As an employee of LCG, I certainly enjoyed your article ("On the Chopping Block," Aug. 10).
I do not understand the reasoning behind increasing our insurance premiums. Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel doesn't even realize how that is going to impact families with children. How can anyone absorb that drastic of a pay cut and without any warning whatsoever? The insurance is mandatory. You have to take it. I have only been here for 1 1/2 years, and from the beginning I stated I did not want nor need the coverage. I have better coverage with my husband's insurance. If you are married to someone that works for Lafayette Consolidated Government, you both have to take coverage ' one as single and the other as family. This is a benefit; it is an option. It should not be made mandatory. At first I thought the more members you have, the less your insurance costs. Evidently that is not what it is about. I still say it is against my constitutional rights. I should have the choice.
I did write the city-parish president about this; however, as of yet, I have not received a response. I am going to bring home what I was making 16 years ago. However, with that job I received a bonus at the end of the year, and it wasn't 2 percent.
It is impossible to run government like a "business." Who is going to decide for Meals on Wheels who are the 80 people that can be cut off from this service? If you are in the program, you have the need. Who decides who eats?
Keeping funding to PASA, Festival International, etc. does not make sense to me. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy these things, but I won't enjoy them when the homeless, abused and hungry are in the street and have nowhere to turn for help because of lack of funding.
Our number one priority of local government should be to help our citizens. Thank you for listening.