Good reform package used as opportunity to provide lifetime benefits

Earlier this morning Clydes Dale mentioned in another post a story he'd heard on WJR about Michigan Democrats and a vote to grant themselves lifetime benefits.  

In economic times like these I sincerely wish even the most extreme left wingers had the sense to avoid big-government bureaucratic protection schemes like this but alas... they don't.  Not even the so-called moderates.

House Democrats yesterday forced a package of bills through the Michigan House that do indeed guarantee lifetime benefits for state lawmakers.  Worse yet, they snuck it into otherwise important legislation.  But take this as a positive sign and early high marks for the Elsenheimer-led Republican Minority... Republican Representatives were quick to cry foul!

"One of the top issues we're hearing from our local governments is their call for help dealing with unfunded liabilities and saving money," said Rep. Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion. "That is the intent of this legislation and should be the focus of these bills, not guaranteeing benefits for state legislators and bureaucrats."

The House yesterday approved a bipartisan package, House Bills 4071-9, to create a mechanism for the state and local governments to pre-fund retiree health benefits for public employees retired from the state, Legislature, Judiciary, State Police and public schools or from local units of government. A provision added by Democrats in committee would guarantee lifetime health benefits for public employees, including legislators.

"It is unfortunate that this opportunity for real reform to improve the state of Michigan has been mucked up by special interest paybacks and partisan politics," said Rep. Chuck Moss, R Birmingham.

The House Republican Caucus previously introduced HB 4080 to stop lifetime benefits for lawmakers beginning with the current sophomore class of lawmakers.  They've been trying to stop lifetime legislator benefits for years now.  Last term Democrat Robert Dean introduced legislation to protect lifetime benefits for himself and his colleagues and this year we get this monstrosity.

"Ending lifetime benefits is an important move to put the citizen's Legislature more in line with Michigan citizens who are forced to make sacrifices every day to get by," state Rep. Brian Calley. "I am disheartened by today's move in the wrong direction. If the state can't even balance our own books, why are we cementing such an unnecessary perk for six years of service?"

"Two weeks ago we voted to cut our salaries, and that was the right thing to do and today we voted to give ourselves lifetime health benefits," said Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker. "If that's not the definition of hypocrisy, I don't know what is."

It is, Representative.  It is.