Cedar Falls’ Bold Stand on Health Care

The City of Cedar Falls faces a tough budget challenge and, according to City Attorney Tom Meyer, Cedar Falls has to “make difficult decisions that impact our employees due to the changes in the new health care laws.” Decision one for Cedar Falls was to limit to 29 the average number of hours worked per week by approximately 59 current part-time employees in 2013 to ensure the City doesn't have to pay up to $850,000 in health insurance costs when those laws take effect in 2014. A difficult decision for city officials, indeed, but Cedar Falls can and should do more.

The folks at Cedar Falls City Hall are not doing all they can to safeguard the public purse and we should tell them we Iowans stand behind them as they take the next brave step.

First, let’s give credit where credit is due. Cedar Falls leaders deserve praise for standing up to the draconian health care law President Obama and his cronies forced down the throats of the American people. This law passed under the cover of darkness has yet to survive the appropriate legal challenges or a thorough test by the electorate. OK, so Congress passed the law after a long and open debate and that law survived numerous court cases that were affirmed in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. But, are we to think the voters were actually paying enough attention during the recent campaign to understand reelecting the President and leaving Congress virtually unchanged would ensure the law would take effect? Well, that’s beside the point.

Good for Cedar Falls for taking tough action and for squarely placing the blame for cutting worker earnings where that blame belongs, on somebody else’s doorstep.

The Cedar Falls visionaries recognize their decision has a downside. They admit reducing the number of hours some 59 city workers will work next year will mean those workers and their families will have a little less walking around money, but that is the price the City is willing to pay. The City cannot be forced to help these folks obtain the same health care coverage it provides its more deserving full-time workers. And, that’s where the answer lies.

If health insurance is too expensive for some workers, maybe it is just too expensive for all.

According to the City of Cedar Falls fiscal year 2011 budget, when fully staffed Cedar Falls has some 215 full time employees. Cedar Falls should make all of its positions part time. This would eliminate 100% of its health insurance costs. If providing health insurance coverage for 59 workers has a potential cost of $850,000 as Meyer explained, eliminating coverage for 215 employees would potentially save the City a whopping $3,097,000.

Cedar Falls could balance its budget easily and place more than blame on somebody else’s doorstep. Cedar Falls could place the entire burden of health care insurance there as well. Since he understands the issue so well, I am confident the City Attorney will be the first to step-up to volunteer to hand back his city provided health insurance.

OK, enough sarcasm. America’s health care system is failing due in large part to the fact access to health coverage is unequal. Some workers get coverage and some don’t. In the end, we all end up paying too much. The health care law was designed to begin to fix that problem and get a handle on costs.

Cedar Falls has to balance its budget, but it is shameful that in doing so, it is denying workers the ability to earn health care coverage. By limiting hours for part time workers, Cedar Falls is telling a group of workers they are not worthy of the valuable health care coverage those making the decisions already enjoy. Bold leadership doesn't exist in Cedar Falls these days.

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Graham Gillette can be reached at grahamgillette@gmail.com 
This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register online essay.