Scheming Scumbag of the Day

Another stellar example of Massachusetts-style justice here.

On injury leave, firefighter stood out as bodybuilder

For Boston firefighter Albert Arroyo, March and April were ostensibly rough months. He reported falling on March 21 and suffering a back injury so severe that, a few weeks later, his doctor wrote that Arroyo should be granted an accidental disability retirement because he is "totally and permanently disabled."

Yet, on May 3, after being out of work for six weeks and collecting his full salary tax-free, Arroyo achieved a remarkable feat: He finished eighth in a men's bodybuilding competition, the 2008 Pro Natural American Championships.

His "punishment"?

They're going to make him pay taxes (gasp! just like the commoners!) on the money they're going to let him continue stealing from the taxpayers of Massachusetts.

By late May, fire commissioner Roderick J. Fraser Jr. learned of Arroyo's strict training regimen and his record as a competitive professional bodybuilder. Fraser urged the Boston Retirement Board to deny the application. Two weeks ago, the Boston Fire Department shifted Arroyo, 46, from injured leave to regular sick leave, which is taxable, after its chief medical officer determined that any injury was not work-related, according to records turned over to the Globe by the city.

His "explanation"?

Arroyo, standing in the doorway of his Roslindale home on Friday, said he would not discuss the issue and asked a reporter to call his attorney, James S. Dilday.

In a subsequent telephone interview, Dilday said Arroyo had consulted but not yet retained him. However, Dilday said, "The bodybuilding helped him cope, emotionally and physically, with the travails and rigors of working as a firefighter."

Fraser said Arroyo told him that his bodybuilding helps ease his back pain - a claim that Fraser dismissed with a barnyard epithet.

Be sure to click the link above - there's video.