Retirees speak out on insurance (OS's future?)

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100511/NEWS01/100519895#retirees-speak-out-on-insurance

Published Tuesday May 11, 2010

By Maggie O'Brien
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

It was a packed house Tuesday when the City Council took up a plan to charge retired Omaha city employees more for their health insurance.

About 250 retired police, firefighters and civilian workers were in the audience to oppose Mayor Jim Suttle's proposal to require them to pay higher health insurance premiums.

Extra law enforcement officers were on duty to help with crowd control.

Most of the retirees in attendance were wearing stickers that said, "Broken Promises, Broken Lives." The council is scheduled to vote on the plan next week. If council members approve, the changes would take effect July 1.
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Council President Garry Gernandt, a retired Omaha police officer, said he would abstain from voting to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Earlier this week, Suttle's office announced that he had revised his plan.

Suttle's office said that under an amended proposal, retired city employees would pay lower health premiums than the mayor originally proposed. And instead of different rates for police, firefighters and civilian retirees, the city is now proposing the same premiums for all.

FULL story and photo from today at link.