Right-wing station can't afford employee health care coverage

This one is from a couple weeks ago, but I finally have the motivation to say something about it.

Listeners of right-wing talk radio have been hearing a lot of nonsense from assorted pundits and talking heads as of late about our Democratically-controlled government. Most ridiculous of all, aside from the 'Obama birth certificate conspiracy' nuts, is the ongoing debate about the current movement by the Obama Administration and Congress to reform our mess of a health care system.

Much of it comes across as ridiculous, ill-informed and just plain false. Thanks to them, many of their listeners don't even realize that Medicare is actually run by the government! Essentially, people that take the word of the Limbaughs, Hannitys and Becks of the world are heeding the 'gospel' of ridiculously-rich glorified disc jockeys with amazing health care plans who would rather stick up for corrupt medical and pharmaceutical corporations at the expense of the average American, as if paying $100 for a pill is merely proof that the market is effective. That's pretty sick.

And one small station in West Palm Beach, Florida, who's owner and hosts have been rallying against the so-called "ObamaCare", has all of a sudden found itself being unable to afford health care coverage. That's also sick.

Here's more from Page 2 Live (bold comments by me):

The good folks who work at radio stations WFTL (640 and 850AM) — including well-known on-air personalities like anti-immigration afternoon talker Joyce Kaufman... recently found out they’ve had no health insurance for nearly two months.
The stations’ owner, James Crystal Radio, just didn’t pay their premiums, according to this internal memo.

(snip)

“One of us tried to fill out a prescription and was told none of us had coverage,” an insider said.
About 30 employees work for Crystal, which is owned by the legendary radio mogul James Hilliard.

(snip)

“We’re hitting a wall, like most in the media,” Hilliard said, “but employees will get their benefit back when the check clears. It’s been tough. Some years, the insurance premiums go up by 40 percent while the advertising revenues in radio keep going down. For employees who are paid lower salaries, the premiums equal their salaries. I’m a small business owner and most small business owners in this country are having the same problems.

“I do believe that health insurance is the single most important thing a company owner can do for his employees. But there may be a time when we can’t afford it.”

Still, Hilliard says the country doesn’t need Obama health.

“That would make health care even more expensive,” he said. “And those fines to people who don’t have health care? The government would make everything worse.”

You can insert your own jokes here. Or better yet, if you still believe guys like Hilliard, bogged down by misinformation, perhaps it's time to actually read up on the facts, rather than hear it filtered through loudmouth shock jocks pushing nonsense agendas. For those who'd like to get a completely opposite side of the story, may I suggest Michael Moore's astonishing film Sicko?

And if people like Hilliard is pissing and moaning about the cost of health care, perhaps it's time he advocate a solution. After all, the status quo isn't doing anything for him.

Finally, if Hilliard is still deducting health care from his employees' paychecks, while stiffing them on coverage, perhaps it's time the people who work for him can take matters into their own hands.