economic ruin.

 

The president of the New Jersey Senate, Stephen M. Sweeney, is calling for the repeal of an 88-year-old statute that created the pension system for Atlantic City’s lifeguards. Senator Sweeney, a union leader who generally supports generous pay and benefits for workers, said providing pensions for what is generally considered part-time summer work was ludicrous.