State GOP leader Bishop proposes public employee pay cuts
By Zack Colman (Last updated: 01/19/10 11:56pm)Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, announced a budget plan that could save the state between $2.24 and $2.6 billion during a Tuesday press conference.
In the plan, all public employees — which includes MSU staff members — would receive a 5 percent pay reduction and would be frozen at that rate for three years. The public servant pay cut would comprise the largest portion of savings at an estimated $1.2 billion.
“This requires huge and immediate attention to the size of our government and the cost of our government,” Bishop said. “We have to stop treating the symptoms and treat the disease itself, and we believe that is the cost of government.”
Bishop, who is running for attorney general, said his proposal would cut state expenses through six categorical reforms — public employee health care, local police and fire, K-12 education spending, Medicaid, government efficiency and compensation reform for public employees.
Originally Published: 01/19/10 6:12pm
Just wondering
01/19/10 9:59pmIt is ironic that national Republicans are attacking the proposed healthcare reforms as dangerous to Medicaid when State Republicans are slashing funding.
Rick
01/20/10 8:17pmI’m not sure Sen. Bishop is being honest about his initiative. Most of these public employees are members of unions, which means they have contracts. These contracts, as I understand it, cannot be unilaterally abrogated before their expiration dates. Additionally, there are a number of different unions—therefore a number of different contracts. It is hard to imagine that a uniform outcome could be negotiated. Perhaps Sen. Bishop is just floating a talking point.