| January 11, 2010 |
http://detnews.com/article/20100111/OPINION01/1110308 |
Editorial: Lawmakers have much work to do to fix Michigan
THE DETROIT NEWS
Lawmakers
returning to Lansing this week should dig right into pending
legislation for making Michigan better. With a $1.8 billion budget
shortfall looming, there isn't time for the traditional period of lax
activity while awaiting Gov. Jennifer Granholm's State of the State
address, scheduled this year for Feb. 3. Legislators
can start with important proposals for the retooling of state
government that have been put off for too long. Then they could move
from those to other worthwhile measures, such as dumping the Michigan
Business tax surcharge and improving legal representation for poor
people charged with crimes. Ideas that should be given priority include:
House Speaker Andy Dillon's plan to save up to $900 million by pooling
health insurance coverage for all public employees and schoolteachers.
Some argue that the savings wouldn't be as great as have been claimed,
but it's a worthwhile pursuit for even half the estimated amount.
Granholm has said there would be an initial cost and savings wouldn't
be realized right away. But that shouldn't be used as a reason not to
adopt this fiscally responsible reform. A
proposal to require public workers to pay 20 percent of their health
care costs -- or 15 percent if their health plan includes wellness
incentives and employee-funded health savings accounts. This overdue
legislation would more closely match public benefits with those for
private-sector workers and help governments and school boards wipe out
budget deficits. A U.S. Labor Department report indicates Michigan
civil service workers currently pay less than 10 percent of their
health care premiums, while private workers pay 20 percent to 30
percent. Legislation to restore the concept of
using "good time" to reduce prison sentences. Lawmakers have made
important changes in parole policies that have helped stem the costly
increase in Michigan's prison population, but the Corrections budget
still verges on $2 billion and is unaffordable. Organizations such as
the Detroit Regional Chamber have noted that the state could save
another $400 million by adopting Corrections policies more like those
of neighboring states and the federal government.
The state may not be able to afford all of what's laid out in a bill
calling for a state-run system of legal defense for the indigent, but
lawmakers should do all they can to improve on the current patchwork
setup, run and funded by counties, that deprives many criminal
defendants of their rights. Certainly, for example, they can pass new
state standards for who's entitled to public defenders and assure those
facing the most serious charges are represented by the most-skilled
court-appointed lawyers. Legislation to phase
out the 22 percent surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax by the end of
2011. While some would say state government can't afford this drop in
revenue, it's really a matter of setting priorities and being willing
to adopt the cost-saving reforms that have been proposed. A business
tax reduction right now could spur Michigan's rebound from recession.The
projected $1.8 billion budget problem is going to require a lot of
attention this spring. There's no time to waste and no need to wait for
the governor's message. Michiganians already know what the state of our state is.
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