William Craig

2 From Wvc On Big 33 Team

By STEVE MOCARSKY smocarsky@leader.net
 Monday, February 09, 2004 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE - Last week, Mayor Tom Leighton offered to pay 30 percent of
his health insurance premiums if the city's unionized public employees would
do the same. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Folks interviewed Sunday in Kirby Park think the mayor's on the right
track. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Guthrie Conyngham of Trucksville said municipal officials should demand
during the next round of contract negotiations that public employees pay part
of their health insurance premiums. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``If we pay it, why shouldn't they? I think that's a fair question,'' said
Conyngham, who accompanied his wife, Shirley, to the park to walk their dog. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I don't know why they shouldn't. I'm 80 years old and I run a company
that's been in business over 100 years. ... Our union people pay it and our
non-union people pay it,'' said Conyngham, owner of Eastern Pennsylvania
Supply on Scott Street in Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The city of Wilkes-Barre is in real trouble and they need some kind of
financial help. I think (health insurance premium payments) should be across
the board,'' Conyngham said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David Mahalak of Wilkes-Barre said all public employees should contribute
to health insurance costs - including those with dangerous jobs such as police
and firefighters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Everybody else does, and they should be included. Anybody could die on
the job any day,'' said Mahalak, who brought his children, Matthew, Nathan and
Kelly, to the park for sledding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Everybody is getting killed by health insurance costs. And those kinds of
jobs, you've got to know someone to get. If it wasn't for my health insurance
costs, I wouldn't have to work a part-time job in addition to my full-time
job,'' Mahalak said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Woody Cole of Hanover Township said the question was tough because he is a
public employee with the state Department of Environmental Protection. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I would probably make a lot of enemies, but I think everyone has to do
their part. Health care is going through the roof, and I think the key is to
bring down the costs,'' Cole said as he watched his daughter Sarah, 7, sled
down a hill. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I had traditional Blue Cross up until this last contract, but I had to go
to an HMO-type plan,'' Cole said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 However, Cole said public employees typically make lower salaries than
people with the same kinds of jobs in the private sector, ``at least
initially, for the first 10 years.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For that reason, Cole said, full health insurance benefits might be
justified for employees with those kinds of jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2005. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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