Trooper: Sr. Corporal Robert Becker
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Thu, 12/08/2005 - 21:54.
The end is near for Senior Cpl. Robert Becker.
He fought the good fight on Dallas' streets, but there's one battle he can't win: his six-year struggle with the stomach cancer that has left tumors inside and outside his body.
Corporal Becker Back on Salary
The Dallas Morning News reports that Sr. Corporal Robert Becker is back on salary. The story also indicates that the City is reviewing leave issues moving forward.
Disability and the City of Dallas
This really isn't a hard subject. When the City went with an insurance provider they either forgot they had workers with pre-exixting conditions that would become disabled and allowed the insurance company to exclude them from coverage or they made a decision to save money on the premiums by excluding from coverage this group of employees.
You'll probably never get anyone to admit what really happened. Also, I would feel just as sorry for any city worker denied disability and do not think he is entitled to any special benefit. All city workers should have been provided long term disability coverage regardless of any pre-existing condition
Long term disability
Yes, this is a case of "fell through the cracks." It is unfortunate that it takes news media coverage to get Mary Suhm to do the right thing.
It would be interesting to see if there are others in Corporal Becker's situation.
Humanity vs the Bottom Line
It really is a hard subject. It deals with the life and death of noble man. It isn't a hard subject to figure out what went on. They made a decision to save money on the premiums by excluding from coverage this group of employees.
There is a discussion that needs to happen on how the system works for the weakest, the ignorant, the poor, and the disabled.
After reading that story I am moved towards reflection and resolve to do better in my own life.
It served as reminder to me that I am not going to live forever, and that people need to be seen as people, not as a plus or minus on the bottom line. Is the suffering of others something to be mitigated or seen as a costly and unnecassary expense.