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ELKINS -- Local teachers, school personnel and other state employees offered pointed and at times poignant comments during a public outreach meeting Saturday.
Two PEIA Task Force members -- Senate president Mitch Carmichael and James "Joe" White, executive director of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association -- were on hand at the Phil Gainer Community Center to hear concerns regarding West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency issues. Several times during the two-hour meeting Carmichael found himself facing criticism over how the Senate responded to the teachers' work stoppage in February.
Christi Phillips of Beverly, who has been a teacher for 32 years, began her comments at the podium by saying, "When I first starting teaching the pay was horrible, but that was OK because my insurance was a benefit. Thirty-two years later, here I am, my pay is horrible, and my insurance is not a benefit anymore, it's a burden."
Addressing Carmichael, she said, "Let's be honest. I'm not going to stand up here and tell you ways to fix it, because you and I both know those ways were suggested, You didn't want to listen… my guess is you're still not listening…
"I already have two jobs, I don't have time to do this job for you," Phillips said. "So it's time for you to stop playing politics, stop listening to people who are making contributions to your campaign, and listen to the people. People want this fixed… It's not going to go away." The crowd applauded as Phillips left the podium.
Carmichael responded by saying, "I've been Senate president a year and a half. This problem didn't develop yesterday. This has been a long-term, continuing issue which we're trying to solve."
As he spoke, Phillips returned to the podium and said, "You know what? I'm tired of hearing that too. I don't care how long it's been a problem. This is now. You're in charge now. It's your problem now … Please be honest. You and I both know what happened this session. I was there every day, I saw it."
"As respectful as I can be, I was there every day as well," Carmichael said, before listing some of the suggestions he heard earlier this year.
"I'm listenting to those suggestions and they are under consideration," he said.
"Well, I hope that's true," Phillips said.
Speaking last at the meeting Saturday was Andrea Corley, a state employee whose 11-year-old daughter Gabriella suffers from diabetes. The Corleys' struggle to obtain the medicine Gabriella needs was the subject of an Inter-Mountain article last September, and their situation was also featured on "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" last year.
Corley said PEIA has "fought" her on paying for certain medicines and equipment her daughter requires. She noted doctors have told her, "Oh no, you've got PEIA. This might be a problem."
Corley pointed out that last year she spent $14,000 out of her own pocket for co-pays and prescription costs for her daughter's medicine. "That's half of my salary," she said. The audience gave her a standing ovation after her remarks.
White said he was going to "personally deliver" a copy of Corley's comments to the PEIA Finance Board.