Governor Christie of New Jersey is known for straight talk and frankly I find it refreshing especially given I know a great deal about one of his main topics, state worker pensions and benefits.
A recent article in the New York times criticizes his straight talk as being misleading and inaccurate and cites a few examples. What I found amazing is the example used. Take a look for yourself. Please note paying 1.5% of pay for health care is in reality paying nothing when compared with the typical American. Or how about this, a teacher earning $60,000 a year pays $75 per month for health benefits including good prescription coverage and coverage for the family. A person with Medicare with the same income or much less, pays $115.00 for Part B Medicare PLUS the cost for Part D PLUS the cost for a Medigap policy (unless you happened to have worked for the state) for a grand total of at least $400.00 per month. That’s for a single person, double it for a couple. It appears in one case we have very “affordable” health care and in the other not so much.
The article fails to note that the very great majority of state retirees still pay nothing for their coverage. As for a deductible and co-pays, give me a break. They have existed since the invention of health insurance and apply to everyone.
“And since last spring many local workers pay (1.5%) as well” …since last spring!
This type of “news reporting” only diverts us from the fundamental problems we need to fix and which still exist. I’d rather see a few “details” wrong than have the fundamental issues ignored or masked for the next generation to deal with.
Christie’s Talk Is Blunt, but Not Always Straight
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
New Jersey’s public-sector unions routinely pressure the State Legislature to give them what they fail to win in contract talks. Most government workers pay nothing for health insurance. Concessions by school employees would have prevented any cuts in school programs last year.
Statements like those are at the core of Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign to cut state spending by getting tougher on unions. They are not, however, accurate.
In fact, on the occasions when the Legislature granted the unions new benefits, it was for pensions, which were not subject to collective bargaining — and it has not happened in eight years. In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. The few dozen school districts where employees agreed to concessions last year still saw layoffs and cuts in academic programs.
“Clearly there has been a pattern of the governor playing fast and loose with the details,” said Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University. “But so far, he’s been adept at getting the public to believe what he says.”
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