Report raises questions about Oceguera

CARSON CITY -- North Las Vegas records show Assemblyman John Oceguera was drawing full-time pay as the city's assistant fire chief during 2009 and 2011 when he was serving much of that time at the Legislature in Carson City, a conservative think tank reported Wednesday.

But Fire Chief Al Gillespie and Chief Deputy Budget Director Jennifer Snyder came to the Las Vegas Democrat's defense in response to a story the Las Vegas-based Nevada Policy Research Institute published Wednesday on its website, npri.org.

Gillespie said the records were inaccurate. They were scheduling program records, not payroll records, he said. Oceguera served as Assembly speaker in 2011 and as majority leader in 2009.

"John is a great public servant and does a terrific job as assistant chief and in the Legislature," Gillespie said. "There wasn't much truth in the article."

The story contained records that showed Oceguera was working nine-hour days for the Fire Department when he was in the capital.

But NPRI Policy Director Steven Miller's story included statements by Gillespie that scheduling programs were inaccurate and an email from Oceguera explaining how he received firefighter pay during the session.

The institute does not accuse Oceguera directly of any wrongdoing. It puts a question mark after its headline: "Speaker Oceguera -- another government 'double dipper?' "

Gillespie said Oceguera worked at least one weekend day through most of the 2011 legislative session, took two vacation days most weeks and an unpaid furlough one day per week.

Fire officials in North Las Vegas work a nine-hour day and a four-day week.

Snyder said her review showed Oceguera was correctly compensated for the hours he worked or for which he took vacation time.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Glenn Cook reported in Sunday's newspaper that Oceguera's total compensation for the first five months of the year, based on information given him by Snyder, was $67,384, although the Legislature was in session from Feb. 7 to June 7.

Neither Gillespie nor Snyder found fault with Cook's column.

Oceguera has come under fire in the past from some North Las Vegas firefighters because he would trade shifts with them so that he could remain on payroll during the session. Some accused him of not quickly fulfilling his obligation to work shifts for them after they worked for him. As assistant chief since 2008, Oceguera no longer can trade shifts.

As a conservative organization, the institute traditionally has opposed spending and taxing policies advocated by Oceguera, who is term-limited from seeking re-election to the Assembly. He is expected to run for Congress in 2012.

In a legislative report card released Tuesday, the institute gave Oceguera a 32.98 percent positive score for his votes on bills it tracked during the legislative session. The institute considers officials with scores above 50 to be allies of economic liberty.

A spokesman for Oceguera, who asked for anonymity, called the institute's report "complete 'National Enquirer' trash."

He said Oceguera would not be able to comment on the study for several days, although the speaker is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee today.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.

Trending topics:

• Assemblyman John Oceguera
• Carson City
• Nevada Policy Research Institut
• North Las Vegas
• NPRI
• work hours

Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Renee.Lang Jul. 4, 2011 | 6:31 a.m. Report Abuse

   Another tax and spend Democrap, double dipping on the taxpayer, to line his own pockets.
   And the ignorant on the left support him.

2. JR Jul. 3, 2011 | 11:59 p.m. Report Abuse

   The article just highlights just how many sick and vacation days these overpaid parasites get to enjoy.

3. vote them out Jun. 30, 2011 | 10:39 p.m. Report Abuse

   Your doing a great job Oceguera. The middle class workers of Nevada support you.

4. n7v.blogspot.com Jun. 30, 2011 | 7:19 p.m. Report Abuse

   Private sector unions have every right to buy a controlling interest in a publicly held firm like GM. They're free to elect their own slate of Directors, who in turn could install an unquestionably union-friendly CEO. Someone who'd give workers 10% raises each year, 4 weeks vacation, enviable pension benefits, and on and on.
   
   So why don't they?
   
   Independent investors would dump the stock in less time than it will take you to read this comment. The union's capital would get slaughtered. That's a nice counterweight.
   
   Public sector employees have no such opposing force. When they (or whomever their union buys control of) get elected to the legislature, they imperially vote to raise (or not reduce) public sector pay/benefits. Taxpayers get screwed; their taxes go up. It's not so easy for them to "dump the stock", ie sell their belongings and move someplace else.
   
   That is why it is *essential* that public sector employees be prohibited from serving in the Legislature. And indeed, the constitution itself makes that the law of the realm. Unfortunately, that very wise provision is not being respected.
   
   Great news for shnooks like Oceguera.

5. VegasCitizen Jun. 30, 2011 | 3:10 p.m. Report Abuse

   I'll tell ya what happened to integrity, the NPRI and the RJ threw it out the window. The Budget Director of the city even said Occeguera did nothing wrong and his hours are accurately reported, but yeah since they NPRI put a question mark behind it it is okay to accuse with no merit and its okay for the RJ to print it. My gud this is more of the public empoyee hating bandwagon and their sheep following it.

6. Kilgore.Trout Jun. 30, 2011 | 2:24 p.m. Report Abuse

   "The institute does not accuse Oceguera directly of any wrongdoing. It puts a question mark after its headline: "Speaker Oceguera -- another government 'double dipper?' ""
   
   So NPRI thinks that a "think tanks" job is to make allegations, and as long as you put a question mark next to it, it's o.k.?
   
   There's a lack of credibility on both sides of this story.

7. MIKE VEGAS Jun. 30, 2011 | 2:16 p.m. Report Abuse

   THERE WASN'T MUCH TRUTH IN THE ARTICLE? THIS GUY COULD BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.

8. Lottie.Moore Jun. 30, 2011 | 12:34 p.m. Report Abuse

   Try this, I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, BidsGet.com

9. bethnvegas Jun. 30, 2011 | 12:06 p.m. Report Abuse

   what ever happened to integrity?

10. dodgerchuck Jun. 30, 2011 | 10:10 a.m. Report Abuse

    so is this al gillespie any relation to doug gillespie

Read All Comments