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I truly think there are still union contracts on Long Island that mandate retiree and dependent health and dental insurance that is separate from and not affiliated with Medicare at all. I will look at the contracts online and report what I find, but that will not be until tomorrow.
Medicare doesn't offer dental, so that is quite possible.
However, with the "coordination of benefits" rules that exist within the industry, Medicare is always the primary payer. The separate retiree health insurance is either for those teachers who are retired and not yet 65, or supplemental insurance for those teachers who are 65. Trust me, all retired Long Island teachers 65 or older have Medicare.
They can simply stop all the pensions of the NON-RETIRED right where they are NOW and whatever it's worth that is what they will get when they are retired PLUS they will get their own savings plus employer contributions in their 401k or equivalent (403b for teachers) that starts with the new contract.
I think that this would be rather unfair for those SOON to retire, as for the last 20-30 years of working for the state you have been paying into a pension, and promised a certian benefit. How much can they earn with a 401k in a few years?
I could have been looking in the wrong place, but from what I can see the NYS pension fund is solvent for the next few decades.
Where the health insurance premiums comes from is another story.
You then have the police union, which used a bad law and a terrible county executive to skyrocket their pay and benefits within the last 15 years -- and the teachers union was smart enough to use this in their negotiations.
Im not familiar with LI politics from before I moved out here (6 years)
out of my own interest, what law, county, county exec?
Wow, teachers defending their bloated salaries. Can any one of them explain why a teacher, who works 75% of what a normal FT employee does make about 50% more then the islands average income
Excellent post. Teachers work about 160 days per year (not all full days) and many get 100K + with top of the line benefits for themselves and their families....all on the taxpayers dimes!
Firstly, talking about sticking a scrotal sack into your mouth is something you can do on your own time please. I believe there are forum rules about doing that.
Secondly, inflation has gone up the whooping 23% in 10 years. Teachers making 6 figure salaries has tripled (+300%). So your math is wrong.
Third, we're not shilling for millionaires. We're stumping for those people who are sick of their taxes going up. If you think the teachers union and the fear mongering of the educational system saying "Well we can't have sports, art, or lunches if you don't vote up our 8% increase" isn't fear mongering and playing the general population for shills, your out of your mind.
1) Why would inflation be linked to teacher salaries. Shouldn't it be linked to community wealth? Overall community wealth is increasing (if you use averages - Republicans would rather you use medians or modes).
2) You ARE shilling for millionaires. If you argue to reduce local expenditures when millionaires are earning more, then you are doing their busy work. You are making villains of teachers and unions, two institutions that help work the working-class UP.
3) If you want your taxes to stop rising, then tax the people with the money.
4) If you respond by saying, "But the millionaires will leave and I won't be paid to cut their lawn anymore!" then let them leave New York for Georgia where taxes are lower. They won't leave. YOu know why? Because the schools are wretched!
I think that this would be rather unfair for those SOON to retire, as for the last 20-30 years of working for the state you have been paying into a pension, and promised a certian benefit. How much can they earn with a 401k in a few years?
I could have been looking in the wrong place, but from what I can see the NYS pension fund is solvent for the next few decades.
Where the health insurance premiums comes from is another story.
They will still have that pension they earned but it will no longer continue to be funded and they will get what is there, plus for the next couple of years they will have money saved in their 403b.
Actually the soon to be retired will get a heck of a lot more than the "to be retired in the distant future" will under my plan.
It is "solvent" meaning it is not going to collapse anytime soon AS LONG AS THE TAXPAYERS KEEP FEEDING IT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. That's all that means.
Solvent does not mean that it is good to go for the next few decades and the taxpayers do not have to put anymore money in it for all those years.
They will still have that pension they earned but it will no longer continue to be funded and they will get what is there, plus for the next couple of years they will have money saved in their 403b.
Actually the soon to be retired will get a heck of a lot more than the "to be retired in the distant future" will under my plan.
It is "solvent" meaning it is not going to collapse anytime soon AS LONG AS THE TAXPAYERS KEEP FEEDING IT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. That's all that means.
Solvent does not mean that it is good to go for the next few decades and the taxpayers do not have to put anymore money in it for all those years.
If local govt's had not taken a break from contributing the proper amounts when the market was giving great returns, the shortfall we see today would probably not be there. They took that money and spent it on things that would get them re-elected instead of putting it where it belonged.
If local govt's had not taken a break from contributing the proper amounts when the market was giving great returns, the shortfall we see today would probably not be there. They took that money and spent it on things that would get them re-elected instead of putting it where it belonged.
Remember it's NOT local governments that mostly affect our property taxes.
It's school districts that get the lion's share of the money.
Remember it's NOT local governments that mostly affect our property taxes.
It's school districts that get the lion's share of the money.
I consider public schools an entity of the govt.
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Silly Business
