Bah Humbug To The Former Mayor

  • Wednesday, December 6, 2017

It was a laugh out loud moment reading the accounts of last night's City Council meeting and discussion of retiree insurance benefits with regard to former Mayor Ron Littlefield. 

 

To be clear, the council was discussing a change of health insurance supplement for city retirees that receive Medicare. The city essentially provides a Medicare supplement to retired employees over 65 as a benefit promised for decades instead of mediocre pay. 


The city political hacks that cook up these deals to cut benefits recently proposed a downgrade from a reliable Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare supplement to United Healthcare.

The city is always trying to renege on promises made to retirees.  Typical of municipal government, we are not giving you a raise, but look at the wonderful retirement benefits you will have. Then, time to deliver, these cities renege. 

 

Well, I am reading the coverage of last night's council meeting, and there is former Mayor Littlefield taking a public stand objecting to the Berke administration's downgrade of the Medicare supplement for city retirees.  Why, could it be he cares about retirees? Absolutely not, the former mayor is taking a stand because it will affect him.

 

This is the same mayor who eliminated the Medicare supplement for employees with up to 24 years of service and those vested in the retirement system that had been promised that benefit their entire career. Mayor Littlefield took health insurance for retirement benefits that had been promised to workers for two decades and over.  Some of these city employees were within a year of retirement or 25 years, and Mayor Littlefield eliminated the Medicare supplement promised to them their entire career.  Now Mayor Littlefield demands that his benefits be salvaged.


There are retirees right now that will never receive the Medicare supplement our former mayor was whining about last night to City Council last night because the mayor intentionally cut their benefit, but demands that his own insurance be preserved without working 25 years. How does that happen?

 

City retirees with 25 years of service leaving the city this year will not have the Medicare supplement that Mayor Ron Littlefield receives, because Ron Littlefield moved aggressively with the City Council to literally steal a benefit promised to these workers vested in the retirement system for 25 years.

 

While I am happy to see the retirees prevail, it is absolutely sickening to see Mayor Littlefield complain about a benefit that he took from hundreds of city workers full vested in the retirement system.

 

Mayor Littlefield, enjoy the Medicare health insurance that you took from employees that worked for the city decades longer than you did.  The employees that did work 25 years and have the supplement should not get shafted now that they are dependent on that benefit. I just wonder how Mayor Littlefield is receiving the same benefit of a 25-year worker. 

 

There are many city employees retiring right now who will not receive the Medicare supplement when they are 65, because you took it away, but ensured you would keep yours. 

 

Ba Hum Bug to you, Mayor Littlefield.

 

April Eidson

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