Faith-based hypocrisy

To the editor:

At a recent prayer breakfast, Mayor Eric Adams stated that his religious beliefs inform his policy decisions. Due to his faith, the mayor has warmly welcomed undocumented foreign migrants and is offering support for the mentally ill homeless.

But at the same time, the "faithful" mayor extends a helping hand to the needy, he seeks to undermine the health care of retired city employees by replacing their long-standing health care benefits with an inferior plan run by a for-profit private insurer charged with fiscal improprieties. Most retirees affected by this change are seniors who have served the city and its residence loyally for decades. Many are afflicted with serious or life- threatening medical conditions who rely on their current health care coverage.

I, for one, retired in 2006 after nearly 35 years of city service during which time I served in various responsible administrative positions. I have depended on the city's health benefits in retirement to survive two rounds of cancer, a life-threatening heart condition and other ailments that have affected my cognition, ambulation and overall quality of life. I fear that the replacement of my current health benefits with an inferior for-profit plan that restricts access to care and imposes other impediments will hasten my demise. I am all of 73 years old.

Is the mayor's action driven by cost considerations that of a compassionate man driven by religious faith? I think not. If the mayor is a man of religious conviction as he claims, he will allow city retirees to retain their current health care benefits. Otherwise, his talk of his religious beliefs ring hollow.

Arnold Kingston