Councilman cries foul against NY Post

A Long Beach city councilman was blasted in the media earlier this week for collecting a hefty FDNY disability pension following his retirement in 2001.

A story in the July 6 issue of the New York Post criticized city councilman John McLaughlin, saying that although he suffers from diminished lung capacity, he continues to run marathons while collecting an annual $86,000 disability pension.

In the story, the head of the Citizens Budget Commission, Carol Kellerman, called McLaughlin the "poster child" for what's wrong with the pension system.

For his part, McLaughlin said that he has a legitimate bronchial induced asthma condition, which he said is job-related and brought on after serving 20 years in the FDNY, where he fought "serious fires."

Contrary to the Post's story, McLaughlin said he was diagnosed prior to September 11, 2001, when he was deemed unfit by doctors to serve in the fire department.

At last Tuesday's city council meeting, some residents expressed concern about McLaughlin's pension, and, although some were critical of the Post's article, asked McLaughlin for an explanation.

"Nowhere in this story is there a charge — we don't know if it's true or untrue," resident Mark Jackson told council members as he waved his copy of the New York Post. "Mr. McLaughlin has not been indicted for a crime — they don't have a right to destroy a man's character."

After the meeting, McLaughlin said he considers his health issues private, but was willing to discuss some of them with a reporter.

"I didn't want to leave the department," McLaughlin said. "When it happened, I wasn't thrilled about it."

McLaughlin, 55, said he was told that he was eligible for the pension and explained that any fireman with his condition — and with even less time served on the job — would receive similar compensation. He wouldn't go into detail about specific medical issues he is dealing with, but said that he is on a strict regimen of several medications.

So how is he able to run marathons? McLaughlin, who was a runner before he retired, said he is abiding by his doctor's advice to exercise and stay fit, and said he runs several marathons a year.

"My doctors told me 'the better shape you're in, the better your quality of life will be,'" he said. "I do have spells when I can't run for a while, and days when I can't catch a breath. I am running within limitations advised by my doctor. Although I usually do short runs, such as half marathons, I couldn't finish the New York city marathon last year."

McLaughlin said the Post story was unfair.

"It was not my decision to leave the department, a medical board decided this, I wasn't looking to retire," he said. "I would still be with the fire department if not for this condition. The doctors found a problem, acted on it and found that I was unfit for fire duty."

So does he think he's the poster child for a flawed pension system?

"No, I don't agree with that at all," he said. "I don't think that article would have been written if I wasn't in public office. I went into public office to serve the public, it's not a self-serving thing for me."

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