Lansing Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero wants to slash legislative pay.
“I can’t imagine why we continue to pay our elected representatives a full salary with lifetime health benefits for working a part-time job,” Bernero said in a campaign release. “I think most hard-working Michiganders are outraged by the fact that Michigan lawmakers work only 3 days a week and take another 10 weeks off for vacation on top of that. Part-time work deserves part-time pay and benefits.”
This is pure pandering, something Bernero has a history with. In fact, I’ve always found Bernero the office-holder far more impressive than Bernero the candidate.
“I can’t imagine why we continue to pay our elected representatives a full salary with lifetime health benefits for working a part-time job,” Bernero said in a campaign release. “I think most hard-working Michiganders are outraged by the fact that Michigan lawmakers work only 3 days a week and take another 10 weeks off for vacation on top of that. Part-time work deserves part-time pay and benefits.”
This is pure pandering, something Bernero has a history with. In fact, I’ve always found Bernero the office-holder far more impressive than Bernero the candidate.
Take this pay idea. As a former state rep and state senator, Bernero knows that the work of the Legislature extends past actual session days -- the Tuesday-Thursday schedule he refers to above. You have committee work and constituent work and, oh, maybe a little light reading of the bills and state reports and such.
Done properly, a legislator’s job would be extraordinarily time-consuming. And I say this as someone who also doesn’t care for the 3-day session weeks. What Michigan needs is a condensed session calendar with 5-day weeks as necessary.
Now, I agree with the mayor about the lifetime retiree benefits. As long as lawmakers are term-limited, they shouldn’t get anything other than a salary. They are contractors hired for a set period who are responsible for their own health care and retirement plans.
But if you create this “part-time pay” situation, all you are doing is making the Legislature less representative of the state. Those who run will be those who can operate simultaneous careers -- lawyers, retirees, insurance agents, etc.
The state needs a full-time Legislature that has limits on its actual session time. Most of the year should be spent in committee hearings to learn the issues or dealing with constituents.
Bernero knows all this, but he’s just looking to get some traction with the “mad as hell” folks.
But remember, politicians pander because it works. The instant voters demand more of their leaders, the pols will adjust their rhetoric and their actions.
