May 24, 2004 DomesticPartners

Ocean County Politics .com

They Can't Blame This One On Christie Whitman

New "Domestic Partners" Law Signed By McGreevey Will Cost School Districts, Municipalities And Public Agencies Big Time As Room Mates Of Public Employees Claiming To Be "Domestic Partners" Will Jump On "Free" Health Insurance Policies Paid By Taxpayers

Could "Domestic Partners" Health Benefits Scam In Ocean County Public Agencies Reach Relative Cost Levels Of Dover Municipal Utilities Authority Double Dip Benefits Swindle?

Toms River: You heard it here first: The "Domestic Partners" legislation signed into law by governor James McGreevey is nothing but another potentially expensive health insurance scam - with the taxpayers footing the bill.

Room Mates Signing On As "Domestic Partners" Would Get "Free" Health Benefits If Their "Partner" Is A Public Employee

Suddenly, single public employees will have same-sex room mates to take advantage of the new law which would let their room mates share health benefits with public employees who won't pay a penny for the extra coverage costing the government up to $14,000 extra a year.

Coverages Not Limited To Gay Couples

The costly extra coverages will NOT be limited to homosexuals and lesbians cultivated by the McGreevey administration because there is nothing in the law that requires proof of a sexual relationship (how bizarre), only a certification that the two parties live together in the same residence.

Even more bizarre is the section of the law that prevents common law partners with children from getting health coverages that the bogus "domestic partners" will be eligible for.

More Than 100,000 Ocean County Citizens Without
Health Coverage Because They Can't Afford It

In Ocean County, more than 100,000 citizens cannot afford health coverage, either because their employers don't provide it (or didn't provide it in the case of retired persons), or they can't afford the contribution their employers require to provide the coverage.

Taxpayers Who Can't Afford Coverage Sometimes
Pay Double For Greedy Double Dippers On The Public Pad

These taxpayers (the ones without coverage) now pay for full coverage (no employee contribution) absolutely "free" for most public employees and, in some cases, the taxpayers who can't afford benefits of their own are required to pay double for some greedy public officials who have accessed two or more policies at the same time.

Clement-Haines Scam Cost Ratepayers $400,000 Extra

Haines

In the case of the Dover Municipal Utilities Authority, for instance, a group of larcenous commissioners and executive employees, led by double-dip Commissioners Deborah Clement (wife of the local GOP boss) and Virginia Haines, racked up double-dip health benefits for themselves for several years, at an extra cost to authority ratepayers of more than $400,000.

Double-Dip Scam By Clement Republicans Called "Stealing
From The Taxpayers" By Young GOP President Scott Martin

Scott Martin: It's "Stealing From The Taxpayers"

The group of DMUA double dippers, all Republicans, represented more than 12% of the authority's 52 employees, and every one of the double-dippers was benefiting from another expensive publicly funded "free" health policy, a practice which Ocean County Young Republican President Scott Martin courageously calls "stealing from the taxpayers."

10% Of Public Employees Could Be Involved

It is unlikely the domestic partners rip-off would affect 12% of the county's public employees. But if only 10% of Dover Township's 600 employees, or 10% of the Toms River Regional School District's 1800 employees were to find themselves domestic room mates, the cost could be in the $millions.

$600,000 Extra For Township; $1.8 Million At TR Regional?

In the case of the township, the potential hit could be as much as $600,000 a year, and the school system hit (at 10% of the employees affected) could be more than $1.8 million a year for the extra benefits, a 3 cent tax increase all by itself.

Where are our assemblymen and senators as this abortion becomes effective? (This article for 5/24/04) More soon on the Domestic Partners Health Benefits Rip-Off from the facilities of OceanCountyPolitics.

Grace Cavaleria/OCP Staff Toms River