If you ever needed an argument for Jack Ciattarelli, Save Jerseyans, then this might be it.
On Wednesday, we learned that the State Health Benefits Commission is weighing an up-to-37% increase in public sector worker healthcare premiums:
- 36.5% increase for local government employees
- 29.7% for school employee health benefits
- 21% for state worker health benefits
What’s truly remarkable is that the state just adopted a nearly $59 billion FY 2016 budget which included not only tax increases but also represents a 70% spending increase over the past eight years.
“This administration and the one-party Democrat rule in Trenton have completely mismanaged the Public Employee Health Benefits system and the budget,” said Republican state Senators Anthony Bucco and Declan O’Scanlon in a joint statement. “Now they’re expecting taxpayers and our dedicated public workers to pick up the tab for their failures with a 37% increase in their healthcare costs with the empty promise of finally fixing this long-overdue problem that they have ignored for years. We need leadership who is willing to make real structural reforms to protect workers, stabilize the system, and restore fiscal responsibility. A new governor can’t come soon enough. Only then will serious solutions finally be on the table.”
Meanwhile, the pair pointed out that New Jersey offers 100% free health care for illegal immigrants’ children when the family makes as much as 350% of poverty which in New Jersey is $115,000 for a four-member family.
