The so called Municipal Relief Commission has issued its report, and after nine months or so of work it has managed, in the area of health care, to actually recommend a system that will take us backwards from the point we are at now. I have attached the report, as well as the prospective legislation that is to be filed as a consequence of the Committee report. I have also attached the MMA Letter opposing the Commissions proposals on municipal health care. The Commission advocated for some additional revenues for localities, which is needed. But even those proposals are convoluted and bureacratic, and very conveniently come after the House took a tax vote that many members stated was the only tax vote they wished to take in this cycle.

The health care proposal, in an effort to satisfy every constituency at the table, produces a system that would take six months to implement, that will lead to arguments about the production of cost benchmarks, that will lead to penalties against taxpayers where agreement cannot be reached with municipal unions, and also brings back a form of binding arbitration. There are so many flaws in this monstrosity that it should be given a hearing, and buried immediately to save all those involved the embarassment of defending it. There are hearings scheduled for today, and a second set of hearings scheduled for Hudson. Many mayors and local officials will attend and point out the obvious. It will not likely do much good. The Committee chairs were Senator Stan Rosenberg and Rep. Paul Donato.

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