THE US REPORT

Attorney General Bill McCollum was the only state official who took a conservative fiscal approach to the issue of free health insurance for approximately 27,479 Florida state employees.The U.S. Census Bureau counted 171,555 fulltime state employees in Florida in 2008, and The Miami Herald disclosed that among those, approximately 27,479 get a big perk. They pay no premiums for health insurance. Of those 27,479, approximately 2,431 are in the $100k plus salary range. A number of officials were quoted in the story about health insurance for state employees, but only one official quoted by the paper demonstrated fiscal conservatism—Attorney General Bill McCollum.

“[I] believe every government employee should pay a portion of their health insurance premiums, and this is an issue the Legislature should examine,” said McCollum who is a Republican. He also told the paper he pays his own premiums to Blue Cross Blue Shield, and he isn’t covered by the state plan.

McCollum’s statement came in sharp contrast to statements by others. Gov. Charlie Crist (R) called the practice “appropriate” but it’s not clear from the story whether Crist meant subsidies for all or the freebies. The paper said Crist’s GOP opponent in the upcoming Senate race primary, former Speaker of the House Marco Rubio (R), declined to comment.

 McCollum’s chief Democrat opponent in the 2010 race for governor, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, and others didn’t find fault with the situation either, addressing the larger issue of subsidies to employees rather than the freebie legislators get. The only quibble Sink expressed to the paper was why some get it free and some don’t.

It is common for private sector employers to offset some health insurance costs, but it is rare for the average private employer to cover all the costs of healthcare for employees. Private sector employers have, because of uncertainty about the economy, reduced employment rosters and initiated pay cuts.

It is understandable for state employees to receive a subsidy for health insurance. It is neither understandable nor logical for more than 27,000 to get it free. The paper said about 100,000 state employees pay something towards their health insurance.

The Census Bureau says Florida state employees are a $653,343,837 expense for the budget.

McCollum was the only candidate or official quoted who took a common sense conservative approach to the free health insurance issue. Crunching the numbers, it’s obvious the freebies are reserved for a select group since most state employees pay for part of their insurance.

True conservatism means not spending a dime you do not absolutely have to spend. Any other position is not a conservative position.

Were the feds to tax so-called ‘Cadillac’ health plans as some proposals in Congress have suggested, wouldn’t this mean Florida’s costs would rise even higher?

Only McCollum got the approach to the free health insurance boondoggle right.

[Disclosure in accordance with FTC guidelines: The US Report receives no revenue or funding from any political candidate or party.]