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Redistricting Commissioners Cash In With Honor System Pay Reporting

Working on the California citizens’ redistricting commission appears to have been lucrative work for the 14 commissioners appointed to serve, who collected between $35,100 and $68,400 in per diem pay based on “honor system” reporting of days worked, many of which were done from home.

Libert “Gil” R. Ontai, an architect by trade and San Diego’s representative on the commission, has so far collected $47,400.

Commissioners received no salary, but were paid $300 for each day in which they reported working six hours or more. Days in which less time was worked could be combined to meet the requirement.

Maria Blanco of Los Angeles, also employed by the California Community Foundation, reported working the least days and thus requested the smallest per diem draw. Michael Ward, an Orange County chiropractor, was the highest-paid commission member.

“My knowledge base, at the start, was very low,” Ward told the Sacramento Bee. “Those first few months, I was getting four or five hours sleep, reading and studying like crazy. That's what was required, just to be competent.”

During two months in 2011, Ward reported working 28 days each, collecting $8,400 per month. In December 2010, he submitted payment requests for a large portion of the holiday week, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.

Costs are expected to rise, as some commission members may be turning in additional per diem reports as the council winds down its work on July 1.

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Working on the California citizens’ redistricting commission appears to have been lucrative work for the 14 commissioners appointed to serve, who collected between $35,100 and $68,400 in per diem pay based on “honor system” reporting of days worked, many of which were done from home.

Libert “Gil” R. Ontai, an architect by trade and San Diego’s representative on the commission, has so far collected $47,400.

Commissioners received no salary, but were paid $300 for each day in which they reported working six hours or more. Days in which less time was worked could be combined to meet the requirement.

Maria Blanco of Los Angeles, also employed by the California Community Foundation, reported working the least days and thus requested the smallest per diem draw. Michael Ward, an Orange County chiropractor, was the highest-paid commission member.

“My knowledge base, at the start, was very low,” Ward told the Sacramento Bee. “Those first few months, I was getting four or five hours sleep, reading and studying like crazy. That's what was required, just to be competent.”

During two months in 2011, Ward reported working 28 days each, collecting $8,400 per month. In December 2010, he submitted payment requests for a large portion of the holiday week, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.

Costs are expected to rise, as some commission members may be turning in additional per diem reports as the council winds down its work on July 1.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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