COGE’s New Preliminary Staff Report Marginalizes NYC Retirees

COGE public hearing will be held this week at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island, Riverside Church in Manhattan, and the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall.

Editor’s Note: Harry Weiner is a member of both the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees and Council of Municipal Retiree Organizations.

By Harry Weiner

On July 2, COGE issued a Preliminary Report, and it is disappointing that there has been no outreach to retirees from City service. And it glosses over health benefits, a significant portion of the budget.

COGE is “keen on a comprehensive external engagement approach to reach people from all corners of the city.”  

While noting that “City workers are the experts in the processes they run,” COGE ignores that retirees are also experts, e.g., on the consequences of the drained Health Insurance Stabilization Fund, which has resulted in burdensome copays and the attempted push into Medicare Advantage. 

The announcement of public hearings in The City Record stated that  “New Yorkers from any of the five boroughs may testify” in person or via Zoom, ignoring that many retirees live elsewhere.

The Office of Mass Engagement’s “Organize NYC”  initiative mobilized residents to attend Rent Guidelines Board public hearings, but failed to target retirees, or anyone at that matter, to attend COGE hearings.

Tascha Van Auken, the OME Commissioner, told the New Yorker the importance of  “Treating people like smart people who have agency, who can be there or not…” 

So why marginalize retirees?

In the Budget chapter, “Ensure the City’s Fiscal Stability”, only TWO SENTENCES  are devoted to health benefits: “In 2007 the City created the Retiree Health Benefits Trust to officially hold funds for retired City workers, but in effect has used the RHBT as a reserve account. Fiscal monitors conventionally treat the Retiree Health Benefits Trust as a reserve account.”  [There is no mention that it was raided for budget relief.]

Also omitted is that a Comptroller’s audit found the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund to be mismanaged and insolvent. Perhaps you are sparing COGE member Henry Garrido embarrassment, as the Municipal Labor Commitee bears some responsibility for this, for which he serves as the Acting Chair. (Mr. Garrido called the audit “a political stunt” and the MLC disagreed with the findings.)

With only a few hearings left on the schedule and the clock ticking, please consider additional outreach. Even schedule additional hearings.

A list of upcoming COGE public meetings and hearing can be found here.