COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
When Vice Mayor Jay Kramer Tuesday proposed a one percent cost of living adjustment for the City’s retirees who are on an older pension plan that does not provide for such adjustments, Councilwoman Pilar Turner objected. “…I’d suggest you exercise your philanthropy with your own money and not with the taxpayer’s money,” Turner said.
Earlier, Kramer explained the additional one percent in pension benefits for the City’s older retirees, whose ages range from the late 70s to mid 90s, would cost the pension fund $18,000, and would partially offset this year’s 10 percent increase in health insurance for these same retirees.
Turner, who enjoys a patrician, barrier island lifestyle and who lives in a $1 million riverfront home, has no problem asking the City’s taxpayers to provide her with a health insurance benefit. (Council members are the City’s only part-time employees eligible for the City’s health insurance plan.) Turner seems even less troubled over her central role in squandering no less than $1.5 million on a transactional attorney who utterly failed to bring the power sale to a conclusion.
Craig Fletcher, who also takes advantage of the City’s health insurance plan, joined Turner in opposing the 1 percent cost of living increase for the City’s older retirees. With support from Amelia Graves and Mayor Richard Winger, Kramer’s proposal was approved. In the 2013/2014 budget, the City spent $20,451 to provide Turner and Fletcher with health insurance coverage, a benefit not offered any of the City’s other part-time employees.
Indian River Guardian 
Councilwoman Turner’s statement were not only cruel words directed at Council Kramer, but cruel to those who worked for the city years ago(some in their 90’s). A callous person with no feeling for the elderly or their struggles in old age. Shame on her!
Pilar Turner needs to consider the words of Rev. Martin Luther King: “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthrophist to overlook the circumstances of economic justice which make philanthropy necessary,”
I suggest that Councilwoman Turner drive off the barrier island some time and check out the circumstances that exist in the communities where the city pensioners iive.
I cannot believe how callous Mrs. Turner and Mr. Fletcher appear to be. It is one thing to be as frugal as possible and another thing to be so unconcerned about the well-being of those who worked for the City. It isn’t like Mr. Kramer was requesting a huge amount–or even as much as the two Council persons’ City health insurance costs us. I feel sorry for them – in a way. Am grateful to the rest of the Council for being compassionate human beings.
Seems very strange that we provide free medical insurance to council members??
Perhaps they should discontinue this crazy benefit.
We can pay the extra 12% year over year increase for Turner’s and Fletcher’s health insurance but we can not give retirees a 1% increase. With Fletcher not running and off the free bee I know where we can get $10,000 of the $18,000.
Pilar Turner’s “credibility” was shot the moment she and Mr Fletcher signed a document they didn’t even read that sent the City into a 1.5+ million dollar waste of time, yet has the indecency to continue the struggle of a foreseen failure and is driving THAT right into the sun, no expense spared.
And she called out Kramer to allocate a deserved stipend, for those that have it coming, out of his own pocket.
And Fletcher, again, has followed Pilar right into the sun.
Stupidity on this level just cannot be scripted.