Tag Archives: columbia health insurance

Columbia firefighters are angry again

By adam beam | Published: June 1, 2009
After losing their battle with city officials over retiree health insurance, Columbia firefighters have found a new issue — budget cuts. Their anger stems from City Council’s efforts to eliminate overtime spending for public safety agencies, which includes the Fire Department. Both the Fire Department and Police Department are significantly above their budgets this year. Overtime [...]
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Should Columbia's retirees be angry?

By adam beam | Published: May 7, 2009
Columbia’s retirees are furious this morning after City Council members unanimously (except Sam Davis, who was absent) voted yesterday to raise their health insurance premiums. But do they have a right to be angry? Not according to one reader that I spoke to on the phone this morning. She didn’t want to give her name, but [...]
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Council members justify health insurance vote

By adam beam | Published: May 7, 2009
Some comments from Columbia City Council members on yesterday’s decision to raise health insurance premiums for retired employees: E.W. Cromartie “The finances of the city have drastically changed. I don’t want to vote for going back on that promise. But as a council members, I have to make tough decisions. I have to balance the prosperity of [...]
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Where does the money come from?

By adam beam | Published: May 4, 2009
Columbia’s budget is in bad shape. The general fund, which pays for things like garbage pick up, police and fire protection and parks and recreation (basically everything you care about in local government) is spending more that it is taking in. Because of this, the city is having to raise health insurance premiums for its [...]
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Retirees cram City Hall (again)

By adam beam | Published: April 23, 2009
More than 200 retired Columbia employees packed City Hall last night to get some answers from City Council members about their health insurance. The crowd was so packed that Columbia Fire Marshal Carmen Floyd was on hand, keeping track of how many people came and went. This was the first face to face meeting between council [...]
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