How to get $10 billion for roads

by SamCogar Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:47 am

I have figured out how to finance completion of U.S. 35 from the Buffalo Bridge northwest to the Ohio River, which remains one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the state.

My plan does not involve slapping a toll of $2 each way on cars or raising taxes or sending someone to the Senate until he is 120 and has the seniority needed to knock down road money.

The $187 million price could be paid in a manner that would improve the state's credit rating.

This plan is so good and so fair to taxpayers that it will never pass in West Virginia.

I would scale back pension benefits to something taxpayers can afford.

That means the elimination of retiree health benefits and making state employees and the like wait until they are 65 to qualify for Medicare, just as most people in the private sector must wait.

My plan makes too much sense to pass. State employees, teachers, county workers and municipal employees - about 100,000 people — would be up in arms.

http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/DonSurber/201111250046

by TerryRC Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:15 am

That means the elimination of retiree health benefits and making state employees and the like wait until they are 65 to qualify for Medicare, just as most people in the private sector must wait.

Surber doesn't know what he is talking about. You can only qualify for Medicare below the age of 65 under the following conditions:

Before age 65, you are eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance if:

* You have been entitled to Social Security disability benefits for 24 months; or
* You receive a disability pension from the railroad retirement board and meet certain conditions; or
* If you receive Social Security disability benefits because you have Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis); or
* You worked long enough in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and you meet the requirements of the Social Security disability program; or
* You are the child or widow(er) age 50 or older, including a divorced widow(er), of someone who has worked long enough in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and you meet the requirements of the Social Security disability program.
* You have permanent kidney failure and you receive maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant and:
o You are eligible for or receive monthly benefits under Social Security or the railroad retirement system; or
o You have worked long enough in a Medicare-covered government job; or
o You are the child or spouse (including a divorced spouse) of a worker (living or deceased) who has worked long enough under Social Security or in a Medicare-covered government job. Source: http://ssa.gov/pubs/10043.html

In other words, you must be DISABLED to qualify before age 65.

I'm sure the people that get retiree health benefits would much rather have had a better salary than the "IOU" that they got in the form of future benefits.

by Aaron Mon Jan 02, 2012 4:25 pm

You need to re-read the editoral Terry. Suber is proposing eliminating retiree health care benefits and using the money saved from spending on all state employees that retire to build the road.

by SamCogar Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:14 am

That means the elimination of retiree health benefits and making state employees and the like wait until they are 65 to qualify for Medicare, just as most people in the private sector must wait.

For the lost-benefit of all those with a reading comprehension problem that is often exacerbated by their fears of “Troughfeeding Hunger” being forced upon their person, I will rephrase the above statement for betterment of their understanding, to wit:

That means the elimination of retiree health benefits and making state employees and the like wait until they are 65 years old before they can submit notice of their Retirement, at which time they will be old enough to qualify for Medicare, just as most people in the private sector must wait until they are 65 years old before they can submit notice of their Retirement.

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