Shaw responds to Sun Article this morning on 980 WCAP
By admin on Nov 15, 2008 in Dracut, Featured, Town Committees/Boards
Warren spoke this morning in reaction to the front page article in yesterday’s Lowell Sun regarding his and Kathy DiTillio’s taking the health insurance retirement benefit.
His issue was not the article itself, which he found to be accurate and complete (except for a small correction they printed this morning), but the tone taken regarding the issue and the placement of the article on the front page.
There is nothing quiet or secret about this. We have spoken publicly and argued the issue back and forth for years. Many times, live on the air, where anyone is welcome to call in and question him about it.
Brian covers the story as well at his Dracut Politics blog.
And although I didn’t think it necessary, in the next segment we once again covered the issue itself of elected officials have a retirement health care benefit.
I take the point of view that we should not offer it. Not to any elected official, and probably not for while they are in office at all.
I don’t see a lack of people running for office.. though the number does seem to be dwindling.
I do not, however, want anyone running just to get the benefits.
A stipend for some of the positions I do understand. There are costs involved in holding an office. Both in terms of time spent away from family, as well as your not being available to work overtime or a second job if needed to support your family.
The amount of the stipend is decided publicly every year at the June town meeting. Anyone at that time can recommend changing the amount. It seems a fair enough system.
However, Elected office was not meant to be a career. We should not encourage the continued creation of this aristocracy by creating long term retirement benefits as if it is.
But when those who make the decisions are also the once who make the decisions as to what the benefits are.. I’m not sure how the situation can be fixed.
Shaw responds to Sun/Daigle on 980 WCAP [8:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Shaw et al discuss Insurance Benefit on 980 WCAP [14:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadTags: Health Insuarance, Shaw
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Michael H. | Nov 15, 2008 | Reply
I honestly believe that Dracut needs to do away with this stipend for elected officials. It is an expense to the taxpayers that we do not need. The way I look at it is simple. You volunteer yourself for what I call community service when you put yourself in a race to hold a public seat. It is called giving back to the community.
“A volunteer is someone who works for free for a community or for the benefit of natural environment primarily because they choose to do so.â€
Receiving this stipend is another form of payment for your services. If you volunteer I would think your payment would come in the form of sense of satisfaction that you are doing something for your community. That is just my opinion.
Here is the other kicker. In the private sector you would need to work no less than 32 hours per week in order to be considered for this benefit. Why is it fair that these people who volunteer their time and not even put in nowhere near 32 hours a week be eligible for such a benefit? We got people out there that are having a hard time finding jobs that will give them enough hours to make them eligible for health benefits when the state mandates that everyone must have insurance.
I understand Warren feels he deserves it, but volunteer is what he decided to do. It is not just Warren though. This stipend needs to be erased off the books and Dracut should follow the lead of other towns that are doing the same thing.
Economic times are pretty tough and there is no end to the road we are travelling coming up. If we are going to look at cutting cost, this is and should be the first to go.
Does WCAP offer you these benefits for the part time hours you put in?