Well, it’s the middle of the summer – we’re a long ways off from budget season – but in the open thread below Steve has posted a link to a Roanoke Times editorial about some budgetary slight-of-hand that the General Assembly pulled during it’s last session.
There is what they call a “Line of Duty Death Benefit” for Public Safety folks. The name
explains the function. It was created by the General Assembly in the 70’s to provide life insurance for Public Safety personnel who were killed in the line of duty. It was later expanded to provide health care for life to Public Safety personnel who were hurt on the job – and their families. I’m sure that the second benefit was heavily lobbied for and, at the time, seemed reasonable.
Well, you can imagine what has happened to the cost of that benefit since the addition of healthcare. Unfortunately, as all too often happens, the General Assembly cannot now summon the fortitude to pay for the program as the cost projections go up and up and up in the next few years. So they did the next best thing – they sent the invoice to localities! The state has notified the City that we will have to pay for this in the current budget year but hasn’t told us how much it will be. Gives you some idea of the planning and execution of this thing.
Let me be clear; I’ve got no beef with this program. People that run into burning buildings and catch bad guys need to know that their fellow citizens have their back – and I’m prepared to vote to say that the City does just that. However, it seems a pity that the GA set an important policy precedent based on simple dogmatic stances when that stance is as hollow as a fallen log. Kicking the can down the road shouldn’t count as “governance” anymore. Also don’t forget that primary among many of our local legislators priorities is the elimination of local taxes – centralizing revenue generation in the property tax which is mainly residential……happy summer!
