You state, "I just don't think that having city employees pay an extra $100.00 will solve anything."

No one said it would solve all of the issues with the City but the City is strapped for money and a cut of $500k is a start.  If it is good enough for a significant number of Citizens to pay a larger share of their Health care costs why not the City Employees.  I don't see in the Constitution where Public Employees are guaranteed the right to low cost health Care at the expense of the City itself.

You furhter state,"Leaving people with $100 less a month to spend in the community does not possitivly inpact the community as a whole."

I guess taking $5,000,000.00 out of the local economy in the form of a Public Safety Levy on income,impacts the City Positively.  Is the Cities worker dollar better than the Citizens dollars or did I miss something.

Pagans Further states, "I also don't agree with "messing" with someones benefits that they work for and expect."

What workers expect and get are two different things in this economy.  Raising the citizens taxes impacts them, some severly...but that's OK, as long as Public employees get what they expect.  I am lost on this logic.

Further stated by Pagans. "I am sure if your employer asked you and your co-workers to pay an extra $100.oo a month for thier benefits that it would no go over well, if at all."

The private sector is expecting and in many cases demands that its employees pay a greater share of their Health care expense and this practice is the norm and not a rarity in the Public Sector.  Unfortunately Public employees seem to be immune to this.  Just for your info I had to cancel my Health care effective 12-01-08 as the expense got to be to much for my small Business.  Hopefully we will be able o find something else.

Pagans quote of the day, "I also feel there are other more protuctive solutions to budget cuts, like lets see, I wonder how much the city pays for bottoled water at council meetings? do they really need the bottled water? what is so wrong with the city water that they don't drink it in place of the bottled water? If you look, you can find all kinds of wasteful spending...."

I am sorry Pagans but it took me a while to get up off the floor after laughing at this one.  You compare 10 bottles of Water every two weeks at a savings of maybe $250.00 a year to saving $500,000.00 in Heath Care Premiums.  I am sorry but this shows your entire lack of understanding the situation and I am with Spider on this one.  WTF?

And finally we have, "I just don't view health benefits as on of those wastful expenses."

I don't recall anyone saying Health Care benefits were wasteful.  I agree with Health Care for everyone.  I also agree with the City Workers paying their fair share as many if not most Private Citizens do.

Pagans it is simple Economics 101.  On the left you have x amount of dollars to run the City on the right you have City employees who need to be paying a greater share of their Health Care costs as most do in the Private Sector.  The City is running out of money.  The citizens are tapped out when it comes to taxes.  Middletown is not growing its Middle to upper Middle Class bases, it is instead catering in many instances to the lower Middle class to poor with its Section 8 program, etc.

If Middletown was in a far better financial state this would not be an issue, but we aren't and it is.  The City must cut expenses at all levels and City employees must understand that.  If the employees are unwilling to do their part then when the layoffs come I have no sympathy for any City Employee that is laid off.  You can either suffer a bloody nose now and keep your job or in 3 years sever an artery and be out of job.

This is not Rocket Science 202 Pagans it is basic economics which every Private Sector business understands and you know what the funny part is how many Business Owners are on Council and they simply don't get it as far as the City is concerned.

Pagans you obviously don't get it.