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Friday, February 17, 2006

Ind. Gov't. - "Senators' perks come with lifetime hypocrisy"

Indianapolis Star political columnist Matthew Tully writes today, in a column headed "Senators' perks come with lifetime hypocrisy," that:

A group of Indiana Senate leaders from both parties stood together Wednesday -- proud and united in their out-of-touch, inept selfishness.

Republicans and Democrats. Side by side. How touching.

This was one of those rare issues that was too vital to let partisanship get in the way. After all, for senators, the issue was one of their own perks.

Somehow, some way, our part-time senators were going to make sure they struck a deal to keep their health care for life.

They did. Then they announced the deal at a nauseating news conference Wednesday.

How bad was it? In my 14 years in journalism, I've covered hundreds of news conferences. But I've never seen one that was more ridiculous, more downright offensive than this.

Senators double-talked about health care for "poor people" but admitted they were taking care of only themselves this year. They acted like they were scaling back their perks, when really they didn't even come close to that.

The focus of the news conference was the lifetime health-care benefit. This ensures subsidized health care for retired lawmakers -- you know, after they become lobbyists -- and covers everyone from their kids to their ex-spouses.

Under the plan, the benefit is available to anyone who served in the part-time legislature for as little as six years and one day.

In the real world, we have an expression for that type of program -- unheard of.

House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, spiked the plan for House members last month after spending months talking with Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, R-Columbus, trying to persuade the longtime Senate boss to join him.

Unlike Bosma, Garton helped craft the perk years ago.

He wouldn't budge.

He looks out for lawmakers. And himself. * * *

Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, was among those on hand. She said senators had learned more about mundane health-care policy than they "ever wanted to." Plus, they had worked in a bipartisan way.

She and the others didn't seem to see the real picture -- a bunch of senators working overtime for their own benefits.

And while this bad plan is Garton's fault, no senators are innocent. Not one has publicly condemned the plan.

But a lot of voters have.

The Evansville Courier& Press has an editorial today about the totally out-of-touch Indiana Senate that begins:
The issue of Indiana senators receiving taxpayer-subsidized health insurance once they leave office centers on a basic point of disagreement between Senate leadership and much of the rest of Indiana.

Obviously, the Senate leadership sees the senators as career public servants who are entitled to taxpayer-subsidized retirement benefits. Others, this newspaper included, see the senators as part-time citizen legislators who temporarily leave jobs back home to do the state's legislative business for a few months each year. They are well-compensated for their part-time service, but they should not be extended lifetime health benefits - benefits not available to many Hoosiers taxpayers.

Yesterday's Gary Post-Tribune had a story by Steve Walsh (no longer available online) with this quote:
In justifying their decision to stick with the plan, senators compared their situation to the plight of the 14,000 Indiana residents without health insurance.

“Our caucus believes no one should be without health insurance,” said minority leader Sen. Richard Young.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 17, 2006 06:57 AM
Posted to Indiana Government | Indiana Law | Legislative Benefits