This was taken from the Tennessean:
David Atchison • Reader Submitted • February 1, 2008
At a time when the Metro Action Commission has no funds to help the needy with winter heating bills, and many other departments are being required to cut their budgets, it is unconscionable for our Council, whom we elected to change the 'good old boy' image it has carried for so long, to choose first to pad their benefits.
I don't believe that the citizens of Nashville are aware of what this bill does. You may be more than a tad miffed when they discover this bill offers the same retiree medical coverage and premium to a one-term-plus-one-day Councilman as it does to a fully retired Metro employee. It also allows a Council member that has served any amount of one term, to participate in the retiree health plan by paying 100% of the premium.
Other part-time Metro employees, such as school crossing guards, have no opportunity to join this health plan at ANY cost. They work between fifteen and twenty-five hours per week, depending on how many schools they cover; about 39 weeks a year, in all kinds of weather, yet most have no access to Metro's health plan at any price! The few that do are those who were at their positions when part-timers were specifically excluded a few years ago (i.e. grandfathered in).
The people of Nashville are fed up with our elected officials pouring the gravy for themselves first, and if anything is left, allowing their constituents to lick the bottom of the bowl.
As this ordinance has an army of sponsors, I'm asking the army move for it to be deferred indefinitely, prior to third reading, in order to give the citizens of each district the opportunity to voice their outrage at this legislation in general, and their Councilperson in particular. I believe after receiving the comments from their constituents, the army of sponsors may realize that it would be in their best interest, tenure-wise, to cancel this bill completely. If this is what our Council members call responsible government, I feel there will be multiple recall petitions floating around the various districts very soon.
Bill Sponsors...
- Charlie Tygard
- Rip Ryman
- Tim Garrett
- Erica Gilmore
- Megan Barry
- Eric Crafton
- Michael Craddock
- Sam Coleman
- Buddy Baker
- Vivian Wilhoite
- Randy Foster
- Greg Adkins
- Jerry Maynard
- Erik Cole
- Karen Bennett
- Phil Claiborne
- Sean McGuire
- Sandra Moore
- Frank Harrison
- Lonnell Matthews
- Pam Murray
- Jim Hodge
- Jim Gotto
- Darren Jernigan
- Keith Durbin
- Carl Burch
- Robert Duvall
- Edith Taylor Langster
- Duane Dominy
- Carter Todd
- Walter Hunt
- Bo Mitchell
- Jason Holleman
