Poof, There Go Alan's Chances

I doubt that Councillor Alan Halberstadt was going to run for Mayor. But if he was thinking about it, that thought should now be gone forever.

It's too bad considering that people, especially the Star, can now see how anti-Democratic our Mayor's actions are although they still have not dealt with his shocking action of introducing a Motion at the last second so Windsorites cannot appear as Delegations and speak to Council:

• "Instead, Francis blindsided councillors, who were justifiably upset with being asked -- without prior notification -- to publicly discuss a measure affecting their golden years' compensation...
  
  With the strike entering its 10th week, this not the time for His Worship to engage in impulsive, risk-taking behaviour. Francis rolled the dice and lost."

With Council voting against him, CUPE now has a legitimate position to attack the City's hypocrisy! Eddie just undercut the City's position completely.

Typical Eddie. So good at planning. So poor on execution.

The vote made Councillors look like idiots. Council has been put in an impossible position. They can only blame one person for the failure now: Eddie Francis.

Just watch Eddie try to save his bacon by saying he did that on purpose so that he could reach a compromise settlement with CUPE. Hmmm maybe he really is going overseas soon.

No matter how much good work he has done and how he has stood up for citizens, Councillor Halberstadt's action last night at Council will haunt him politically forever. Never mind that he was being honest about it, he is done. He voted in his own self-interest, told everyone about it, tried to justify it and was proud of it:

• "People have been asking me why I voted as I did last night with regard to Councillors receiving post-retirement benefits after age 65. I opposed the motion by Mayor Francis when it went far beyond what the city is asking of CUPE, which is the elimination of PRBs, for new hires only. The mayor's motion would have eliminated PRBs for existing Councillors, including mine.
  
  The current policy makes Councillors who have served four terms on Council eligible to pay half the premium for PRBs when they reach 65. Since I am serving my fourth term, I would be eligible for this benefit when the current term ends in November of 2010.
  
  The family coverage for my wife and I costs $392.83 per month in today's dollars. If I cared to take advantage of the half-price policy when I am 65, it would cost $197.42 per month...
  
  Now I am a long-serving Councillor and I don't mind telling anyone who asks that I have worked my ass off over the last dozen years, putting in hours far in excess of the 37.5 hours per week of our CUPE employees. So I make no apologies for my vote. "

It did NOT eliminate the benefit. It just increased the cost. Big difference. Moreover, unlike an employee who leaves before retirement, if Alan leaves Council before he retires, he still keeps the benefit.

As Anne Jarvis wrote as well:

• "Two councillors -- Alan Halberstadt and Fulvio Valentinis -- are serving their fourth terms. They'll be eligible for these benefits next year.
  
  That's why Halberstadt voted against the motion, he admitted.
  
  He doesn't have retirement benefits. These benefits cost almost $400 a month, and he'll only have to pay $200.
  
  "I'd like the option," he said.
  
  "They're very good benefits."

He certainly sounds like a CUPE member to me. I am sure they can talk about how hard they work too and why they are striking in their self-interest.

• "DO NOT TAKE AWAY A BENEFIT. THEY'RE VERY GOOD BENEFITS."

In the circumstances, given how he thinks, the Councillor has no choice now but to vote for binding arbitration if the negotiations fall apart. His position and that of CUPE are no different re existing benefits no matter how much he is trying to pretend they are!

I just do not get it. Alan claimed

• "The other component of the mayor's motion, eliminating any newly-elected Councillors from post retirement benefits, meets with my approval."

Anne Jarvis again states:

• "So on Monday night, Mayor Eddie Francis tried to get council to eliminate the benefits for politicians."

All I heard was the change from 50% payment to 100% payment. The PRBs remains even for newly-elected Councillors. The provision would now change in this manner only based on what the Mayor said:

BEFORE

• 5. That the provision for 100% retirement medical benefits BE MADE AVAILABLE to the Mayor and Members of Council in accordance with the City’s existing criteria for staff retiree benefits, provided that the member of Council has served a minimum of four (4) terms; and further that where a Council Member has served a minimum of four (4) terms in office but does not meet the required retiree eligibility for retiree benefits, that member be afforded the opportunity to purchase the retiree medical benefits at one half of the prevailing rates as may be adjusted from time to time

AFTER

• 5. That the provision for 100% retirement medical benefits BE MADE AVAILABLE to the Mayor and Members of Council in accordance with the City’s existing criteria for staff retiree benefits, provided that the member of Council has served a minimum of four (4) terms; and further that where a Council Member has served a minimum of four (4) terms in office but does not meet the required retiree eligibility for retiree benefits, that member be afforded the opportunity to purchase the retiree medical benefits at 100% of the prevailing rates as may be adjusted from time to time.

The "existing criteria is:"

• "When an employee retires with an unreduced pension in accordance with the OMERS pension requirements, the City continues to pay the same health and medical benefits on the employee’s behalf until their death and until the death of their surviving eligible spouse and dependants.

Newly-elected Councillors still get PRBs. As I read it, if elected 4 times and they retire, they still get them at no cost. Or at the least, they have to pay something to get them.

Settle the darn strike already. The City has no position after the Mayor's huge faux pas. We need to get back to straight-forward matters. Like the border file or the canal.