The Guilt Trip

Oddly, the P-C got it right with their editorial: Branstad's guilt trip more symbol than substance What guilt trip, you ask? Well sometime last week or two weeks ago or when I just wasn't paying that much attention or giving much of a shit, Our Glorious Leader and His Chief Henchwoman decided to voluntarily begin paying up to 20% of their health care costs (a cool $224 a month for Our Glorious Leader and $153 for His Chief Henchwoman.)

The Quiet Man wondered if I would be inspired by their example and start paying again... inspired, not so much... willing to pay? Yeah, I think we will be here soon (at the next open enrollment period) and I reiterate my original thesis: I'd rather pay a little more for health insurance than have any state workers (including me) lose their jobs. But this guilt trip is a stunt and it's an irresponsible one at that. If Our Glorious Leader wishes to impress me, he could voluntarily do something to illustrate the real axe that will be grinding down state budgets for years to come: the exploding costs of pensions.

See, health insurance is small potatoes, really. Pension costs have the potential to tip at least three states I can think of (California, Illinois and Rhode Island) into bankruptcy and that's just in the next 5-10 years. 10-15 years out, when the Boomers decide to retire and my generation ends up paying for them? Well that's when it'll bite Iowa- and hard. And Our Glorious Leader knows that which is why he's curiously drawing a pension while simultaneously holding a job. (You can have my health insurance when you stop drawing a damn pension while you've got a job! No more double-dipping!)

Responsible leadership means securing a financial future for this state. Asking state workers to pay a little towards health insurance is a reasonable request. Acting aggressively to end pension abuse by public sector workers and secure pensions for future state workers? That would be leadership.

So, Our Glorious Leader and His Chief Henchwoman have a chance for real leadership. They should take that chance and impress me.