Sunday, May 11, 2008
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Some city employees have not seen evidence of their weekly contributions to Medicare in their annual social security statements for years, and whether the fault lies with the Social Security Administration or the city treasurer's department - or both - is unclear.
Former School Committeeman John C. Pietrzykowski complained recently that his wife's situation was brought to the attention of City Treasurer David B. Donoghue this year and last, but to no avail.
Pietrzykowski said that his wife, Theresa A., a teacher aide in the public school system for seven years, talked to Donoghue six weeks ago about her Medicare earnings not having been listed on her annual Social Security statements since 2000.
"He said 'I'll take care of it,' and never called back," Pietrzykowski said. "Seven years of this stuff going on. That's not feasible."
Donoghue said recently he had no recollection of speaking to Pietrzykowski about the matter. He said the money has been paid to the government, and the difficulty lies with the Social Security Administration. He said it was having problems with the computer disc sent from the city.
"We are working to correct that," Donoghue said.
Asked for the name of the person at the Social Security Administration with whom he is working, Donoghue said he did not know because he used a toll-free number to talk to personnel in Baltimore.
The money has been paid and the information set down in the city records, he said. Donoghue said he was willing to write a letter to the Pietrzykowskis providing the missing information.
Told about the situation, Stephen Richardson, the regional public affairs specialist in Social Security's Boston office, said the city has been working with a Social Security liaison person to resolve the problem and ensure it does not recur. He declined to speculate on how soon the issue would be resolved or say how or where the problem originated.
"It's difficult to say at which end the problem existed; that is what we are culling out," he said.
Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said a number of city employees have reported the same problem, and there may be a similar situation with the majority of Holyoke's approximately 2,500 employees.
Sullivan said Donoghue has pledged to resolve the situation for the last two years and that the money has been paid.
While the mayor said he appreciates the concern and trepidation city employees may feel, he said there is little he can do.
He noted that the treasurer is an autonomous elected official, independent of the City Council and the mayor's office.
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