Chicago Buyout bonanza for some short-time city workers

Overpaid Government Worker has this gem from the Chicago Sun-Times:

When Mayor Daley offered buyouts to nonunion city workers to fight a gaping budget deficit, some short-timers on the city payroll were able to cash in on a pretty good deal.

Any active, full-time, salaried, nonunion, civilian employee qualified for a minimum $12,000 payout -- regardless of how long they'd been on the city payroll. A few workers left with a payout of nearly half their annual salary -- after less than a year on the job.

They sure are special.