Sound Politics: A Road to Serfdom (V)

February 21, 2010

A Road to Serfdom (V)

"State workers' health fund short of cash"

The fund that covers state workers' health care is strapped for cash because the state cut its premium payments by hundreds of millions of dollars, using that money for other things while the insurance fund spent down a large surplus.
...
The figures were so bad that if the authority's fund were a private insurer that he regulated, [Insurance Commissioner Mike] Kreidler said, he might order it into receivership. Because the state controls the fund, he only could warn of the fund's "financial deterioration."

Mrs. Gregoire is asking the state employees to pay higher premiums, though it remains to be seen how much of an increase the unions' friends in the legislature will agree to. And at the end of the day, they can always raise taxes to keep the racket going.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 21, 2010 09:01 PM | Email This

Comments

1. After more middle-class people quit smoking and slowing that income pipeline, she'll raise taxes on smokes again, making a smaller middle-class group pay a tax which will go to the poor as welfare, who will blow it on smokes which will then take up an even LARGER percentage of their "income."

How CCCProgressive.

Posted by: Matt M aka RWKook on February 22, 2010 05:52 AM

2. Stefan--
Excellent catch on yet another Gregoire shell-game. Between this and the Pension scam, voters SHOULD see how Gregoire and her benefoactor State Employee Union Democrat Party have gotten around it being ILLEGAL to borrow for current operations. They simply fail to fund existing liabilities....kicking the can to doom down the road.
It has reached the tipping point where we can no longer tax our way outta of this Union Democrat created disaster.
As a US Senate Committee was told by 3 economists recently, the only way to address the deficit is to STOP SPENDING!

In Washington State, 60% of the Budget is Wages & Benefits.

Here is what the Union Democrats are protecting--

http://www.biaw.com/WAStateEmployeeWages.aspx

Take look at the TOTAL COMPENSATION of State Employees at the above site. Wages are only a part of the total compensation package. This site shows the true picture.
It adds 30% for Benefits (which comes straight from the State Human Resources website). It also puts a value on the 44 days off State Employees can get (Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Days, Holidays). Do you realize they only work 82% of the weekdays. Unbelievable!
We owe it to nearly 30 years of Democrat Rule in the Governor's mansion. She gets millions in campaign contributions and countless ground troops...then negotiates with the Unions who got her elected.
This is the result.

HELP!
Shift the focus to outrageous State Employee TOTAL COMPENSATION. E-mail this link to your friends.
It's the real story about the Washington Budget debacle.

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 22, 2010 06:37 AM

3. When you go to the State TOTAL COMPENSATION website, find the Liquor Store Clerk with TOTAL COMPENSATION of ovver $100,000!!
Find the huge increases for various Commissioners (friends of Gregoire) and Legislators.
See what you can find that is real offensive!

http://www.biaw.com/WAStateEmployeeWages.aspx

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 22, 2010 06:40 AM

4. Stefan--
Check out this article by the National Governor's BiPartisan Think Tank re: the Budget dilemma--

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011132022_broder21.html

Pay close attention to the part about cutting Salaries, Benefits and furloughs.

The Government Employees Unions have caused this Budget meltdown...buying influence and unsustainable contracts that have hurt taxpayers.
Time to stop the madness.
If that means going Bankrupt to void the Union Contracts...then so be it.

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 22, 2010 07:10 AM

5. Stefan,

I appreciate a thoughtful discussion of our local NW economic and public tax policy issues, but until we eliminate the left from governance here we will continue to receive ever more insane policy manipulations, higher taxes, and diminished standard of living. To me it seems to be just that simple.

We (conservatives - adults) live on the fringes. What the majority of Western Washingtonians want is a fantasy land utopia from mommy Gregoire and that is what they insist they will get no matter how many distortions, lies, and outright dishonest manipulations are necessary.

The outward manifestations of a principle problem (while important) have become (for me) mundane and repetitive. We are getting precisely what a majority of our neighbors asked for and soon an effect that they alone deserve. Nevertheless, somewhere in amongst us are the middle of the road swing voters who must be startled awake by losing their ass enough to make the way clear for new leadership and our party needs to be ready to lead them back to sanity. The pain is coming apace.

Like my liberal nephew (who is studying to be a doctor) who panics when he realizes that Obama care may well destroy his ability to become a rich doctor; he won't tell his friends but his enlightened self-interest supplants Obamacare. Until the reality dawns on these people we are essentially repeating the obvious in service to our own sensibilities and to little constructive end. Still they need a way to go.

Stefan, where is Patty Murray's political counterpart? Where is Dino Rossi?
Where are the adult leaders? Where is the Republican party?

BTW thanks for coming back to the discourse.

Amused

Posted by: Amused by Liberals on February 22, 2010 09:17 AM

6. Amused, I'm glad doctors get rich and want to get rich, especially doing something as noble as saving lives. I hope you nephew does both. God bless him for it. The left hates the rich for some reason, even to the point of replacing our great doctors over time with third-rate third-world Dr Nick technician types. Watch Idiocracy.

Posted by: Matt M on February 22, 2010 10:17 AM

7. I wonder if the State would mind if cash-strapped employers cut back on their L&I and UI payments? I mean, if the State can do it for its own workers, then private business can do the same thing, right?

Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 22, 2010 10:55 AM

8. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe state workers pay 12% of the premiums on their healthcare policies. Federal employees pay 28%. State plans are also much more lucrative than federal workers' as to deductibles, co-pays, eyecare and dental, the last two of which federal insurance requires additional policies at additional cost to employees. Time for state employees to pay a greater share of healthcare.

Posted by: Saltherring on February 22, 2010 11:42 AM

9. Co-pays for state employees with Group Health plans went up 250% in January, and an annual deductible was introduced. Even if the 12%/88% ratio hasn't changed, state workers are paying a lot more for their health coverage.

Posted by: cat on February 22, 2010 04:04 PM

10. Matt M,

Greed.
I just wonder if he really gets it or not.
Any ideas who to replace Murray with?

Posted by: Amused by Liberals on February 22, 2010 05:39 PM

11. Matt M,

Sorry, I meant to write AGREED.

Posted by: Amused by Liberals on February 22, 2010 05:42 PM

12. I'd love to say Dino, but I'm sure he's sick of messing around with government here. I'm getting pessimistic about WA frankly. Tennis Shoe Mom and Can'tvotewell are pretty well established. IDK, I at least have name recognition of Doc Hastings.

Posted by: Matt M on February 22, 2010 06:46 PM

13. State and county workers on average across the state make 5 grand a year more than the private sector without their benefits. I have an idea. How about they pay for ALL of their healthcare! Like real adults, like me for instance. How about the big picnic is over. We pay enough dammit. Screw the unions.

Posted by: mark on February 22, 2010 10:21 PM