Ten dollars

This will certainly break people's wallets. NOT!

Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday imposed a $10 monthly medical premium on unionized workers, putting an end to free health-care policies for government workers in a fight that could signal turbulent times for labor groups.

Commissioners blamed state-ordered property tax cuts for the shift in health-care policy. And while not mentioning expiring labor deals with firefighters and sheriff's deputies, commissioners sent a broader message that they are adjusting their thinking when it comes to employee costs that totaled $924 million this year.

Labor leaders say they're already cutting back their expectations, agreeing to smaller raises, higher health-care costs and fewer perks.

"A lot of things we have been doing for the last 20 or 30 years, we simply are not going to be able to afford," said Commissioner Mary McCarty. "We're making a philosophical decision that all county employees are going to need to pay something for their health care."

The $10 premiums are the first time single workers have to pay in the county's health maintenance organization (HMO) plan, save for co-pays. Employees with a dependent or a family plan also were hit with 15 percent premium increases.

In a time of rising cost of both health insurance, and healthcare, a $10 charge sounds quite reasonable to me.

Dear wife gets her insurance through her work. Our premiums are over $110 a week. In addition my wife hasn't gotten a pay raise in nearly five years. If county workers are looking for sympathy over $10, they won't get it from me.

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