Cut the state budget? Let's start with the Legislature
I just read the AP story in which Senator Mike Bishop proposes a constitutional amendment that would force local government workers to take a 5 percent pay cut and freeze pay at that level for the next 3 years. He wants to balance the state budget on the backs of the workers that provide all of our services.
In the article, Senator Bishop is quoted as saying, "We cannot afford the government that we have today". On this point, I would agree with him.
But lets take a different approach. Let’s reduce the amount of time, and pay, that our legislators receive. I propose a part-time Legislature for Michigan, reducing their benefits accordingly.
I would also propose eliminating the free, lifetime, taxpayer-funded health care benefits our legislators enjoy. I feel these measures would go a long way in reducing the state budget deficit. It would at least give our legislators less time to sit around Lansing to devise these hair-brained ideas.
Dale Halifax Minden City
Comments
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 : 10:16 a.m.
And our politicians do nothing but campaign full time while in office anyway.. Fact: Over the last decade, a seated Representative in Michigan is voted OUT of office only about 2% of the time. Now why is that??? Because we pay them an annual salary to run a continuous 12 month campaign while they put forth mindless bills that will never pass yet make for great photo ops and generate more and more donations.. In NH - State Rep. pay is $100/yr and they meet for 45 days. In TX pay is ~$7,000. There are 10 States where the annual salary is about $10k or less. There seems to be no connection between a "hi-functioning" state and a paid legislature. Quite the opposite I would say. States with Full time legislatures seem to be overly taxed and poorly run. See Stateline.org for one site.
Hot Sam
Mon, Feb 1, 2010 : 3:47 p.m.
As a nation, one of our biggest mistakes, is to think that politicians need to be "doing" something...
dconkey
Mon, Feb 1, 2010 : 11:58 a.m.
I could not agree with you more. If other states can have a part time legislature that meet every other year, there is no reason Michigan can not.