Dazed and Confused!
Senate Bill 1313, approved by both houses, basically brings an end to free employee health insurance for retired state employees yet many who ran on a ticket of conservative smaller government platforms voted against it. Locally that would be Adam Brown and Chapin Rose. Dale Righter was a NV as he was not present on the floor during the vote?
State and university employees who put in 20 years of service don’t have to pay any health insurance premium once they retire. Judges get the same perk after 6 years on the bench and the General Assembly gets it after only serving 4 years, unless they opt out of the system, something Brad Halbrook ran on and followed through with as he refused not only the health care benefit but the retirement pension as well!
With an estimated savings of $300 million a year we have to ask why on earth would anyone vote against it? It’s been reported some voted that way because they have lots of public employees in their districts. State House targets health care costs
So did special interest and self-interest take the wheel of our political class and try to drive the taxpayer bus over the cliff? Fortunately the bill passed but disturbingly it appears the political class hasn’t got the message that there are more private employees than public sector.
Our states largest employee union is AFSCME, who came out against the bill. The union reportedly stated “It’s wrong to slash the budget by taking affordable health care from retired public servants.”
Yet another lie from the entitlement class! The bill does not take affordable health care from the retired public servants. The health care has not changed one bit under that bill. What is going to change is the fact that “We The People” are no longer going to foot the entire bill for the entitlements these people gave themselves. The change is in the cost of the care, not the care itself!
So why would conservatives vote against fixing the fiscal melt down happening in this state, especially after the GOP leader Tom Cross implored members to support the bill?
Some factors could be populations of retired state workers in their district, competitive November elections, but clearly not on fiscal conservatism.
Another factor that most can’t deny, special interests and/or self-interest. AFSCME funded Adam Browns campaign to the tune of $4,000.00 between December of 2011 and February of 2012. Are there coincidences in politics?
Some of these entitlement class politicians might want to take a hard look at what happen in Indiana with Richard Lugar and realize that they represent the majority that put them in office, not the minority that fills their pot!
2 Comments
John Duffy
Posted at 16:51h, 04 JuneI am a retired state employee who put in 25 years with the state and I don’t know where the media thinks we get fantastic pensions.For 25 years with DOC I get a $27,000.00 a year pension. At least Rose and Brown keep their promises.I worked and many times wanted to quit but didnot due to the health insurance that was PROMISED.How’d you feel if something is promised,given,then ripped away.Health insurance is not in my budget. Illinois politicians words mean nothing,lieing thru their teeth.Only one getting screwed is the retired state employee. General Assembly is getting a raise even tho we’re in a pension crisis.Nothing going to happen to their pensions or healthcare,or cola…Why? We have Foxes (lawmakers) watching the Henhouse( General Assembly Retirement. My hats off to Chapin Rose and Adam Brown for keeping their words.Can’t say that with alot of lawmakers. YOUR WORD IS EVERYTHING
Fancy Nancy
Posted at 12:01h, 14 MayThanks to Indiana conservatives, Joe Donnelly will have an easy victory in November.