These are John Kowalko’s Opening Remarks From Yesterday’s RISE Rally
We are gathered here today to raise our collective voices in a resounding NO to privatization of our health care. NO to privatization of Medicare. No to this Governor and his administrators attempts to sellout Delaware retirees benefits to conglomerates such as Highmark so they can profit at the expense of retirees.
No to the secret backroom deals that deliberately violate transparency and open
government obligations and thereby violate the PUBLIC TRUST.
No to the word for word regurgitation of misinformation, false information, and distorted information that the SEBC continues to spread at every public disinformation session they conduct.
No to any contract conceived, negotiated and created with no retiree input or knowledge.
We are here to reject Secretary DeMatteis’ claim that this Medicare Advantage contrivance is not privatization of your healthcare.
We are here to tell Ms. DeMatteis that selling your access to doctors, to hospitals, to necessary medical procedures, tests and treatments to a private company is PRIVATIZATION of your healthcare.
We are here today to reject Director Cerron Cade’s fabrication of alleged abuses tolerated in the current system. We are here today to reject Director Cade’s fanciful imaginings of sick and suffering retirees, in need of immediate medical care, who are merely trying to game the current system.
We are here today to reject Secretary Geisenberger’s false contention that imposing this Medicare Advantage plan on retirees is necessary to satisfy Delaware’s fiduciary responsibility to control outstanding healthcare benefits shortfalls. In his haste to shift the burden for growing healthcare expenses on to the state retirees he deliberately and conveniently avoids the reality that, until this year, this growing obligation has not been addressed with a budget line item. He fails to mention that during his entire tenure in the state’s financial structure, spanning two administrations, he has not crafted budget proposals that would set aside money to help relieve these benefit cost obligations. He proudly states that the 1% funding in this current budget will help slow the buildup of arrearages but
conveniently fails to acknowledge that 1% of the budget ($45 million or so dollars), pales in comparison
to the hundreds of millions of dollars that we gift to the richest corporations in the world. Over $250
million was gifted to the richest corporations in the world, during the Markell administration.
Additionally hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare has been distributed during the Carney
era. Millions of dollars of taxpayer money was given to Amazon, JP Morgan, DuPont, Barclays,
Walmart, Astra Zeneca, Chemours and others. And every year the budget has additional funding
inserted for corporate giveaways by the Delaware Economic Development Authority (DEDA),
recommended by the public/private Delaware Partnership for Prosperity to the tune of $25-$50 million
a year.
So, Secretary Geisenberger, I am not impressed by your drop in the bucket approach of allocating 1% of
the budget to slow the health benefits arrearages when the brunt of the obligation is thrust on fixed
income retirees.
We are here today to reject the notion that this is a contractually obligated “done deal” with no
recourse other than to BETRAY our State retirees. Those DelDot employees who plow our streets.
Those UNDERPAID AND OVERWORKED social workers who try so hard to help families in need. Those
teachers and educators who nurture and teach our children. Those policemen and women who risk
their lives every day to protect us. Those university and college employees who provide us with
opportunities for a higher learning experience. Those everyday staffers who help our citizens negotiate
the corridors of government agencies.
These are just some of the people who have dedicated themselves to TRUE PUBLIC SERVICE, at a lower salary
than the private sector, with the assurance that they will have benefits provided to them
to ease their burdens during their hard-earned and well-deserved retirements.
And these are the people who This Administration has chosen to ABANDON with a betrayal of trust and little if any remorse.
Representative John Kowalko