NOVEMBER 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Teachers should be ‘thankful’
To the Editor:
As a 33-year resident of Ridgewood, I am perplexed by the dissent of the Ridgewood teachers and their union about their current contract. The teachers are unhappy about paying for the increase in their healthcare costs. Everyone today is paying for their healthcare increases: medical personnel, retirees, and pharmaceutical company employees. The reason healthcare costs are continually rising (and will be in the future) are: Obamacare for the masses, an aging baby boomer population now requiring geriatric, cardiac, cancer, psychiatric, specialty care and designer drugs to help everyone live a longer life. Did the New Jersey Education Association think its Democratic-endorsed, union wishes for a national healthcare program would be absorbed by the public when in fact other municipalities in New Jersey and other states have opposed the taxpayer absorbing this substantial cost? Who did they think would pay for this? Ridgewood taxpayers should not be penalized for their selfish/unrealistic union demands.
New Jersey teacher’s pay ranks second highest in the nation. Teachers in Ridgewood earn a six-figure salary within five years. In addition, master’s degrees, additional credits, tutoring, tutoring for SAT’s allows them to earn additional/substantial monetary compensation. Their annual increases are more generous than some state employees. There shouldn’t be a financial problem for any teacher to absorb the costs as they are earning a 1 percent upper compensation in the United States in education. There are places that are more expensive to live in than Ridgewood. In the past, certain teachers who were unhappy with contract negotiations refused to give recommendations to the seniors for college.
The teachers have job security (unlike the corporate sector), do not face age discrimination, receive 80 percent of their salary in a pension as well as a taxpayer-payer paid two-day vacation in November for a teacher convention. I say “vacation” because I have never met anyone who goes to Atlantic City for the convention but goes to a destination such as Florida.
Unfortunately their healthcare provider, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, of the New Jersey Education Association is the most expensive. As a matter of fact, some teacher’s spouses working in corporate America have dropped their corporate health plan (Cigna, Aetna, etc.) coverage because the state employee plan is more lucrative. The taxpayers of NJ are paying for the healthcare benefits of these teacher’s families.
In summary: I think the teachers of Ridgewood and New Jersey should be most “thankful” for the generosity of the Ridgewood taxpayer this Thanksgiving Season and not “thankless.” I sincerely hope the arbitration board will take a firm stand on their role in representing the Ridgewood residents.
Janis Belcher
Ridgewood
Exactly…
Thanks Janis, many residents share the same thoughts and cannot understand why the union thinks these health benefits are their right, when in fact they are an expensive taxpayer subsidized benefit. The teachers’ union supported the ACA, so why can’t teachers just buy their own insurance on ACA health care exchanges and stop burdening Ridgewood taxpayers?
This is a letter that is right on the money,time for the self centered teachers to pay up, if they think they can do better elsewhere then go for it.
Excellent letter. If I’m not mistaken,”organized labor” is exempt from obamacare so the teachers still get their Cadillac plans while the taxpayers in the private sectors do not,
Exactly right, a “subsidized taxpayer benefit.” To say it has gotten out of hand is an understatement. The teachers in Ridgewood think they are teaching kids in Paterson or Newark.
Why do you know any kids from Paterson or Newark. Another ridgewood racist.
“burdening Ridgewood taxpayers?” Did you ever think that your kids are a burden to the rest us taxpayers.?
Hey Charley I don’t have the Cadillac plan anymore its the Mercedes plan . Its all about the CBA.
If Im not mistaken doesn’t our Village Manager have the same Cadillac plan ?
I love the teachers but they ned to get real.