Question of the Day

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