More government employee perks, the taxpayer be damned!

Is it any wonder that California and its municipalities are sinking under enormous deficits?

I just have a hard time reconciling huge government costs and that cities and states are having to make draconian budget cuts yet the City of Berkeley is extending employee benefits.

Something needs to be cut, and no, I don't mean that.

Berkeley set to offer sex-change employee benefit

By Carolyn Jones - SC Chronicle

While other cities are slashing employee benefits, Berkeley is slated to add one more: paying for sex-change operations.

The City Council is poised to vote tonight to set aside $20,000 annually for city workers' gender-reassignment surgery. The procedure is not covered by the city's two health insurance providers, Kaiser and Health Net.

"We offer all kinds of benefits to our employees. This brings our benefits in line with what's just and fair for the transgender community," said City Councilman Darryl Moore, who originally proposed the idea in 2007.

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