Monday, January 16, 2006
Part III - AFSCME Questionnaire – Gutting Tax Caps for Local Governmental Employees Retiree Health Benefits, More Nurses and Organizing Lawyers
The next AFSCME question is
The local government union employees get a question on page 4 about the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, aimed at retiree health benefits. But, don’t worry, Mr./Ms. Legislative candidate. We don’t want you to send us state subsidy checks.
We just want you to gut the Property Tax Cap. This is the way the union puts it, “…it does require legislative approval for an exception to the property tax caps solely to cover the cost of pension improvement.” So, would you vote “to allow this improvement to go into effect?”
In other words, would you allow local officials to raise real estate taxes above Tax Cap limits so we can have more money after we retire?
AFSCME must have nurses as members, because the next question concerns nurse staffing ratios:
The union refers to numerous studies about preventable medial errors, but do not note how many of the deaths cited could have been prevented by more nurses. Studies show that, they state. Most of them are from “Nursing Economics,” not a completely neutral source, one might assume.
And, there are some tasks that nurses just are not needed to perform, e.g., cleaning bedpans.
There must be some attorney members of the union, too, because there is a lawyer-organizing question:
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
Would you opposed cuts in health benefits, including prescription drug benefits, for public sector retirees in Illinois?
The local government union employees get a question on page 4 about the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, aimed at retiree health benefits. But, don’t worry, Mr./Ms. Legislative candidate. We don’t want you to send us state subsidy checks.
We just want you to gut the Property Tax Cap. This is the way the union puts it, “…it does require legislative approval for an exception to the property tax caps solely to cover the cost of pension improvement.” So, would you vote “to allow this improvement to go into effect?”
In other words, would you allow local officials to raise real estate taxes above Tax Cap limits so we can have more money after we retire?
AFSCME must have nurses as members, because the next question concerns nurse staffing ratios:
Would you support a bill that would set minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, require hospitals to adopt staffing plans, and allocate funds collected from fines to nurse scholarships?
The union refers to numerous studies about preventable medial errors, but do not note how many of the deaths cited could have been prevented by more nurses. Studies show that, they state. Most of them are from “Nursing Economics,” not a completely neutral source, one might assume.
And, there are some tasks that nurses just are not needed to perform, e.g., cleaning bedpans.
There must be some attorney members of the union, too, because there is a lawyer-organizing question:
Would you support restoring collective bargaining rights under the Illinois Labor Relations Act for attorneys?
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 6:22 AM
