This is another bill that deals with symptoms. It puts a $240 million cap on what the State will pay into the Public Employees Health Fund.
The real reason we cannot afford the bill for health care is that State government is too big and employs more people than the taxpayers can support.
Rather than consider reengineering, outsourcing, or other efficiency measures, we put a limit on the health benefits of our employees. Shame on us.
We can use natural attrition to reduce the size of State government without sacrificing the benefits of our employees and their families. Until we have the will to reduce the size and cost of government, we must deal with bills like this that merely treat the symptoms.