While the Senator Nancy Cook and the Democrats in charge of the State Budget prepare to shut down dozens of non-profits in Delaware so that they can give a pay increase to State employees, it has come to my attention that State employees have already had a compensation increase through their health benefits.
Between 2009 & 2010, State employee health plan costs increased an average of 10.49%. However, the employees co-pay did not increase at all. For instance, if an employee and spouse are on the BlueCare HMO plan, they paid $71.56 as a co-pay in both 2009 & in 2010. However, the taxpayer’s cost increased from $957.32 to $1,064.66 — a cost increase of 11.2% to the taxpayer. This example isn’t even the worst of the lot.
In short, the Democrats in Dover are going to close non-profit service providers in order to continue to give State employees “Cadillac” benefits and compensation. As the non-profits close, the State will be forced to higher more State employees to pick up the slack adding to the State’s budget problems (But giving incumbent Democrats more voters!). The increased budget will require more money from taxpayers. Delaware’s workforce is already shrinking significantly as young people leave the State. Even more gambling won’t save this problem.
In some school districts property owners pay the employees share, also the cost of Gp. Life Ins., Dental, Disability Ins., Flex Credit and Vision, benefits that are not funded by the state. In the first 10 months of this fiscal year benefits not funded by the state cost the RCSD’s property owners $3.1 million, plus $2 million for major medical. Dental cost alone was over $2 for 10 months.
Correction: Dental cost alone was over $2 million dollars for just 10 months.
it has come to my attention that State employees have already had a compensation increase through their health benefits.
No, their health compensation is the same as before – they receive exactly one unit of health insurance. Actually less than one unit, since they have to pay for some of it. Nobody is getting any more health insurance.
What you are suggesting is actually a pay cut – that more cash be taken out of employee paychecks for the same health care they had last year. The political failure to contain costs is not the employees’ problem.