Sacramento – Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) introduced legislation that will put a stop to an abusive practice whereby part-time elected officials grant themselves lifetime healthcare benefits leaving taxpayers with substantial long-term, often times unfunded liabilities.
“It doesn’t make sense for part-time elected officials to earn life-time health benefits,” said Assemblymember Mullin. “Long after an individual has left office they, and in many cases, their dependents are costing taxpayers around the state millions of dollars annually.”
An investigative report by the San Jose Mercury News found that Bay Area taxpayers spent approximately $1.5 million in 2012 on health benefits for former part time elected officials. According to a recent editorial in the Contra Costa Times, public agencies often fail to set aside the necessary funds to pay for these costly benefits.
“When casting their ballots for a part-time local board member or city councilmember, virtually no voter anticipates that they will be having to foot the bill for a lifetime of health benefits for the official and their dependents,” said Mullin. “This bill will ensure that, going forward, they won’t.”
4 comments
About time!
Hopefully the legislator can get its head out of its butts and fix this abuse problem. Where is Frazier? Bonilla? What about Senators DeSaulnier? Hmmm
I hope our local reps back this bill. There is too much abuse already in government.
::YAWN::
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