Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on December 1, 2005

Click here to view bill details.

Why don't you people propose something to help out the little guy who now is losing his retirement insurance instead of giving your own more and more all the time? The Medicaid part D is of no use to anyone. Just where do you think people will be able to coe up with the money to pay for the gap between 2,000 and 8,000 that now is in this new law? I don't see any gap in your proposal.

I can't afford health insurance now. Are you going to raise my taxes again so more government employees have coverage? Who has the best health care coverage? Government employees including public school employees. Who is paying for it? Non goverment employees. Sure government employees pay taxes, but those taxes are their wages!!!!!!!!!

With this new idea to fleece the residents even more, it shows me that you people in Lansing have way too much idle time on your hands. What?? Your pensions aren't enough to pay for your insurance?? I don't know of any other job that allows a person to "retire" after 6 years of "service" and get the benefits that are alloted to you guys. Of course, you don't really retire, you recycle yourselves into lobbyists or other government sponsored positions. You wanted your positions to "serve the people" who elected you. Reality is you want to serve yourselves. SHAME ON YOU!! You have no thought towards the people who are losing their jobs and their insurance. We need a legitimate part time legislature so you people can renew your acquaintance with a real job and not feed off the public trough that you expect us to keep filled and over flowing.

The current benefits for former legislators are even more generous than those proposed by this bill.

I work in the health care field and it is shameful that a country such as ours cannot come up with decent health care for every citizen. Our legisaltors spend too much time passing bills for their benefit. Who eles in this country can work so few years and reap such a benefit package, paid for by the working people? This is way too one-sided only taking care of yourselves, very sad state of affairs.

The rest of the state is having a hard enough of a time as it is paying their bills without someone stepping in and being overly generous with other people's money. Besides, socialized medicine isn't all it's cracked up to be anyway: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1118400260692_113/?hub=Health

Bravo! for the following observation: "Clarification: This bill is less generous than current benefits." That accurately describes the content of HB 5472, which would reduce retired legislator benefits. (They still would be pretty generous bennies, though.) The question is, how many people who have posted complaints about the bill here have approached their employers and proposed cutting their own benefits?

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT FROM ANOTHER TAXPAYER WHO IS AS TIRED OF PAYING THE FREIGHT FOR FAT PENSIONS AND HEALTH CARE THAT THE PRIVATE CITIZENRY CAN ONLY IMAGINE IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS. I HAVE RECENTLY HEARD OF A FORMER REPRESENTATIVE IN MICHIGAN WHO DECIDED TO CASH IN HIS RETIREMENT AND RECEIVED WELL OVER $500,000. I CAN ONLY WISH THAT MY HUSBAND COULD CASH IN HIS RETIREMENT (HE'S RETIRING NEXT YEAR) AND COLLECT OVER A 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS! WHAT SUCKERS WE TAXPAYERS ARE. AREN'T WE? "With this new idea to fleece the residents even more, it shows me that you people in Lansing have way too much idle time on your hands. What?? Your pensions aren't enough to pay for your insurance?? I don't know of any other job that allows a person to "retire" after 6 years of "service" and get the benefits that are alloted to you guys. Of course, you don't really retire, you recycle yourselves into lobbyists or other government sponsored positions. You wanted your positions to "serve the people" who elected you. Reality is you want to serve yourselves. SHAME ON YOU!! You have no thought towards the people who are losing their jobs and their insurance. We need a legitimate part time legislature so you people can renew your acquaintance with a real job and not feed off the public trough that you expect us to keep filled and over flowing."

While this bill may reduce benifits it is only a start- and a slow one at that. Public awareness of legislative benefits is the only thing that will effect what is needed and that is a truly effective part-time legislature. They only work part time as it is and look at what a mess they have made of this state economically. Send them Home more and save the state.