Petition to Rescind Lifetime Health Insurance for Two-Term Town Council

Target:

Mayor and Town Council

Sponsored by:

We the undersigned taxpayers of Chapel Hill petition the Mayor and Town Council to reopen this lifetime subsidized health insurance for two-term Council members for public hearings and another vote after rescinding the June 9, 2008 Town Council vote.

WHEREAS, the undersigned taxpayers of Chapel Hill object to the continued health insurance benefits for which the Chapel Hill Town Council voted on June 9, 2008 to pay 75% of the cost for the lifetime of all two-term Town Council members, and

WHEREAS, full-time Chapel Hill employees must work more than 8 years, the two terms of a Town Council member, to earn this same continued healthcare benefit;

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill is simultaneously raising the tax rate and incurring additional expense by voting for Public Funding of Municipal Elections;

WHEREAS, the first offer of Town health insurance benefits raised the question of whether Council members must be fulltime employees to be eligible, and this question was not answered;

WHEREAS, the Town has delayed some projects, such as the much-needed Chapel Hill Library expansion, in the interest of maintaining a AAA municipal bond rating;

WHEREAS, most Town Council members are and have been employed elsewhere in addition to their voluntary service as elected officials on Town Council;

WHEREAS, this vote was not promulgated to the public, nor were residents wishing to speak allowed to address the Town Council until after the Council had voted;

WHEREAS, the COBRA laws provide for an additional 18 months of healthcare coverage after someone leaves a place of employment;

WHEREAS, one Town Council member asked what the projected cost of this added Town benefit would be and received the answer that it could not be determined, yet that Council member, along with all but one who opposed this hastily-endorsed benefit, voted for the benefit;

NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned taxpayer residents of Chapel Hill petition the Mayor and Town Council to reopen the matter of lifetime subsidized health insurance for two-term Council members for public hearings and another vote after rescinding the June 9, 2008 Town Council vote.

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We signed the "Petition to Rescind Lifetime Health Insurance for Two-Term Town Council" petition!

# 604:

12:55 pm PDT, Jun 24, Jeff Peirce, North Carolina
Elected officials may deserve/earn health coverage. Once the term is over the coverage must end.

# 602:

5:35 pm PDT, Jun 23, Evan Mascianica, North Carolina

# 601:

12:15 pm PDT, Jun 23, Jon Jester, North Carolina

# 600:

11:02 am PDT, Jun 23, Sharon Weber, North Carolina
disagree

# 599:

8:23 am PDT, Jun 23, Name not displayed, North Carolina
When we vote for our elected officials, there is a minimum expectation that they will think logically before they vote. I can, in no way, see where that ocurred in this instance!If you believe that was the case in this instance, then stand up for your vote and do not fold like a "deck of cards" when there is resistance!

# 598:

8:04 am PDT, Jun 23, Craig Fox, North Carolina

# 597:

7:28 am PDT, Jun 23, Paul Shadburn, North Carolina
Yet again I find myself shaking my head over the tone deaf meanderings of our town council. Hopefully, this latest ..oh, what to call it..error of judgment will get more of us to the voting booth next time. If we don't vote for some folks with common sense we will just continue to have more of the elitist "political class" we have now.

# 596:

6:13 am PDT, Jun 23, Catherine Parker, North Carolina

# 594:

5:15 pm PDT, Jun 22, Cheri Hardman, North Carolina
this tax increase needs to go to the voters before it becomes fact.

# 593:

4:29 pm PDT, Jun 22, Jeff Prather, North Carolina
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 592:

3:17 pm PDT, Jun 22, Douglas mitchell Mitchell, North Carolina

# 591:

11:48 am PDT, Jun 22, Betty Cloutier, North Carolina
In this time of economic distress when so many have no health insurance, in is inappropirate and and inexcusable for the Town Council to give themselves this perk. In showing such bad judgement, they should all resign and let people who have better "sense" have their jobs.

# 590:

9:14 am PDT, Jun 22, Name not displayed, North Carolina

# 589:

8:39 am PDT, Jun 22, Annette I. Munson, North Carolina
This is ridiculous! When I think of all the "community service" jobs I've held in my lifetime for which i would not expect health insurance, I cringe at the idea of this action. Please reconsider!

# 588:

7:59 am PDT, Jun 22, Jamie Bort, North Carolina
We will remain citizens longer then you will be working for us. As time passes more people will receive the insurance. Please don't put the bill on our heads. Thank you.

# 587:

2:08 pm PDT, Jun 21, Betsy Elkins-Williams, North Carolina
During these hard economic times , when so many Chapel Hill citizens are struggling to make ends meet, this town council should be more interested in helping its citizens. I thought serving on the town council was a service to the community, not a for profit position.

# 586:

1:34 pm PDT, Jun 21, David Sontag, North Carolina

# 585:

11:58 am PDT, Jun 21, Charles Kaplan, North Carolina
Please listen to your constituents, many of whom lack health insurance at all. Don't give in to self-interest over the welfare of your constituents.

# 583:

8:45 am PDT, Jun 21, Greg Nace, North Carolina

# 582:

5:43 am PDT, Jun 21, H. D. Reaves, North Carolina

# 581:

9:10 pm PDT, Jun 20, Johanna Grimes, North Carolina

# 580:

7:00 pm PDT, Jun 20, Laura Wallace, MSW, North Carolina

# 579:

5:14 pm PDT, Jun 20, Leesie Guthridge, North Carolina
This is ridiculous - we need new council members who are not just looking out for themselves.

# 578:

2:55 pm PDT, Jun 20, Jeanette Szczech, North Carolina
May we vote on this? I hope we get a whole new slate of candidates at the next election.

# 577:

2:03 pm PDT, Jun 20, Lawson Carmichael, North Carolina

# 576:

1:18 pm PDT, Jun 20, Sally Austin, North Carolina
This is outrageous. I wish I could vote for health insurance for myself for life. What are they planning to cut in the budget to pay for it?

# 575:

11:59 am PDT, Jun 20, Elliott Sogol, North Carolina
While I understand the need to provide incentives --- providing lifetime health insurance is not a financially responsible action to be taken by the council. It seems to me that many of us who work would like this as well however this is not the norm in the public NOR private sector. Even when someone has many years (>20) with one company the trend today is not to offer lifetime health insurance but a retirement package which may or may not provide this type of coverage. IT should not be the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay for anyone who has served a limited number of terms - in fact some may run for this office now based solely on the benefit THEY would receive vs helping the overall community

# 574:

10:50 am PDT, Jun 20, Karen Futch, North Carolina

# 573:

10:37 am PDT, Jun 20, Nancy Gabriel, North Carolina

# 572:

10:05 am PDT, Jun 20, Lillian W. Lee, North Carolina

# 571:

9:44 am PDT, Jun 20, Kathy Clemmons, North Carolina

# 570:

7:37 am PDT, Jun 20, Ed Fuchs, North Carolina
The self-serving council-members got elected because registered citizens have not bothered to vote in local elections. It is my impression that none of the present members of council got as few as 10% of the votes of registered citizens. It is fortuitous that this happened before the upcoming election. Perhaps this is the kick in the butt that we citizens of CH need to support new, more responsible candidates in upcoming local elections.

# 569:

7:35 am PDT, Jun 20, Claude Allen, North Carolina
At the very least, each member of the town council owes the people of Chapel Hill a personal explanation as to why they would ever vote for this in the first place. Just saying they "made a mistake" and letting the issue go away isn't good enough.

# 568:

6:20 am PDT, Jun 20, Name not displayed, North Carolina
1. Virtually everyone holding a job is at risk for developing a medical condition that could make it difficult to obtain insurance once that job ends. Very few have the option to continue health insurance, at no cost, once the job ends. Fewer still ever have lifetime coverage provided, from any insurance source. Thus it is unconscionable for the town council to vote this extraordinary privilege, at taxpayers expense, for themselves. 2. It is also unconscionable for the vote to occur before there is the opportunity for full disclosure and adequate time for comment from taxpayers. It seems to me that either this outrageous action should be rescinded or the town council should face a recall vote.

# 567:

9:07 pm PDT, Jun 19, Cameron Blake Hughes, North Carolina
It's horribly unfair that after two terms on the council, you get health care for your entire life, while there are still plenty of citizens of Chapel Hill who can't afford their own health care. Increasing taxes to pay for your own health, and even worse, your campaigns is not greedy, childish and immoral; especially when it comes at the cost of the well being of the tax payers you are supposed to be fighting for.

# 566:

5:11 pm PDT, Jun 19, Glen Elder, Jr., North Carolina

# 565:

4:59 pm PDT, Jun 19, Toni & Gus Karres, North Carolina

# 564:

3:13 pm PDT, Jun 19, Wesley Everett, North Carolina
Time for some fiscal responsibility

# 563:

12:50 pm PDT, Jun 19, Bonnie Fuchs, North Carolina
What were they thinking?

# 562:

12:38 pm PDT, Jun 19, Holly Christian, North Carolina
Certainly a liketime of health insurance ,is not something I want to give to the board members. Ridiculous spending!

# 561:

12:31 pm PDT, Jun 19, Judy Crook, North Carolina
This is truly unbelievable!!

# 560:

11:46 am PDT, Jun 19, Debbie Pence, North Carolina

# 559:

11:31 am PDT, Jun 19, Ellen Valley, North Carolina
I have no problem with town council members getting subsidized health care while holding office, but considering lifetime coverage after two, or even TEN terms, is a slap in the face to everyone who struggles and/or fails to obtain coverage health care coverage. You should be ashamed for even considering such a thing.

# 558:

11:20 am PDT, Jun 19, Dave Handfinger, North Carolina
We have to stop all of this tax and spend. You need to follow Corp business practices of keeping expenses down. You are taxing people to leave Chapel Hill. Please STOP this Madness.

# 557:

9:51 am PDT, Jun 19, Tad Scott, North Carolina
I would like to start the process to MAKE SURE these council member's are not re-elected tad scott

# 556:

9:29 am PDT, Jun 19, Mary Garren, North Carolina

# 555:

9:12 am PDT, Jun 19, Allen Wiggins, North Carolina

# 554:

9:07 am PDT, Jun 19, Dianitia Hutcheson, North Carolina
Chapel Hill works toward providing affordable housing. The town council raises taxes to pay for unwarranted expenditures, such as lifetime health care, effectively negating such intentions.

# 553:

8:17 am PDT, Jun 19, Tom Fitzgerald, North Carolina
Some nice perks for our council. Interesting timing also. Plus a Tax Increase. Are they doing anything to benefit anyone but themselves? I've taken note of all the names of all the council members and will help elect new members next term.

# 552:

7:56 am PDT, Jun 19, Name not displayed, North Carolina
The Town Council and Mayor's office is supposed to be an advisory position. When did it become a career? Please elect people who care more about Chapel Hill than themselves.

# 551:

7:51 am PDT, Jun 19, Name not displayed, North Carolina
If no immediate action taken, I propose class-action legal movement against the town of Chapel Hill. This is a gross misappropriation of taxpayer dollars and equates to free gas fill-ups for life for town council members, etc. Governments at all levels have an insatiable appetite for constituents' hard-earned money, but this is a clear-cut case of corruption. Want to build a new school? Fine. Want to replace police cars with unneccesarily nice new cruisers? Questionable, but fine. But using the money of the parent who works 12+ hours a day to keep a roof over her family's head to do the very same for themselves, now that is absolutely pathetic. It is a very sad day when council members prove themselves not only inadequate doing their jobs, but instrumental in supporting a system of extreme corruption. Let's bring this matter into the national spotlight so that each and every one of the low lifes in the town council and their families, like ours, will suffer at the hands of their greed. From picketing, to a city-wide boycott on taxes, to an outright lawsuit, I call to action the oppressed residents of this nightmarish regime.

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