Health and addictions

I'm gonna bet that some public employees (rhymes with county) are going to get some news in the New Year that's going to make them sick. And city illness might spread to city employees too. Here's the scenario: More pressure is put on to make employees pay more of their health care costs or pay through other benefit cuts. It's because governments generally have an addiction. They can't just spend and maintain. They have to spend and spend some more. Watch what happens as the county continues to angle for health benefit cuts. Everyone will whine about how costs are going up and liabilities are increasing and we're going to face another budget crunch. But the county leaders will continue to pursue a new dispatch center, a parking garage, maybe a new jail and who knows what else. The county is notorious for this whine and dine habit. It would be one thing if they just stopped spending and cut budgets, then asked for concessions. But they talk about givebacks even as they burn money on pet projects. Always has been that way. Always will be that way. But it's got to end somewhere. Thanksgiving might be coming up but the county probably will run into cold turkey not too long after that.
Hey, who negotiated these benefits anyway?