Special Board of Aldermen Public Hearing Page 20
Paula Johnson
So the private sector is still higher than the city than what we pay for city employees.
Director Budreau
| can’t speak to the private sector. | can just tell you what we have.
Paula Johnson
| can speak to the private sector because | see the plan every year — my husband's health care plan
jumped up from $1,000 - $1,500; $2,000 now $6,000 — two people out of pocket. The cost of it is
going up and | know that we’re paying for it here. Thank you.
Also | want to get back to one other thing. I’m done with the healthcare. | want to get back to the
kindergarten and | want to touch on what Mr. Teeboom said and what that wonderful woman said
about it. We are giving full day kindergarten. We have half day now and we're going to implement it
throughout the city. | totally believe and when Alderman LeBrun made a comment, it was a horrible
comment that | do believe is more babysitting because people drop off in the morning and then
before school and will have after school 5:00 — 6:00 at night. I’ve heard studies talk about that kids
do not need kindergarten full day. The time needs to be socializing with other kids and play time.
Chairman Dowd
Ms. Johnson, that’s going to be brought up during the school...
Paula Johnson
Well everybody else brought it up. Okay fine. Thanks.
Chairman Dowd
Anyone else for the Mayor’s department?
Fred Teeboom
| won't be here that much longer but the previous speaker brought up the effect of what you call
“government elite”. The ring to that is true and here’s why. | mentioned some of these outrageous
retirement benefits that some people get. I’m never going to get those outrageous benefits. You
really have to spend a lifetime studying how to really maximize and implement. | wrote a guest
editorial back in January 22. | addressed the question about what’s your average retirement pay.
The average retirement pay and that applies to whether you stay a couple of years or you stay 40
years. Average retirement pays $21,000. That’s okay and then they out, quit, and collect social
security benefits. The average retirement is 21.
The average police officer retirement and few of them wait until 65 to retire. Many of them retire after
20 -25 years. The average police $36,000 a year. The average firefighter — $39,000 a year and then
they can get another job and collect on their social security. So the question | also asked is what is
the social security benefits? Social security benefits by comparison if you work for 35 years, made
$108,000, and you retired at 65, the very most — so the maximum you can make in social security is
$31,000. The average however in social security recipient in this country is $16,000. Compare that
with the $22,000 average, the $36,000 and we truly have what | call a government elite. A
government elite when they work and get all these benefits, the government elite when they retire and
