Health Benefits for Selectmen

The Lowell Sun has a pretty big article today on Dracut elected officials who are on the town's health insurance program. Former Selectman Warren Shaw, who served on the board for over twenty years, and Kathleen DiTillio, widow of former Selectmen Jack DiTillio, both receive health insurance through the town. Both Shaw and DiTillio say they are eligible for the insurance and DiTillio does pay $3,800 a year in premiums. Shaw of course operates Shaw Farm whereas DiTillio moved to Florida after her husband passed away in 2005.


The article quotes Roger Daigle who many know as one of the talking heads on "Inside Dracut Politics" who says, "They're all bloodsuckers in my book. It galls me how these people make up their own rules. The law says they may be eligible, not that they are eligible. They're supposed to work 20 hours a week and the benefits are supposed to end when their term of office expires. No elected official works 20 hours a week. They pick and choose what part of the law suits them."


Calling Shaw and DiTillio bloodsuckers is over the top but anyone who has seen his show and read his comments on a certain blog know Daigle has made a career on being caustic and inflammatory.


In addition to Shaw and DiTillio, the article points out that four of the five selectmen are on the town's insurance. The only one who doesn't is Jim O'Loughlin who is a state employee so he gets it through them. Joe DiRocco gets it as a retired fire fighter, John Zimini through his wife, a school employee, and Robert Cox and George Malliaros have opted for the insurance (Cox owns Coyle's Tavern and Malliaros is a local attorney).


It is an interesting story, you can see it all here.