Ironically, those increases were at least partly caused by the Legislature's siphoning off millions from the insurance program in 1996. So I vetoed their Rainy Day Fund raid. This is a monopoly program operated by a government agency. Neither of those features lends itself to efficiency or economy. To permanently fix the problem, we must insist on professional management and private sector involvement.
Employees deserve more than one high-cost choice.
A second recent hassle has emerged over various state pension funds. In fact, my budget calls for measures to strengthen the various pensions. It's too bad some feel the need to play cheap politics with the emotions of our dedicated public employees.