Last night's council meeting was hard to watch. Emotions were raw; members of two Unions, the Hoboken Municipal Supervisors Association (HMSA) and Hoboken Municipal Employees Association (HMEA) who wore red in solidarity, were there to unload on the Council about their impending layoffs.
For well over an hour, anguished city workers pleaded for their jobs or the jobs of co-workers. They spoke of deleterious consequences to vital city services, about whole departments whose staff was noticed, and some gave very personal testimony about the human toll of job loss on their families. A few spoke of disbelief at losing beloved jobs they held for decades, and suggested that 'Old Hoboken' was under attack by 'New Hoboken' - "ethnic cleansing" as one person put it. Practically all vented their frustration at the administration and council. It was heartwrenching. One speaker-- not a 'red shirt'-- was so moved, she volunteered for a tax increase if it would save some city jobs.
John Heinis did his usual fine job of reporting, about a possible reprieve for many of these potential layoffs. That is, an estimated $6.7M + savings if all six bargaining units agree to switch from their current health insurance plan to "NJ Direct 10 – a state plan utilized by 91 percent of the municipalities in New Jersey."
HOW DEFUSCO COST HOBOKEN TAXPAYERS $2,000,000
Enter Obnoxious Political Theater. Mayor DeFusco worked the room as he harangued Corporation Counsel, berated the City's insurance vendor--even suggested there was a nefarious financial relationship with City Hall, demanding that his resolution urging the administration to consider switching their union employees to NJ Direct 10 be voted on now!
Corporation Counsel Brian Aloia urged Mayor DeFusco to amend his resolution to allow the City to switch union employees to a different insurance plan identical to NJ Direct 10, but without the 120 day waiting period for an additional savings of $2M.
But... the First Ward Mayor didn't seem to understand the issue, thus would not allow the suggested amendment, doing a bit more theatrical berating.
Let me recap, Mayor DeFusco would not green-light the City to offer an equivalent plan to NJ Direct-10, which if agreed upon by the six bargaining units today, could be effective as of Monday, at a savings of $2M.
COUNCIL REFUSES TO VOTE ON COHEN RESOLUTION ASKING COUNCIL TO FORGO CITY HEALTH BENEFITS
Folks, at the end of the night in New Business, Fifth Ward Councilman Phil Cohen introduced his emergency resolution, "URGING HOBOKEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FORGO HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS IN LIGHT OF THE SUBSTANTIAL ANTICIPATED CALENDAR YEAR 2020 BUDGET SHORTFALL."
In order to vote on Phil's resolution (see bottom of page), a procedural vote for permission to vote on the emergency resolution was called. The vote FAILED, 3-6.
Would you like to guess who refused to give Phil's resolution an up or down vote?
I'll tell you. Voting "NO" were Michael DeFusco (he takes the health bennies), Ruben Ramos (he takes the health bennies), Mike Russo (he takes the health bennies), Tiffanie Fisher (she takes the health bennies), Jen Giattino (she does NOT take them) and Vanessa Falco (she does NOT take them).
The net cost to the City of Hoboken for these four council people's city benefits is $106,939, arguably equivalent to the salaries of two or three city workers. You'd think they might be willing to sacrifice bennies for one budget cycle to save a couple of jobs?
Apparently not.
These budget nit-pickers and finger-pointers about City Hall's "wasteful spending" are fine with spending "wastefully" on themselves. Not a one taking the city's health insurance showed interest in sacrifice to help keep a few city jobs. Note, two have full-time jobs that offer health insurance, one is quite well-off with passive investment real estate income, and the other.... well, okay. That person is self-employed with a family so he gets a pass.
In fact, Phil Cohen's resolution exempted self-employed Council members from forgoing their City health plans.
Councilman Cohen, I hope you put this one on the next agenda (non-emergency) for an up-or-down vote.
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John Heinis did his usual fine job of reporting, about a possible reprieve for many of these potential layoffs. That is, an estimated $6.7M + savings if all six bargaining units agree to switch from their current health insurance plan to "NJ Direct 10 – a state plan utilized by 91 percent of the municipalities in New Jersey."
HOW DEFUSCO COST HOBOKEN TAXPAYERS $2,000,000
Enter Obnoxious Political Theater. Mayor DeFusco worked the room as he harangued Corporation Counsel, berated the City's insurance vendor--even suggested there was a nefarious financial relationship with City Hall, demanding that his resolution urging the administration to consider switching their union employees to NJ Direct 10 be voted on now!
Corporation Counsel Brian Aloia urged Mayor DeFusco to amend his resolution to allow the City to switch union employees to a different insurance plan identical to NJ Direct 10, but without the 120 day waiting period for an additional savings of $2M.
But... the First Ward Mayor didn't seem to understand the issue, thus would not allow the suggested amendment, doing a bit more theatrical berating.
Let me recap, Mayor DeFusco would not green-light the City to offer an equivalent plan to NJ Direct-10, which if agreed upon by the six bargaining units today, could be effective as of Monday, at a savings of $2M.
COUNCIL REFUSES TO VOTE ON COHEN RESOLUTION ASKING COUNCIL TO FORGO CITY HEALTH BENEFITS
Folks, at the end of the night in New Business, Fifth Ward Councilman Phil Cohen introduced his emergency resolution, "URGING HOBOKEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FORGO HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS IN LIGHT OF THE SUBSTANTIAL ANTICIPATED CALENDAR YEAR 2020 BUDGET SHORTFALL."
In order to vote on Phil's resolution (see bottom of page), a procedural vote for permission to vote on the emergency resolution was called. The vote FAILED, 3-6.
Would you like to guess who refused to give Phil's resolution an up or down vote?
I'll tell you. Voting "NO" were Michael DeFusco (he takes the health bennies), Ruben Ramos (he takes the health bennies), Mike Russo (he takes the health bennies), Tiffanie Fisher (she takes the health bennies), Jen Giattino (she does NOT take them) and Vanessa Falco (she does NOT take them).
The net cost to the City of Hoboken for these four council people's city benefits is $106,939, arguably equivalent to the salaries of two or three city workers. You'd think they might be willing to sacrifice bennies for one budget cycle to save a couple of jobs?
Apparently not.
These budget nit-pickers and finger-pointers about City Hall's "wasteful spending" are fine with spending "wastefully" on themselves. Not a one taking the city's health insurance showed interest in sacrifice to help keep a few city jobs. Note, two have full-time jobs that offer health insurance, one is quite well-off with passive investment real estate income, and the other.... well, okay. That person is self-employed with a family so he gets a pass.
In fact, Phil Cohen's resolution exempted self-employed Council members from forgoing their City health plans.
Councilman Cohen, I hope you put this one on the next agenda (non-emergency) for an up-or-down vote.
The attempt to get the unions to agree to join the state's direct 10 plan has been going on since the Judy Tripodi days. The answer from the unions was always an emphatic NFW. They weren't open to doing it to save jobs back in 2010, and I doubt they are now. DeFusco almost certainly knows the City would have made this change long ago if it could, so this is demagoguery 101.
ReplyDeleteI doubt the unions are willing to give an inch on healthcare no matter how many jobs are lost or how high taxes rise. The employees at risk of losing their jobs are undoubtedly being told by their union leaders that it's all the Mayor's fault, but those union leaders are throwing them under the bus to preserve the unions' power over health benefits.
Any change requires all 6 unions to agree and since no cops are being laid off, the two police unions don't even have any reason other than doing the right thing for the City to consider agreeing to a change. And altruism is not what unions do.
* I would be willing to bet that Ramos and DeFusco receive money from their employers for not taking their corporate health benefits.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Phil gets a generous health care plan at his job.
ReplyDelete* I would be willing to bet Cohen's employer would give him money if did not take their health benefits. Yet he is willing to not take City healthcare benefits for the greater good.
DeleteHoboken is very well known for giving City employees and their families platinum level benefits.
That's what I hear. The city's health insurance plan includes medical, dental and optical coverage- it is "platinum level." I suggest those councilpersons who whine loudest about City Hall overspending give up their platinum level health plans, and take the plans provided by their employers so that a few city workers can keep their jobs.
DeleteThe possibility of getting platinum level health benefits have seemed to have motivated some Hoboken politicos. Thankfully many of those part time appointed County positions have removed that platinum perk.
DeleteThe STATE and Gov Christie ( TRUMPSTER ) removed part time benefits. Since Hoboken self insured it was able to allow current and PAST council members to opt in as their primary insurance providers. Before you folks get self- righteous COUNCILWoman Zimmer put her family of FOUR on the city plan so did Councilman Bhalla. Bhalla stayed on the plan while at both law firms. As Mayor a job he treats as part time since he is on a private law firm payroll that could pay his bennies too. So cut the bullsh#t and innuendo. Nobody took more bennies in the "reform" movement than Councilwoman Zimmer and Bhalla. EIGHT people on public bennies from TWO part time jobs.... FACTS Matter
DeleteAnon 10:23 PM/8:52 AM-
Delete(1) Read the title again: council "HYPOCRITES..." Yes, those most ardent council finger pointers and meeting grandstanders who blame the $7M budget crisis on City Hall over-spending while taking bennies they can get from their EMPLOYER, or in the case of a millionaire can AFFORD. Capisce? It's the HYPOCRISY.
(2) The "everybody does it" as a defense is weak. If forgoing city benefits and taking their private sector job bennies during a BUDGET CRISIS can save ONE municipal worker's job, that is a matter of conscience. Even for ONE fiscal year.
(3) Re: Bhalla/Zimmer/ANY Council member- see above (1) and (2).
No one disputes that council persons CAN take city bennies while City finances are healthy. During the Tripodi era, a council member's city health bennies were a campaign issue which candidate Tim Occhipinti hammered (2010 4th Ward Special Election). Timmy attacked the incumbent 4th Ward Councilman for taking city bennies while working for the County. Agree or disagree, it was fair comment then, just like it is now. In times of budget crisis and sacrifice, who decides what city expenses are sacrosanct?
(4) On your historical points: In 2011, had the City defaulted on the $52M hospital bond throwing Hoboken into bankruptcy you BETCHA council members would have been asked to take their health bennies from work , a little sacrifice for Hoboken. In 2008-2010, when Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi took over Hoboken's finances she sure did clean up City Hall. First thing, she fired overpaid, dead-weight, patronage hires like Ruben Ramos' momma and also killed residents on tax hikes. Judi left council health bennies on the table, I won't argue the point that ANY council member who could have saved one municipal worker's job by taking their employers' health bennies should have done it.
Any city councilperson complaining about wasteful spending has no business getting health coverage from the city. That perk they benefit from is a complete waste of money given how little work they do and how outrageously they are already paid for the little time they put in at their city council position.
ReplyDeleteBhalla took coverage when he was a councilman and still worked at a prestigious law firm
ReplyDeleteDuring a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET CRISIS council members who pretend to care about municipal workers jobs and cry that the mayor spends too much should not be taking city health insurance that they can get at work. Period.
DeleteBhalla took it for 8 years! No difference now. Funny how REPUBLICAN you folks get when it comes to healthcare. Zimmer put her whole family on City Healthcare when she won too - You know when the State Takeover was going on... Saved someone's Diamond Business a lot of money I bet!
DeleteA doctor who also gets $24K City salary for a part time job that comes with $42K in health benefits somehow still lives in taxpayer subsidized housing. Something is very wrong.
ReplyDelete