Michigan Votes Forum

How about a constitutional amendment to eliminate the benefit package of any "retired" legislator or elected state government official?  This would be retroactive to 1990.

 All you politician want to do is have everybody else cut there wages and do all of your work for you.I have a suggetion that will help out the state plus bring revinew into the treasury.

We do (NOT NEED FULL TIME LEGISLATTOR) I suggest you vote yourself into part time legislator and we all will benafit.

Retired .............Michigan voter

I agree with lilstoetz. Cut the pay of senators and legislators but I wouldn't stop at 5% for them, I think 25% is probably more in order. Their pay increases have been padded for years and years.

I am so deeply offended by this crap!  Cut my pay?!?  We've given up raises to and busted or butts to keep health care costs low so we can keep our 'fully-funded' health care.  My union has worked diligently to come up with solutions and to find balances that will mutally benefit the workers and the univeristy!  Now, the government wants to step in and take over?  Why? Because we found a model that works for us?

Every single one of these idiots needs to be recalled!

 I was deeply saddened by the news of this legislation that I received today.  As a 6th year teacher, my take home pay totals 26,000 per year.  I work 60 hrs. per week to meet my students' needs, the deadlines of the district, and state grade level content expectations. I love and want to help the children of our area, who are mostly in low income, high risk category.  I have several concerns about this legislation.  Is it really what is best for our children in this state?  Our legislators propose cutting funding, when schools are already having a hard time meeting financial needs.  Then they make it easier to take over financially insolvent schools (seems like a conflict of interest?) and fire the staff  (doesn't it seem like they are creating the financial hardship?).  The students in my school struggle with not having enough to eat, living with single parents struggling on mininum wage, abuse, neglect, and low economic status.  I tutor kids after school for free to help as much as I can, but my own family gets less of my attention due to the great need of most of my class.  I work a second job for 20 hours per week to make ends meet (for a total of 80 hours per week of work).  Several nights per week I get 2-4 hours sleep in order to be prepared for teaching or correct work (there is no time during the school day to do this).  I give up my lunch break to take care of behavior problems that occur in class or tutor children.  My ongoing education that is required by the state will total 3000 dollars this year alone, not to mention the 30,000 dollars I still owe on my student loan for the five year degree teaching requires.  When will the public, and our representatives stop expecting teachers to work to their detrement and treat them as the professionals that they are rather than as if the "emotional reward" of teaching should be enough for any caring person?  Yes, we love your children.  We put in the hours, sometimes leading to our own isolation from our families, and friends due to our work load.  But I ask.....how many of you would like to work 60 hours to bring home 26,000 dollars, then pay out $2000 on classroom supplies because the state underfunds our schools, then pay $3000 for additional classes?  That brings the pay down to $21,000 for a college educated professional.  Sounds great huh?  Now take %5 off that, and what does that leave? ... Talented people leaving the profession.  A resentful workforce that feels underappreciated for their sacrifice, that will in turn bring negative repercussions to our schools.  They eventually will not be able to attract people to this field.  And also.....according to the study I currently read, teachers are paid 4% less than people with the same education in the private sector.  Even with benefits included, it was still 2% less.  So why is there less protest about this absurd proposal?

 It's time to recall some of these legislators who can't remember who they work for.  Michigan needs a part time legislature with strict salary guidelines and benefits that end when service ends.  If the legislators are going to consider themselves state employees, then they should have the same benefits and have to work the same hours and contribute to their health care also.  (And they should have the same health care!) They get into office and then vote laws into place that affect the middle class and leave their big contributors alone.  I, personally, am tired of paying for all their perks while they attack my profession.  I do a heck of a lot more for Michigan by teaching than they do by voting their own salaries and benefits.