Question: What will cost the Port Authority more during this budget year — paying for diesel fuel or paying for retiree health care?
Answer: The Port Authority has budgeted $33,584,000 to pay for retiree healthcare this year, or 9.6% of its overall budget.
That means nearly a dime out of every $1 the Port Authority has goes toward retiree healthcare. That’s more than the authority has budgeted for diesel fuel purchases this year ($33,437,455).
Keep in mind, retiree healthcare-for-life is a benefit that few private-sector firms offer, and is a benefit not available to Philadelphia’s transit workers, to folks who work for Allegheny County government, or to the Port Authority’s non-union personnel (managers and administrative workers).
Posted by: Ken Zapinski
5 comments
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September 3, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Bram R
“Keep in mind, retiree healthcare-for life is a benefit that few private-sector firms offer….”
And is really expensive, obviously. That is your best argument.
This rolling out of pie-charts between retiree health care and things like “fuel” and every dime the Port Authority “has” makes bizarre and abstracts from theissue. Healthcare for Life is expensive!!! We do not live in the 50’s. Go after Healthcare-for-Life directly.
I think health care for 2-4 years after retirement is not too much to ask to provide for gaps and provide stability. That will also have an effect on premiums, no?
There is always Medicare. Hopefully there will be Obamacare at some point anyway. For now, we all have to be realistic and run a public transit operation.
On another score, how much do each of the top ten managers at the Port Authority earn in gross compensation annually, for example, benefits included?
September 3, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Ed Heath
How much is diesel going to cost next year, or whenever the next buying period is.
I think that public opinion is somewhat moving towards PAT’s management, but a lot wil depend on how management reacts towards the fact finders report. The fact that management at PAT hired a lobbying firm for four hundred grand still sticks in my mind, for example.
September 3, 2008 at 9:47 pm
a bus rider
Then management should never have agreed to those deals 20 years ago; they were deferring immediate cash compensation for delayed healthcare and pension obligations — It takes two or more sides to make an agreement and a binding contract. Take some (word deleted by admin) responsibility for making and following up on a deal… have a question — do you believe in Social Security privatization as well?
September 4, 2008 at 10:48 am
Ken Zapinski
Let’s please all remember to play nice and keep our language civil.
September 18, 2008 at 9:01 am
The crushing weight of benefits « No Commuter Left Behind
[...] 18, 2008 in Uncategorized I mentioned the other day that the Port Authority is budgeted to spend more on retiree healthcare this year than diesel fuel. [...]