All They Want For Christmas Is Health Care
by Christine Stuart | December 22, 2008 6:08 PM
Posted to Health Care
| Labor
A group of more than 30 Connecticut janitors paraded outside the state Capitol Monday afternoon before attempting to have Santa Claus deliver a bucket of coal to Gov. M. Jodi Rell for her role in allowing their families to lose health coverage at the start of the New Year.
The Capitol police refused to allow Santa to deliver the bucket of coal, but they did allow two of the union members to deliver a letter to the governor’s spokesman Chris Cooper, who said he would make sure Rell received it.
The union, which represents 600 janitors, said that because the state legislature and Rell failed to amend the Standard Wage Law, more than 350 of its members will be forced onto Husky, the state’s publicly-funded Medicaid program.
Ironically, this will cost the state $1.6 million, when it would only cost the state $1.2 million to continue the union’s current benefits, Art Perry, political director for SEIU’s 32BJ, said. He those numbers are from the Office of Fiscal Analysis.
“The state’s disregard for these children will ultimately cost Connecticut taxpayers millions of dollars,” Kurt Westby, 32BJ Connecticut director said in a press release.
“It’s very importante,” Flor de Maria Matos, a longtime state cleaner, said as she delivered the letter to Cooper. Outside the Capitol she explained through a translator that her daughter takes medication daily and it would cost $250 per month without health insurance.
She said she is not one of the union members who would qualify for the state Husky program.
The Standard Wage Law mandates that workers like de Maria Matos, who are employed through contractors and not directly by the state, get at least 30 percent above the prevailing wage in benefits. The 30 percent is meant to include health care, pension, sick and vacation days and other forms of insurance, but union officials say the law is often interpreted as a ceiling on benefits instead of a minimum requirement.
The governor is aware that this is related to the Standard Wage Law, which requires legislative action, Cooper said.
In June, Speaker-Elect Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said, “The good news is that we have a Standard Wage Law in Connecticut.” He said he understands 30 percent doesn’t quite pay for health benefits, however, since the workers will not be affected until January 2009, “it could be one of the first things we do next year.”
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Comments (4)
Posted by: Rocco Frank | December 22, 2008 10:23 PM
"The Standard Wage Law mandates that workers like de Maria Matos, who are employed through contractors and not directly by the state, get at least 30 percent above the prevailing wage in benefits. The 30 percent is meant to include health care, pension, sick and vacation days and other forms of insurance.."
Not bad for a job cleaning floors and bathrooms. Not bad for a job requiring no education or special skills. Not bad, not bad, not bad.
Now what about the rest of us that do not have the power to extrapolate money through the state. Is Donovan for real? Is he even going to waste the legislatures time on these people?
Janitors are a dime a dozen why even give them a shred more than the prevailing rate?
Posted by: David Streever | December 23, 2008 9:39 AM
Rocco,
Public Health.
Do you know why poor nations are incubators for XDR-TB?
Because they don't have health care for all.
By eliminating health care, you ensure that our population can incubate non-curable diseases that will reach you.
Public health needs to be a huge priority in our nation.
Just look at France: longer life expectancy, stronger economy, and health care for everyone!
Posted by: Redman | December 23, 2008 2:23 PM
Stop this nonsense trying to equate health care with health insurance. They are two different things. When I was growing up we didn't have health care insurance, we just paid the doctor directly, making weekly payments if necessary. Health care insurance is the primary reason health costs have sky rocketed and will continue to do so until a limit is put on the types of care that is paid for by health insurance.
The longer life expectancy in other countries is related to cultural life style differences not health care.
Posted by: Streever | December 23, 2008 6:39 PM
Redman,
"The longer life expectancy in other countries is related to cultural life style differences not health care."
That's a joke, right?
The french smoke more, drink more, & are amazingly more healthy.
Although you are surprisingly right--it's a CULTURE of HEALTH CARE.
In France--or other countries that have good health care systems--you go to the doctor early & often.
Preventive care is the focus. Not, "I got sick so I went."
That's the real problem: it costs more money over all, treats less, & leaves people sicker.
If we had a system that priortized preventive care--and I'll mention France again because heck, the #1 health care system in the world is probably worth mentioning--we wouldn't have the problem you point out of skyrocketing costs.
Unfortunately we are more focused on spending incredible amounts of money to "cure" 1 in 1 billion people of diseases that could have easily been prevented.
In France--or Britain for that matter--you don't get those diseases. Or if you do, it's caught early, when it's still easily treated.
Do some research. Don't tell me some stupid story about your childhood.