Wages Down, Healthcare Up

Hubby got a company wide email today from the CEO of his company. It is a national telecommunications company that in the last two years has undergone a company sell off, a strike by workers in several states, and a restructuring that leaves a ton to be desired. It should be said at the opening of this blog that I am very pro-worker and do not support many CEO's. I think that although it may be alot of responsibility to be in that position, I don't think it's a position that is worth several million dollars when the actual work is done at a much lower level.

My hubby's company has been self funded with their health benefits for many years. The reason for this was that they could actually make money on the health benefits. But as health care costs rise, those funds have slowly but surely dried up. As those funds dried up and withered away, the cost to the employee has steadily increased. Yet year after year, as contracts expire, wages are the thing that do not keep up. We, as a family of five, pay over $3000 a year for our health benefits. It may not sound like much to some people, but we can insure ourselves for about $3600. Why don't we? We can barely afford what we are paying now, much less increase that amount.

The email hubby got today stated that the company is losing too much money on their health care plans and must now figure something different out. Really, you think? How about hiringa company to manage those benefits. As a nation wide company with several thousand employees, thay can negotiate with almost any insurance company and get the coverage they want for the price that will fit most budgets. I know, because I used to do insurance billing. It's hard to spend years doing a job and not pick up on tips and secrets from insiders.

It's almost time for benefits to be selected for next year. That process usually starts in in October. The email stated that that would be put off until the company figures out a better way. It also said that the company was spending too much on the payment of benefits. That means that the employees that have that insurance are spending too much on doctor visits. So, basically, people are spending too much money on trying to get well and stay that way so that they can be productive employees. So far I haven't seen the down side. Apparently, the employees are having too many babies, have too many devastating illnesses, are fallig victim to too many accidents and illnesses that are beyond even the CEO's control. Who is he kidding?

Rising health care costs are the responsibility of all of us. Like it or not, that's the way it goes. And it's because of a people who think they don't have to pay their bill. I have a brother in law whose family uses the ER like their own personal MDs, but never pay the bills. They are too expensive and they can't afford them. No, it's because people like them don't pay their bills that they are so expensive. Two years ago, the boy had to have an emergency appendectomy. We had no insurance. We were able to get emergency Medicaid and they paid the bill. They didn't pay the $25,000 that we owed, but we didn't come off a dime. Which is another problem in itself. While costs rise, reimbursement stays low. It almost doesn't pay to be a doctor, unless you specialize in a field like plastic surgery.

The one thing the CEO did that was right, or wrong for him, was to allow comments to the email. The employees can all view those comments. Not many of them were favorable as you can imagine. One stated that although medical benefit cost had skyrocketed, the employee was now making less than they were three years ago because wages were not increasing. The contract my hubby's union signed this year was horrible, and only provided a 2% raise. 2%? Look at how much gas has gone up. The cost of milk is expected to go up another 35%. But his wages only went up 2%. How are we supposed to raise children on that kind of money?

Yes, here comes the argument that I could get a job. Although I am quite smart (not bragging, just fact), I never finished college. Without a degree my job prospects are limited in the good ole boy part of the country I live in. Also, there are not many jobs around that will pay a salary that will justify having three kids in day care again. Three kids in before and after care at school is not cheap. Can we justify my working 40 hours and still not having a paycheck? No. That's why I quit my last job. I worked 40 hours a week and after insurance, day care, taxes, and whatever else came out of my check I was lucky to bring home $100. It was not worth being away from my children for that.

Something is going to have to give here soon, and I really hope it isn't us. We have cut all the costs we can. We have refinanced our vehicles, got a new cell phone plan, switched satellite providers, scaled down our online service, and I don't even know what else. We don't leave unnecessary lights on and I don't remember the last time we ate out. My husband is working a butt load of overtime now, but that doesn't happen every week. So now, if our healthcare coverage goes up, what in the world are we going to do?

Life is not easy, and I don't expect to get a free ride. But do the higher ups at these large companies even think about the little man? No. They just know that their spouse/girlfriend/playtoy wants another house, so lets cut something to make profits go up, so I get a bonus. Did you know that John McCain has five houses? How often do you live in five houses? It's a little difficult if you ask me. But isn't it nice that he has the money.

We need to let the big companies know how we feel about how the worker is treated. Not everybody is in this situation, and bless you for that. But things are about to get really rough. Let's all hold on together.

To Judge or Not To Judge

I've been emailing back and forth with my friend that I got back in touch with the other night. I love his sense of humor. He has made me laugh since the fifth grade when we met. I think about some of the things we've said and done and it just makes me laugh all over again. His partner is taking a class that I think is probably quite fascinating. It's called "Supernatural" and is about witchcraft and magic and fun stuff like that.

It started me thinking about some of the conversations that we have at the park. Some are very intense and exciting, some are funny and playful. But there are a couple of ladies that just drive me crazy when they open their mouths.

Somehow the conversation got around to "Harry Potter" of all things. Their instant reaction was bad, bad, bad. I asked if they had actually read the books. The response was no, it was full of magic. Ok, but it's also full of some very interesting visuals. The language and the writing are actually very good. As a work of fiction, they are very engaging books. That was not the correct response from me apparently. They actually turned their backs on me. What!?!

Another time the conversation turned to homosexuality. That is a very touchy subject with me. I have several friends that are gay. Friends that are like family. It started about Gay Days at Disney. Don't take your family that weekend. Your sons could end up getting raped in the bathroom. Hold on one minute. My response was again inappropriate for the topic. My response was along the lines of no, you idiot, that's a pedophile. Gay men are not cruising parks looking for little boys to rape. I asked if they knew any gay people, if they had been exposed to anyone who was gay. Of course not, what do I look like? Really, I shouldn't go there, but if you want me to. I actually thought I was going to punch someone. I maintained my calm, barely, and remembered I didn't have bail money. I didn't want to get charged with a hate crime for assaulting stupid people. So I let them make asses out of themselves. Once again, I had grown two heads.

Yet again, stupidity reigned as the topic of discussion turned one day to alternative lifestyles being presented in public schools to elementary children and how inappropriate it was. HUH? They do that in larger, metropolitan areas that have alternative lifestyles. They don't do that in our good 'ol boy part of the country. Oh, yes they do! Really, you homeschooling people you. How long were your kids in public school that they were exposed to this? Oh, yeah, freaking never! My kids, however, were in public school for quite a while. My oldest got half way through fourth grade when we pulled her out. Not one time did she ever check out a book from the school library that was "inappropriate".

Now, just so you know, not all of the people that are in this group are complete and total idiots. It really just seems that these two ladies are in over their heads. The common phrase out of one of them is, and I quote "It's not for me to judge. That's God's job, but...". And I know I'm no better by name calling and judging them. Point the finger of blame and you have three pointing back at you. The difference is I know I am not perfect. I don't pretend to be. But I also know I don't have two heads.

Those were the days

I got a call on Sunday from a very good friend that I haven't talked to in a very long time. It was so good to hear his voice. The way that time just moves in and continues to run, and life steps in and distracts you, seems very unfair.

Just because I haven't spoken to him in a very long time doesn't mean that I don't care about him anymore. It was good to know that he is doing well. I think the reunion that we just had has a lot of people thinking about their lives and their friends. I know it has me thinking.

When you are in high school, you think you have so much responsibility. I didn't have any kind of responsibility. I thought I had it hard, but it was easy for me. At least looking back at it. I didn't have to get a job. I got a job because a friend talked me in to it. I didn't have to study. I am just blessed with a mind that retains all kinds of stuff, meaningful or not. I played, talked, laughed, and generally led the life of a kid.

And then life steps in the way. Funny how that happens. The paths we lay out for ourselves are not necessarily the paths that we end up following. Alot of my getting off the path had to do with a lack of confidence in myself. And some of the relationships I had fostered that idea. Be very careful about the people that you associate with.

That is one thing that I am trying to help my kids understand. I heard "(S)he doesn't want to be my friend anymore". I try to explain that that person wasn't really a friend then. A friend is someone who loves you for who you are and supports you. I have had friends tell me all kinds of things that they have done that I don't agree with.

But those were not my descisions to make. I will never walk a mile in their shoes, think their thoughts, or be them. All I can do is support them through their issues and hope they support me through mine. All I can do is be there for them as a friend. If it is something heinous or horrible, then my job is to help them get help. But always be there for support.

I miss my days of no responsibility sometimes. I wonder where my life would be if I had actually followed my path. I think that I would be living in the same area of the country belive it or not. And I may have met my husband through other means. I might have the same kids, the same house. But my life would be different.

I think about the couple of times I thought I was pregnant with my ex boyfriend. That would have been a disaster. Or it could have changed us both, and we would still be together and happy. Who knows? I don't. But what I do know is that I love my life that I have now. It took me a long time to get here, but I made it.

I'm glad that I've had the chance to reconnect with some old friends. It makes me happy that I meant as much to them as they mean to me. I think that feeling is good no matter what. I always wanted to be one of those people that others remember, for good, not evil.

Call some old friends and see what they are doing now. I bet it would mean alot to them, and to you.