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Adam Ford
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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/POLITICS/701290319
LANSING -- While Bob Emerson toils to fill an $800-million hole in the state budget in his new job as budget chief, he shouldn't have much trouble making ends meet at home.
The former Democratic senator from Flint will draw more than $216,000 from the state this year, including his salary and legislative pension.
Emerson, 59, is part of a long-established tradition in Lansing that says former lawmakers don't fade away; they just wind up in the state bureaucracy as appointees of the governor or legislative leaders. |
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Adam Ford
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Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:59 pm |
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Guest
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quote:
Adam Ford schreef:
[url]....://....detnews..../apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/POLITICS/701290319[/url]
LANSING -- While Bob Emerson toils to fill an $800-million hole in the state budget in his new job as budget chief, he shouldn't have much trouble making ends meet at home.
The former Democratic senator from Flint will draw more than $216,000 from the state this year, including his salary and legislative pension.
Emerson, 59, is part of a long-established tradition in Lansing that says former lawmakers don't fade away; they just wind up in the state bureaucracy as appointees of the governor or legislative leaders.
Thanks, Bob, for the new SERVICE TAX! Funny, I didn't hear about any ALCOHOL tax. Does he imbibe? Here are some interesting facts on Michigan's Tax Climate:
....://,,,,taxfoundation..../research/topic/36.html |
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Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:30 am |
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FlintConservative
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Adam Ford schreef:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/POLITICS/701290319
LANSING -- While Bob Emerson toils to fill an $800-million hole in the state budget in his new job as budget chief, he shouldn't have much trouble making ends meet at home.
The former Democratic senator from Flint will draw more than $216,000 from the state this year, including his salary and legislative pension.
Emerson, 59, is part of a long-established tradition in Lansing that says former lawmakers don't fade away; they just wind up in the state bureaucracy as appointees of the governor or legislative leaders.
Somehow I don't think that was the intent of term limits. Silly me...why should the will of the people matter? |
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Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:51 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| We need a NEW LAW that prevents a government employee (any employee at any level, paid by taxpayers) from collecting retirement benefits while they are employed! |
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Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:23 pm |
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jackson
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| No new law needed: all legislators elected after term limits went into effect are NOT part of any pension plan. So, those elected in 1996 (or 1998, I'm not sure which) or later get NO pension. And, with the Dems in control of the House, they are proposing that health care benefits for legislators be substantially limited also - putting them on par with all other state employees. |
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Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:46 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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More from the article Adam quoted to start this thread:
* * * *
"Emerson will earn $135,000 as budget director and $6,814 a month in retirement benefits for his 26 years in the Legislature. He was term-limited out of office at the end of last year after nine terms in the House and two in the Senate.
He's getting a nice bump in pay. As a lawmaker, he made $101,650: the $79,650 base salary, plus $22,000 a year for leading the Senate's minority party.
Emerson, who declined comment, is among the last crop of legislators getting pensions under the old, so-called defined benefits retirement plan. Under that plan, lawmakers paid a portion of their salary -- 9 percent in recent years -- toward the pensions they eventually receive.
In 1997, the lawmaker retirement program was switched to a defined contribution setup, better known as a 401(k). Emerson is under the old plan because his legislative service began before 1997."
* * * *
Emerson, 59, is part of a long-established tradition in Lansing that says former lawmakers don't fade away; they just wind up in the state bureaucracy as appointees of the governor or legislative leaders.
That's not what voters like Jim Lawton of Redford envisioned when the state imposed term limits on legislators and other top elected state officials.
"Absolutely not," said Lawton, who owns a pest control business. "What we had in mind was for these people to go back to the private sector. It's outrageous."
Emerson is among 10 former lawmakers and unsuccessful candidates who have landed jobs in or around government within two months of November's election.
John Chamberlin, who heads the Michigan chapter of Common Cause, agrees this isn't what voters intended when they approved term limits 15 years ago.
"These are the kinds of consequences you learn about down the road," Chamberlin said. "The voters wanted to clean everybody out of Lansing every once in awhile. But the other view is it doesn't hurt to have people in the capital who have some experience doing this kind of thing."
Chamberlin says he's more concerned about the revolving door between the Legislature and the lobbying corps. For example, former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Hummel of DeWitt was term-limited out of office in December and recently was hired as a lobbyist for the Michigan Insurance Agents Association.
"It's not a good idea to go from a legislative job to a lobbying job where you end up working on some of the same issues," Chamberlin said. "The public has a right to be suspicious about that."
[end quotes]
* * * *
When someone retires earlier than full retirement age they can collect a reduced social security benefit which is further reduced according to the amount of money they earn should they choose to continue working while collecting that benefit.
There needs to be a similar requirement for these Lansing officals who are collecting full retirement benefits at the expense of taxpayers, while they are still working full time at the expense of taxpayers. It's called "double dipping" and it should not be allowed. This is an area where when every penny counts to solve budget problems, Emerson should be the first to acknowledge the problem and do something about it! For him to earn $216,000 by double dipping and agree to increase ANY tax to resolve a state budget problem without first addressing such an issue is unconscionable. |
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Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:18 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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| Another thing I failed to mention is that our state senators and house member get paid $75,000 a year when they only are in session 3 days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday yet none of them manage to show up for things like city council meetings. I also don't understand why Detroit, Flint and Lansing can't use their clout to get some state police out of safe places like Oakland county running speed traps so they could spend some more time in innner cities helping to solve state felonies like murders. |
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Adam
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Mysearchisover.com
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FB
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Jobs
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Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:47 am |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Adam, its called sucking off the pulic tit.
quote:
Adam schreef:
Another thing I failed to mention is that our state senators and house member get paid $75,000 a year when they only are in session 3 days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday yet none of them manage to show up for things like city council meetings. I also don't understand why Detroit, Flint and Lansing can't use their clout to get some state police out of safe places like Oakland county running speed traps so they could spend some more time in innner cities helping to solve state felonies like murders.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:32 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Thats a lot of cheese for someone to take home a year!
quote:
00SL2 schreef:
More from the article Adam quoted to start this thread:
* * * *
"Emerson will earn $135,000 as budget director and $6,814 a month in retirement benefits for his 26 years in the Legislature. He was term-limited out of office at the end of last year after nine terms in the House and two in the Senate.
He's getting a nice bump in pay. As a lawmaker, he made $101,650: the $79,650 base salary, plus $22,000 a year for leading the Senate's minority party.
Emerson, who declined comment, is among the last crop of legislators getting pensions under the old, so-called defined benefits retirement plan. Under that plan, lawmakers paid a portion of their salary -- 9 percent in recent years -- toward the pensions they eventually receive.
In 1997, the lawmaker retirement program was switched to a defined contribution setup, better known as a 401(k). Emerson is under the old plan because his legislative service began before 1997."
* * * *
Emerson, 59, is part of a long-established tradition in Lansing that says former lawmakers don't fade away; they just wind up in the state bureaucracy as appointees of the governor or legislative leaders.
That's not what voters like Jim Lawton of Redford envisioned when the state imposed term limits on legislators and other top elected state officials.
"Absolutely not," said Lawton, who owns a pest control business. "What we had in mind was for these people to go back to the private sector. It's outrageous."
Emerson is among 10 former lawmakers and unsuccessful candidates who have landed jobs in or around government within two months of November's election.
John Chamberlin, who heads the Michigan chapter of Common Cause, agrees this isn't what voters intended when they approved term limits 15 years ago.
"These are the kinds of consequences you learn about down the road," Chamberlin said. "The voters wanted to clean everybody out of Lansing every once in awhile. But the other view is it doesn't hurt to have people in the capital who have some experience doing this kind of thing."
Chamberlin says he's more concerned about the revolving door between the Legislature and the lobbying corps. For example, former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Hummel of DeWitt was term-limited out of office in December and recently was hired as a lobbyist for the Michigan Insurance Agents Association.
"It's not a good idea to go from a legislative job to a lobbying job where you end up working on some of the same issues," Chamberlin said. "The public has a right to be suspicious about that."
[end quotes]
* * * *
When someone retires earlier than full retirement age they can collect a reduced social security benefit which is further reduced according to the amount of money they earn should they choose to continue working while collecting that benefit.
There needs to be a similar requirement for these Lansing officals who are collecting full retirement benefits at the expense of taxpayers, while they are still working full time at the expense of taxpayers. It's called "double dipping" and it should not be allowed. This is an area where when every penny counts to solve budget problems, Emerson should be the first to acknowledge the problem and do something about it! For him to earn $216,000 by double dipping and agree to increase ANY tax to resolve a state budget problem without first addressing such an issue is unconscionable.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:33 pm |
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Biggie9
F L I N T O I D
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Ryan,
whatthe heck is a "pulic tit"????
Is that something Anna Nicole had?
Seems a lot of the public seemed intimate with hers anyway?.........
I heard even cartoon characters were claiming paternity....... |
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Biggie |
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Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:29 am |
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