If more health care coverage is better (domestic partners should be covered), then UNIVERSAL COVERAGE is best. Why let the "no benefits" employers get a free ride. Some employers pay for ALL of their employee's health care premiums, others split it 50/50, while still others provide group health insurance coverage, but the employee must pay the full premium. Why not require ALL EMPLOYERS to pay the FULL HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS. Otherwise, the cheapskates will gain a cost advantage over the (currently) company paid premiums employers.
If you're going to legislate safety-net and healthcare minimums, you might as well swing for the fences. What about all the low wage earners who can't afford their share of the premiums or thei co-pays? Guess what, Sammy-Boy: they don't all work at Wal-Mart!
Better yet, how about the City of Portland simply increases the minimum wage for all Portland Citizens to $30.00/hour. You've got 5 votes: just do it! And no layoffs without 5 years severance. Yeah. That would be cool. And I would like a company car, with a gas card. Now you're thinking.
I'm not pro-discrimination or anti-gay. I'm simply anti-Socialism. Government shouldn't tell employers what benefits they are required to offer to their employees. Employees must exercise that discretion when they choose to accept, keep, or quit their job.
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re: The Equal Benefits Ordinance
If more health care coverage is better (domestic partners should be covered), then UNIVERSAL COVERAGE is best. Why let the "no benefits" employers get a free ride. Some employers pay for ALL of their employee's health care premiums, others split it 50/50, while still others provide group health insurance coverage, but the employee must pay the full premium. Why not require ALL EMPLOYERS to pay the FULL HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS. Otherwise, the cheapskates will gain a cost advantage over the (currently) company paid premiums employers.
If you're going to legislate safety-net and healthcare minimums, you might as well swing for the fences. What about all the low wage earners who can't afford their share of the premiums or thei co-pays? Guess what, Sammy-Boy: they don't all work at Wal-Mart!
Better yet, how about the City of Portland simply increases the minimum wage for all Portland Citizens to $30.00/hour. You've got 5 votes: just do it! And no layoffs without 5 years severance. Yeah. That would be cool. And I would like a company car, with a gas card. Now you're thinking.
I'm not pro-discrimination or anti-gay. I'm simply anti-Socialism. Government shouldn't tell employers what benefits they are required to offer to their employees. Employees must exercise that discretion when they choose to accept, keep, or quit their job.