While Florida lawmakers and top state employees are criticizing Congress’ efforts to extend health care to more poor people, they have fought to protect an entitlement of their own: free insurance premiums.
According to the Miami Herald, Florida taxpayers shell out some $45 million per year to cover the premiums of 27,479 state employees.
But many of these employees are high-level bureaucrats and political appointees, 2,431 of whose salaries are more than $100,000.
Even the families of these top earners can cash in on the plan. Charlie Crist’s new wife, a wealthy businesswoman and philanthropist, will soon pay nothing for insurance premiums.
And the gravy train does not stop at the Florida border. Crist’s wife has two children from a previous marriage who live with their father — an even wealthier New York man who owns a jet rental company. Yes, they will also enjoy free premiums, paid for with taxpayer dollars.
As Florida has faced three straight years of budgets painted red, and as lawmakers have promised to cut unnecessary spending, these over-generous benefits should be first on the list.
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, who earns $129,000 plus subsidized insurance, said that the benefits are merely part of a total compensation package. Others argue that government employees get paid less than those in the private sector — so the insurance serves to balance that out.
But any state employee earning more than $100,000 is not in desperate need of subsidized health insurance. At least not as bad as the poor Florida residents they are arguing to keep it from.
Are they in desperate need of a pay cut and a reality check? Maybe.
