Your Government ... My View

By: Ernie Padgett

From time to time, most of us have witnessed an individual or a group do something we felt was the ultimate act of hypocrisy. We may then say to ourselves that the action by the hypocrite(s) was as bad as it gets. All but six members of the Florida Legislature should, in my opinion, win a gold medal for being the all star hypocrites of the year. On Thursday, Florida Health News reported that even though the state has one of the highest rates of uninsured workers and families in the nation, members of the Florida House and Senate enjoy a very, very generous health benefit package. These lawmakers are given free health insurance for themselves AND their families. According to this article, only seven other states pay 100% of legislators’ health insurance premiums. The report did not say if any of these seven states also paid 100% of family coverage also. I am going to research this in order to find out if Florida is the only state in which it’s legislators give themselves and their families free health insurance, while other families struggle to pay for coverage. All but six of Florida’s 160 lawmakers are receiving the free coverage, and 80% of them also enrolled their spouses and children at no charge, according to the Office of Legislative Services. Thirty one took individual coverage, which costs taxpayers about $5,000 per year per legislator. 123 took family coverage which costs about $11,600 per year per legislator. The total annual cost to taxpayers for all this free coverage is nearly $1.5 million per year. My daughter is a third grade school teacher in Florida. She pays $917.50 per month for family coverage. Florida lawmakers make about $32,000 per year in their part-time jobs and pay nothing for health insurance. Be you a school teacher, truck driver, small business person, or earning a living in one of a thousand different careers, you are most likely paying a very high health insurance premium for you and your family. The 154 legislators who are accepting this unwarranted free ride should be ashamed of themselves. Most of these free riders are the same ones that are severely reducing various budgets that help protect children and the elderly. Budgets that help mentally ill people that need treatment, not jail, budgets that fund the criminal justice system which includes police, courts, and corrections. Also, budgets that need to fund our educational system, both secondary and higher education. School boards in all 67 counties are struggling to fund their basic needs this year. Students will suffer and their education will be negatively impacted. I could go on and on with many examples of where the Florida Legislature is hurting the state of Florida. They should do the honorable thing before they adjourn this week and start paying their own health insurance premiums. This will save Florida taxpayers $1.5 million per year. In conclusion, the Florida Legislature has the gall to rant and rave about city and county governments and school boards spending (wasting) too much money. The $1.5 million tax payer dollars required to fund their free health insurance is a prime example of wasteful spending. Citizens, all of you who have to pay your own health insurance premiums should make a call to your legislators’ office and demand they pay their own premiums. Ask your friends, relatives and neighbors to also make a call.