What Happened to the Other 40 Percent of Our Budget Savings?

Here's an object lesson on the insidious effect of soaring health care costs. The City of Lafayette worked hard to squeeze about $920,000 out of its operating budget for next year. They did so, according to the Journal and Courier, "by budgeting less for gasoline for its vehicle fleets, leaving some empty positions vacant and holding off on purchasing needed equipment, such as trash trucks." But on Monday night Mayor Tony Roswarski had to explain to the City Council that the actual savings would be more like $540,000 because of . . . (you guessed it) increased health care costs.

President Obama has stressed again and again that our economy cannot become healthy until we can control the growth of health care costs, and here's a graphic illustration from our own backyard. You can read the Journal and Courier story on Lafayette's budget here.