Is Council Caving to political pressure over what’s best for the entire city? Rita Mercier seems to be
Posted: November 17, 2010 Filed under: Politics 4 Comments »
In July the Lowell City Council voted 8-1 to file a Home Rule Petition that would allow the City Manager to change the way insurance is offered. It is estimated that the city could save $3.5 – 5 million dollars. It would NOT effect any CURRENT contracts until after those contracts expire.
Last night to use the phrasing of today’s Sun article Retirees rally to preserve benefits
Nice but what they did was resort to childish name calling acting like spoiled kids who were mad at mommy or daddy for taking away their Nintendo or not letting them go to the dance and resorted to mellow dramatics.
They accused City Manager Bernie Lynch of risking the lives of seniors and comparing him to the heartless Tin Man and Ebenezer Scrooge. Talking like a teenage girl who can’t go to the cool party, they continued to pile on the hyperbole with such suggestions as you will be signing the death warrant for many retirees,” I really expected the dum dum dum background music you here in the soap operas because that was the drama these people were selling.
The Manager was the focus of their wrath because he is in charge of running the business of the city and by eliminating the Master Medical benefit that only a few have according to the gospel of Paul Georges the City can save approx. 3 million dollars. So because of his support of the council’s filing of a home-rule petition with the state Legislature that would give the city the power to overhaul its health-care offerings without union approval they didn’t vent at the council they vented at the Manager.
Councilor Rita Mercier was quick to abandon her approval of the Home Rule Petition and instead made reference to the fact she would submit a motion to rescind the Home Rule petition. Playing to the crowd last night and telling the rest of the taxpayers of the city who didn’t show at the meeting…to bad, we raised your water rate and if we have to raise your property tax, to fund this 3 million dollar plan for a select and small but vocal group over the working people with families and children who aren’t at the meeting that’s fine. I support the people who show up so they will vote for me and I’ll get the union support.
The question is with the 2011 upcoming how many others beside BUD will buckle to the political pressure? If we believe what Paul Georges tells us over and over that only a small group of people still have this Master Medical the why would the council allow a small group to cost the city 3-5 million dollars especially in these tough times? No one is taking away Medical coverage, the City Manager is trying to eliminate a unneccsary cost and offering comparative coverage while saving money. Isn’t that what his job is ?
I appreciate all that the people who worked for the city did but times and health care cost have changed and everyone needs to remember the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Especially in this fiscal time and even during an election year.
Amen! I know it does not matter to Rita and Bud but my insurance cost has risen 50% in the last four years, my copays have doubled, and my nice ppo with no referrals has switched to an HMO. Since when did having a ppo which most taxpayers wished they had equate to a death sentence? The new thing in the private market is these lovely 80/20 plans with huge deductibles and out of pocket maximums. I love all Rita and Buds talk about saving the tax payer money until it is actually time to really do it. This is so out of touch with what residents that are not retired or state employees like them are facing. I call that panderingl
Implied behind the “death panel” rhetoric is a purely selfish “I got mine so you can pound sand” sentiment that’s offensive in addition to being profoundly unfair to all the other city workers (and taxpayers for that matter) who most certainly do not. You hit this one squarely on the head, and I think objecting to the savings (to be achieved by treating all city employees fairly and equally) is supremely irresponsible.
At least I’m reminded yet again why it was so important that I did not vote for either Rita or Bud in the last election, and how much more important it will be to not do that yet again the next time around.
Only in the public sector do people still get these souped up health plans, pensions, etc, etc, etc. They are so out of touch and I am not surprised that Mercier, a govt worker herself, would motion to rescind the home rule petition. Even Tom Menino is looking for a home rule petition. The hacks have had their fun, the party is over.
And the irony of the “I’ve got mine” argument is that it’s only going to hurt the people making it in the long run.
I love my health insurance. In fact, I love it SO MUCH that I’d be willing to see it modified in a way that forced me to share costs if that meant preservation of the system itself. In short, I would compromise. The handwriting is on the wall that unfunded liabilities are going to wreak havoc on governmental budgets at all levels in the years and decades to come. Let’s ALL start by acknowledging that.
..And that’s why I love Bowles-Simpson so much. It’s asking for a little bit from everyone. I don’t necessarily *want* my wages frozen for three years, but that’s just a way more palatable option than seeing the government implode due to insolvency. Were that to happen, I’d be staring down the barrel of a 100% pay cut!