"Last Tuesday, ...Mayor Nancy Vaughan and a majority of City Council members rejected the recommendations of the city manager, city staff and a paid consultant, as well as the clear evidence placed in front of them.
City Manager Jim Westmoreland, city staff and a consultant recommended that the city switch from to Cigna, based on bids showing that Cigna could save the city and its employees more money on health care coverage.
That savings would amount to about $650,000 per year, according to Marsh and McLennan, a consulting firm hired by the council to examine bids from both companies.
Councilman Mike Barber went so far as to discredit the numbers, saying one bid was based on reality and the other on estimates.
In fact, the consultant explained, the analysis used actual claims from 2015 and applied the plans being offered by each company to see which coverage plan cost less.
Cigna was the most cost-effective plan by a significant margin, just as it was in 2016, when it would have saved the city and its employees $1.2 million in health care costs.
...Council members Jamal Fox and Sharon Hightower balked at the manager’s recommendation and objected to the process...
...After failed motions to choose each company in 2016, the council approved a one-year extension of UnitedHealthcare’s contract, asking staff to prepare a new request for proposals — including local preference if possible — and hire a new consultant. City staff did so, only to arrive at the same results a year later.
The law still bans the use of local preference, Cigna still had the more attractive bid, and a majority of the City Council still refused to accept the results of the bidding process.
...the council voted, 6-3, on July 18 to reject the proposals, extend UnitedHealthcare’s contract for another year and have staff revise the request for proposals to include more criteria.
Again.
It appears that no request for proposals will be acceptable until it favors UnitedHealthcare.
“You tell city staff to do something, they do it, and it’s not good enough because you don’t agree with their decision,” Hightower said.
“If you want UHC, give it to UHC, but don’t put the staff through this process again.”
Perhaps some of the other council members were counting up the votes of those in the gallery wearing blue UnitedHealthcare T-shirts or the potential campaign donations they might lose from the company and its executives.
They should be thinking about what’s best for city employees.
They might also consider how much this sham of a process already has cost Greensboro’s taxpayers in consultant fees ($97,000 in 2016 and $40,000 in 2017) and staff time.
Fox, who was marking his last night on the council, summed up the situation perfectly: “This is bad governance,” he said.
The people of Greensboro are watching, and many of them don’t like what they see.
...Barber frequently is condescending, accusatory or dismissive to the citizens he serves. Councilman Tony Wilkins is overly sharp with city staff members and combative with fellow council members. Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter has become more conservative on issues of police oversight. Outling is so bound to what is legal and proper that he sometimes forgets what is right and logical.
As the council has come under fire, Vaughan has become more defensive and less receptive to the public.
Same donors etc..., like most of the rest of Council
...council members also have made significant missteps, both individually and collectively.
They may pay the price for it in November."
Susan Ladd: Record number of filings should be a wake-up call for Greensboro City Council
http://www.greensboro.com/blogs/around_town/susan-ladd-record-number-of-filings-should-be-a-wake/article_03ba736b-7881-5859-9cd0-db6b02026a69.html
City Manager Jim Westmoreland, city staff and a consultant recommended that the city switch from to Cigna, based on bids showing that Cigna could save the city and its employees more money on health care coverage.
That savings would amount to about $650,000 per year, according to Marsh and McLennan, a consulting firm hired by the council to examine bids from both companies.
Councilman Mike Barber went so far as to discredit the numbers, saying one bid was based on reality and the other on estimates.
Mike Barber is a campaign cash whore and a complete sell out,
who sold out taxpayers to make money on their dime with Jim Melvin,
a story which has never been investigated by any local for profit press organization,
which represents repeated acts of journalistic cowardice
on the part of those who control our community's information dissemination
In fact, the consultant explained, the analysis used actual claims from 2015 and applied the plans being offered by each company to see which coverage plan cost less.
Cigna was the most cost-effective plan by a significant margin, just as it was in 2016, when it would have saved the city and its employees $1.2 million in health care costs.
So what did our bought and paid for legislators do?
...Council members Jamal Fox and Sharon Hightower balked at the manager’s recommendation and objected to the process...
...After failed motions to choose each company in 2016, the council approved a one-year extension of UnitedHealthcare’s contract, asking staff to prepare a new request for proposals — including local preference if possible — and hire a new consultant. City staff did so, only to arrive at the same results a year later.
The law still bans the use of local preference, Cigna still had the more attractive bid, and a majority of the City Council still refused to accept the results of the bidding process.
...the council voted, 6-3, on July 18 to reject the proposals, extend UnitedHealthcare’s contract for another year and have staff revise the request for proposals to include more criteria.
Again.
Who voted for it?
Nancy Vaughan, Mike Barber, Tony Wilkins, Marikay Abuzuaiter,
Justin Outling, and Nancy Hoffmann
These people stole from everyone who pays taxes to the City of Greensboro
and anyone who works for the City
It appears that no request for proposals will be acceptable until it favors UnitedHealthcare.
Who met with whom when?
Follow the money
“You tell city staff to do something, they do it, and it’s not good enough because you don’t agree with their decision,” Hightower said.
What was the Quid Pro Quo?
“If you want UHC, give it to UHC, but don’t put the staff through this process again.”
Nancy Vaughan, Mike Barber, Tony Wilkins, Marikay Abuzuaiter,
Justin Outling, and Nancy Hoffmann betrayed Greensboro's employees and taxpayers
Perhaps some of the other council members were counting up the votes of those in the gallery wearing blue UnitedHealthcare T-shirts or the potential campaign donations they might lose from the company and its executives.
They should be thinking about what’s best for city employees.
And Greensboro's taxpayers Susan
They might also consider how much this sham of a process already has cost Greensboro’s taxpayers in consultant fees ($97,000 in 2016 and $40,000 in 2017) and staff time.
Our community is paying for incompetence
Fox, who was marking his last night on the council, summed up the situation perfectly: “This is bad governance,” he said.
The people of Greensboro are watching, and many of them don’t like what they see.
...Barber frequently is condescending, accusatory or dismissive to the citizens he serves. Councilman Tony Wilkins is overly sharp with city staff members and combative with fellow council members. Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter has become more conservative on issues of police oversight. Outling is so bound to what is legal and proper that he sometimes forgets what is right and logical.
I don't agree with Susan Ladd on lots of issues,
but I agree we have a bunch of crooked politicians running Greensboro,
who need to be booted from office
As the council has come under fire, Vaughan has become more defensive and less receptive to the public.
Nancy Vaughan is Robbie Perkins, only different
Same donors etc..., like most of the rest of Council
...council members also have made significant missteps, both individually and collectively.
Most of which remain unreported by the News and Record
I hope so
Susan Ladd: Record number of filings should be a wake-up call for Greensboro City Council
http://www.greensboro.com/blogs/around_town/susan-ladd-record-number-of-filings-should-be-a-wake/article_03ba736b-7881-5859-9cd0-db6b02026a69.html
