Alameda County Administrator Makes Over $400,000 A Year — For Life

Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi makes $423,664 a year, according to San Francisco Chronicle columnists Matier and Ross, whose article totaling her pay and benefits has set off a stir.

"Is anyone still buying the idea that government workers are 'public servants'," according to a rhetorical question from the Sacramento-based group CalWatch.

The Chronicle reported that Muranishi, who is 63, will retire at more than $400,000 a year -- an assertion picked up by Alameda County Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Caro.

Caro told ABC7News that the life expectancy of healthy woman of Muranishi's age could be 22 years, meaning that "Alameda County taxpayers are going to be paying her well over nine million dollars in her retirement."

But the county administrator has her defenders.

East Bay Citizen blogger Steven Tavares tweeted that she "makes a lot of money, but so what? Is it market rate? She do a bad job? If the county deficit continues to shrink she might be worth it."

Muranishi, Supervisor Nate Miley and Supervisor Wilma Chan had not responded to inquiries by publication time.

What do you think? Has Muranishi earned her keep or have the supervisors — and taxpayers — been overpaying? And what, if anything, can be done?

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