On March 20, Gov. Pat McCrory released his first budget, a $20.6 billion document, which contained a 1-percent pay raise and a 1-percent retiree cost-of-living adjustment.
Overall, SEANC is optimistic that as the state economy continues to improve, legislative leaders will recognize the need to fund public services.
“My fellow SEANC members, please remember the governor’s budget is the first step in the budget process and that nothing is final,” President Sidney M. Sandy said of the budget. “We are working tirelessly with lawmakers to maintain vital pubic functions performed by our members.”
Jobs and Pay
The greatest concern in McCrory’s budget for SEANC members is the plan to shutter five prisons — Wayne, Duplin, Bladen, Robeson and Western Youth Institution. In response, SEANC continues to meet with lawmakers and Department of Public Safety officials to plead our case and ensure that our neighborhoods and citizens are kept safe.
On the brighter side, the budget also contained hundreds of new positions in the Department of Public Safety, including new probation and parole officer, post-release supervision and drug court positions to monitor felons
after they leave state prison. There are also new positions proposed to re-establish the state’s drug courts.
This budget marks the second in a row that state employees are poised to receive a modest raise. In addition to a 1-percent pay increase for all state employees, the governor’s budget contains provisions to maintain longevity pay and $20 million for a salary adjustment reserve.
The Budget Process
The governor’s budget begins the annual process of funding state government. After reviewing McCrory’s budget, the N.C. House and the N.C. Senate will draft and vote on their individual budgets, negotiate a final budget and vote on a compromise budget. The General Assembly’s budget is then presented to the governor for his signature. The goal of the legislature is to have a new budget passed prior to July 1, 2013, when the new state fiscal year begins. This year the state Senate has its turn to craft the budget first.
Your Role
SEANC is continuing an ongoing dialogue and working with North Carolina’s General Assembly leaders as the budget process continues to unfold. If you want to express your opinion on the state budget to lawmakers, call the General Assembly at 919-733-4111.
tdavis@seanc.org
Director’s Message
by Dana Cope seanC exeCuTive DireCTor
Privatization isn’t the answer for Medicaid woes
Gov. Pat McCrory and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos proposed a plan in early April to hand over Medicaid administration to for-profit companies.
McCrory stated the move would control costs, provide a better quality of care and increase efficiency. SEANC shares with the governor these goals for Medicaid, but we differ with the underlying premise that privatization is the key to fixing the Medicaid budget, providing better care or efficiencies.
Public employees who deliver Medicaid services go to work each day to save lives and protect the taxpayers by keeping watch over abuse by private contractors.
North Carolina is not the first state to consider privatizing Medicaid services. Before rushing this decision, lawmakers need to understand what many other states have learned about the pitfalls of Medicaid privatization with costly results to taxpayers.
In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry’s privatization scheme resulted in huge profits for Wall Street hedge funds and left the system in shambles. More than $500 million later, state employees had to step in to right the ship. In Kentucky, the new privatized system caused feuds between operators and healthcare providers while a private company sued to end its contract with the state, leaving the state holding the bill. In New Jersey, private Medicaid plans enrolled large numbers of low-income families and then denied up to 30 percent of their claims for hospital care, resulting in multiple lawsuits.
Why have these failures occurred in other states? It’s simple — for-profit corporations are in business to make money. Private contractors save money by cutting corners or cutting
The Reporter, USPS 009-852 (ISSN 1069 2142), is published nine times a year in the months of February, March, April, May, June, July, September, November and December for $2.50 per year, per member, by the State Employees Association of North Carolina, Inc., P.O. Drawer 27727, Raleigh, NC 27611-7727. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh and additional offices.
POSTMASTER Send address changes to: THE REPORTER P.O. Drawer 27727 Raleigh, NC 27611-7727
off access to health care services. If a private corporation is successful in delivering fewer services, then a millionaire CEO and his shareholders make more money.
State employees, on the other hand, are not motivated by profits. North Carolina citizens are our stockholders. We are not out-of-state companies caring for strangers. When we deliver quality health care services, we are working in our own community, we help care for our neighbors in their time of need, we prioritize safety and we control costs with a watchful eye for mismanagement, overbilling and profiteering schemes.
SEANC looks forward to a vigorous debate over the future of Medicaid in this state and the best way to administer it. We are confident that, if given a level playing field, state employees can continue to provide life-saving services to the citizens of our state in the most cost-effective manner.
dcope@seanc.org
Doug Sutton
toni Davis, Editor-In-Chief
Jonathan owens, Managing Editor
alicia Miller, Associate Editor
Johnny Davison, Associate Editor
scott heath, Associate Editor State Employees Association of North Carolina
“I recognize that state employees and public services sacrificed during tough economic times and how important it is to you and your families to be fairly compensated for your part in making North Carolina a great place to work and live.”
Executive Director Dana Cope in a March 20 WRAL story, “Educators, others skeptical of proposed budget”
“I’ve never seen anyone who wants to be in charge of everything, but responsible for nothing more than Janet Cowell.”
Executive Director Dana Cope in a March 26 News and Observer article, “Employees group works to block changes to State Health Plan, retirement system,” explaining SEANC’s objections to the state treasurer’s attempt to take more authority over the State Health Plan
“We don’t understand the need to go in and make major changes to the retirement system out of fear that there might be a bill to change the way the legislature funds it.”
Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins in a March 26 News and Observer article, “Employees group works to block changes to State Health Plan, retirement system”
FRoM SoCiAl MediA
SEANC believes #HB232 power grab provision expands Treasurer’s powers with no requirement for approval by the SHP Board of Trustees. #ncga
SEANC’s official Twitter account (@seanc2008) on a bill that gives the State Treasurer more authority over the State Health Plan.
“State employees stand ready to help care for those patients in need of help.”
A post on SEANC’s official Facebook page (facebook.com/seanc.local2008) on the possibility of opening a fourth psychiatric hospital in the state.
Privatization of services ...is never more efficient. The outsourced provider has not vested interest in service and it is absolutely never more cost effective.
A comment from District 62 member Claire Primrose on a post on SEANC’s official Facebook page (facebook.com/seanc.local2008)
All new state employees as well as old timers should join SEANC. I am retired and have been a member for 32 years!
A comment from District 40 member Cathy Williams Sasser on a post on SEANC’s official Facebook page (facebook.com/seanc.local2008)
Legislators want to open up performance reviews to public
by JonaThan owens SEANC Assistant Director of Communications
State employees’ privacy would be further intruded upon and the state would open itself up to lawsuits all for the sake of “being nosey” if bills currently filed in the legislature are passed.
Sen. Thom Goolsby (R-New Hanover) filed a bill, SB 332, in early March that proposes to make state employees’ evaluations available to anyone who wants to see them under the public records act. A similar bill has been filed in the N.C. House.
Performance evaluations are, of course, subjective determinations of an employee’s performance and are one person’s opinion. As anyone who has ever had a performance evaluation knows, frequently they are challenged. Under these bills, the employees would have these evaluations released before they ever had a chance to pursue appeal.
So what happens when what a supervisor writes in an evaluation is later proven to be patently false? The answer is
that the state could incur tremendous liability.
SB 332 opens the door to 14th Amendment lawsuits which forbid states to “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has held that property rights of employees whose records were released before they had a right to challenge the validity of the records were violated by potentially impacting their future employment prospects.
SEANC advocates maintaining the privacy rights and equal protection of the laws on behalf of state employees and specifically fights opening state employee personnel files in any manner that divulges personal information about employees without serving a legitimate purpose.
These bills only serve to lower employee morale, invite gossip, and ultimately cost taxpayers money when property rights are violated and employees’ good names ruined.
jowens@seanc.org
MeMBeR ACTion
First Vice President Art Anthony (from left), district 42 Chairwoman Sara Mcdonald, Treasurer Betty “BJ” Jones and Second Vice President Stanley Gales recruited 50 new members at the CiAA basketball tournament in Charlotte.
district 60 Chairwoman Hiawatha Jones, district 24 Chairwoman Anne Marie Bellamy and district 3 member Anne Castro were in the audience at a recent House committee meeting concerning the State Health Plan.
Pictured from left is district 22 Chairwoman deborah Harney, Chuck Capps, eddie Stanley and Michele Shaw at a recent recruiting event at Harnett Correctional institution.
district 3 members Rhonda Robinson and Anne Castro were among the members who pitched in as district 3 sponsored a meal for 29 soldiers as part of the Wounded Warriors Project on March 9 in Boone.
SHP Enrollment Period Set for Late May
by Johnny Davison SEANC Communications Specialist
The time to make changes to your coverage elections with the State Health Plan is fast approaching.
The SHP’s enrollment period is May 20-31. During this period you can enroll in the SHP, switch plans, and add or remove dependents without a qualifying event.
If you are satisfied with your current plan, you do not need to do anything. You and any dependents will remain on your current plan.
Any changes you make to your plan will take effect July 1, 2013, and unless you experience a qualifying life event, you cannot switch plans until the next open enrollment period. Since the SHP Board of Trustees approved moving the benefit year to a calendar year, this next benefit period will be from July 1-Dec. 31, 2013.
If you have any questions regarding the open enrollment process, qualifying life events or your medical benefits,
AnnuAl MeeTinGS CAlendAR
District Date Time
1 June 25 6:00 pm Ryan's Steakhouse, 374 Walmart Plaza Sylva Y Tony Rickman arickman@ncdot.gov
2 June 11 5:30 pm J&S Cafeteria, 900 Smokey Park Enka Y Lesia Manos seancdistrict2@aol.com
3 June 25 6:00 pm Boone Holiday Inn, 1943 Blowing Rock Rd Boone Y Bob Gibbard gibbardro@appstate.edu
4 Joe Brown topgun55jb@gmail.com
5 May 23 6:00 pm Western Piedmont Community College Cafeteria 1001 Burkemont Ave Morganton Y Tony Smith tonysmith646@gmail.com
6 July 9 6:00 pm Broughton Hospital Employee Cafeteria 1000 S. Sterling St Morganton Y Wayne Freeman wfreeman8009@gmail.com
7 June 6 5:15 pm J. Iverson Riddle Development Center Gym 300 Enola Rd Morganton Y Henry Belada woodchop7@charter.net
8 June 27 6:00 pm Golden Corral, 1917 U.S. 421 N. Wilkesboro Y Leonard Reynolds tworeynolds@embarqmail.com
9 June 6 6:00 pm Western Steer, 334 Southwest Blvd Newton Y James Burgess burgessjd@bellsouth.net
10 June 10 7:00 pm Golden Corral Restaurant, 1540 U.S. 29 Concord Y Jim Nicholson jrnich2000@yahoo.com
11 May 30 6:00 pm Troutman Barbeque Restaurant 1388 Warren Coleman Blvd Concord Y AD Hall adhall227@yahoo.com
12 June 20 6:00 pm Captain's Galley Seafood Restaurant 11032 E. Independence Blvd (Hwy 74) Matthews Y Ashley Fenton ashley.fenton62@yahoo.com
13 June 12 6:00 pm Mimi's Restaurant, 10244 Perimeter Pkwy
Y Kathy Whaley kdwhaley@uncc.edu
16 June 11 6:00 pm Winston-Salem State Univ., Anderson Center Main Dining Rm, 601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr Winston-Salem N Melva Daniels acey326@hotmail.com
17 June 17 6:00 pm Kernodle Senior Center, 1535 S. Mebane St Burlington Y Ron Woodson woodson17@gmail.com
18 June 10 6:30 pm Pat's Kitchen, 1240 E. Broad Ave Rockingham Y Pamela Locklear pamela.locklear@ncdps.gov
19 June 18 5:30 pm OWASA, 400 Jones Ferry Rd Carrboro Y Martha Fowler mtf@email.unc.edu
20 June 8 10:00 am Southern Coastal Plain OSDT Training Complex 180 Sandhills Dr Raeford Y-lunch Jacquelyn Chatman jaiunique65@aol.com
21 June 20 6:30 pm Camp Braham Butner Y Joel Valentine 252-432-0226 joel.valentin@ncparks.gov
22 May 30 7:00 pm The Brass Lantern Steak House 515 Springbranch Rd Dunn Y Debra Harney deborahharney@ymail.com
23 June 14 6:00 pm St. Pauls Community Building, 111 N. Third St St. Pauls Y Harold Faulk haroldfaulk@atmc.net
24 May 30 6:30 pm Town of Clarkton Train Depot, 95 N. Elm St Clarkton Y Anne Marie Bellamy silverpony3179@yahoo.com
25 Tommy Griffin tgriffin0203@yahoo.com
26 June 11 6:00 pm George Currie Visitation Hall-Polk C.I. 1001 Veazey Rd Butner Y Samantha Bryant Samantha.Bryant@ncdps.gov
27 June 13 6:00 pm Golden Corral, 5006 Apex Highway 55 Durham Y Gracie LeSane gracie_lesane@msn.com
36 June 12 5:30 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room C Raleigh N Lynn Stephenson lsteph2001@aol.com
37 June 13 5:30 pm Chief Engineers Conference Room, 4968 Beryl Rd Raleigh Y James Bridges jaybridges@bellsouth.net
38 June 11 5:30 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room A Raleigh Y Betty Jackson Creech bettyjacksoncreech@yahoo.com
39 June 11 5:30 pm McKimmon Conference & Training Center 1101 Gorman St Raleigh Y Mary O'Neill mary_oneill@ncsu.edu
40 Althea Boone dist40boone@yahoo.com
41 June 10 6:00 pm Golden Corral, 3424 Capital Blvd Raleigh Y Pat Acquista pacquista1@gmail.com
42 June 27 5:30 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room A Raleigh Y Sarah McDonald roadrunner1415@yahoo.com
43 July 25 5:30 pm Smithfield BBQ, 7304 Knightdale Blvd Knightdale Y Duane Smith seadoo277@gmail.com
44 June 18 6:00 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room A Raleigh Y Mary Curtis mdenisec32@yahoo.com
45 Dee Carter dee.carter70@gmail.com
46 June 20 5:00 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room A Raleigh Y Dewey Hamilton ddhamiltonjr@aol.com
47 June 4 5:30 pm SEANC Central Office - Conference Room A Raleigh Y Shirley Ballard shirleyballard07@yahoo.com
56 June 21 6:30 pm Texas Steakhouse, 1703 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy Roanoke Rapids Y Grace Edwards middletong@embarqmail.com
57 June 6 6:00 pm Western Sizzlin, 1041 N Wesleyan Blvd Rocky Mount Y Drew Stanley drew.stanley@ncdps.gov
58 June 11 6:00 pm Neuse CI, Training Center, 701 Stevens Mill Rd Goldsboro Y Sandy Pendergraft pendergraft.sandy@yahoo.com
59 June 10 6:00 pm Cherry Hospital Conference Room 201 Stevens Mill Rd Goldsboro Y Kathy Merritt kathy.merrit@dhhs.nc.gov
60 June 11 6:00 pm Logan's Steakhouse, 1011 Sunburst Dr Goldsboro Y Hiawatha Jones hjones242@nc.rr.com
61 June 8 11:00 am Onslow County Museum, 301 S. Wilmington St Richlands Y - lunch Leigh Bair leighpooh@yahoo.com
62 June 24 6:00 pm Arboretum of New Hanover City 6206 Oleander Dr Wilmington Y Charles Newton charlesnewton@aol.com
63 May 21 6:30 pm Heritage House Restaurant, 1303 S. King St Windsor Y Marion Drake marion002@centurylink.net
64 June 25 6:30 pm The Warehouse Restaurant, 305 Main St Winterville Y Bonita Barfield bhh1008@msn.com
65 June 18 5:30 pm Brody School of Medicine, 2nd Fl Rm 2w-40 600 Moye Blvd Greenville Y Gloria Highsmith highsmithg@gmail.com
66 May 23 6:00 pm The Folded Napkin, 115 W. North St Kinston Y Mike Kollock Lisa Burwell kollock@yahoo.com lwburwellseancd66@hotmail.com
67 July 9 6:00 pm West New Bern Fire Department, 900 Chelsea Rd New Bern Y Stanley Drewery drewerystanley@yahoo.com
68 May 22 7:00 pm Nixon Catering, 749 Virginia Rd Edenton Y Rita Woods rita.woods@ncdps.gov
69 June 27 5:30 pm Elizabeth City St. University-Kermit White Center 1704 Weeksville Rd Elizabeth City Light snacks Keith Renner vrkeithr@yahoo.com
70 June 11 6:00 pm Golden Corral Family Steakhouse 4468 Vernon Ave Kinston Y Douglas Wilson douglas.wilson@ncdps.gov
P.O. Drawer 27727
Raleigh, NC 27611
SEanC Retirement Workshops tour in Full Swing
by JonaThan owens SEANC Assistant Director of Communications
A SEANC retirement expert may be coming soon to a town near you.
SEANC Lobbyists Mitch Leonard and Chuck Stone, working with the SEANC Retiree Council and Membership Committee, have embarked on a tour of the state to educate retirees on issues directly affecting them and gain feedback on how to better serve their needs.
At the workshops, Stone, a one-time SEANC President, and Leonard, SEANC’s longestserving staff member, will focus much of the discussion on changes to the State Health Plan including the state treasurer’s surcharges, as well as Medicare. Come to learn about differences between Medicare-eligible retirement and non-Medicare retirement as well.
budget debate and funding changes to the Teachers and State Employees Retirement System.
“The issues that face our retirees can be vastly different from those that affect active employees,” said SEANC Retiree Council Chairman Bob Hopper. “The workshops give us a chance to reach out to our members who may have questions but do not know who to ask.”
Other topics addressed include the current federal
The workshops are open to all SEANC members. Because of their obligations in the General Assembly, Leonard and Stone are only available for workshops on Monday and Friday.
Retirement workshops are planned throughout May in Carteret, Cumberland, Wake and Wayne counties. If you are interested in attending a retiree workshop, contact your district chairperson or the SEANC central office at 919-833-6436.
jowens@seanc.org
district 7 members listen to a presentation on retirement from SeAnC lobbyist Mitch leonard on March 11 at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton.
