...(a.k.a. civil "servants").
I've never been a huge fan of dress codes for two reasons: one, they're impractical and two, they encourage uniformity.
Take Pontiac's for example. No longer permitted - Outerwear such as gloves, jackets and overcoats in the buildings.
I don't know about the schools you may have gone to, but my school always prided itself on the money it saved by not turning the heat on in the winter months. Yes, it looked good on their bottom-line to the school board, but it didn't make for a very good learning environment.
And as long as what someone is wearing isn't grungy, and their hygene was kept up, I don't see a problems with jeans and a T-shirt.
Oil stained Led Zepplin T-shirt and torn jeans - not good. Clean T-shirt and jeans - good.
As for the ruling elite, with Michigan's economy imploding (to say nothing about bills like this being introduced...do they know something that we don't?), their gravy train will be coming to a quick end shortly whether they like it or not.