By Charlie Cain
A quick look at the reform agendas of Michigan’s Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates…
Should Michigan switch to a part-time Legislature?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: Yes. Andy Dillon: No
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Yes … Mike Cox: No … Tom George: Yes … .Pete Hoekstra: Yes … Rick Snyder: Yes, but not a high priority.
Do you favor reforming Michigan’s term limits law?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: Yes, amend to allow a person to serve up to 12 years in each chamber. … Andy Dillon: Yes, amend to allow a person to serve 12 years in either chamber.
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Yes, amend to allow a person to serve a total of 12 years in any combination between the two chambers. … Mike Cox: No. … Tom George: Yes, extend them but favors no specific plan. … Pete Hoekstra: Yes, but endorses no specific plan. … Rick Snyder: would consider change, but not high on his agenda.
Should lawmakers be docked a day’s pay for each day beyond a specific deadline for failure to enact a state budget?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: Yes. … Andy Dillon: Yes
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Yes. … Mike Cox: supports the concept. … Tom George: Not sure it’s the answer to the problem. … Pete Hoekstra: No, more effective ways to address the issue. … Rick Snyder: Yes, as long as governor is also included in plan.
Should Michigan convene a Constitutional Convention next year, giving delegates the change to rewrite the 1963 Constitution?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: No. … Andy Dillon: No
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: No. … Mike Cox: No. … Tom George: Yes. … Pete Hoekstra: No. … Rick Snyder: No
Should Michigan become a Right-to-Work state?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: No. … Andy Dillon: No
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Yes. … Mike Cox: Would sign it into law. … Tom George: Yes. … Pete Hoekstra: No. … Rick Snyder: Not on his agenda.
Do you favor changes to PA312 which provides for binding arbitration for police and firefighter contracts?
Democrats: Virg Benero: No. … Andy Dillon: Yes
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Yes. … Mike Cox: Yes. … Tom George: Yes. … Pete Hoekstra: Willing to consider reforms. … Rick Snyder: Needs further review.
What, if any, reforms do you support to achieve great consolidation and service sharing among local units of government?
Democrat: Virg Bernero: Would consider structuring state revenue sharing in a way to incentivize consolidation by local units of government; says it makes no sense to have so many public school districts. … Andy Dillon: Wants to include 400,000 local, county, state, public school, public university and community college employees in a single, state-managed, health care plan he says could save $900 million annually.
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Would compel all districts to competitively bid out secondary services such as busing, and food and janitorial services; wants to move all public employees, including future teachers, to defined-contribution pension plans; wants public service employers to receive wages and benefits, on average, within 5 percent of those with comparable skills in the private sector. … Mike Cox: Would reform teach health care to save nearly $500 million; would provide incentives for local units of government to consolidate; says current state law that discourages consolidation and shared services must be changed. … Tom George: Favors consolidation of school districts and local units of government; wants to bring public employee benefits in line with those in private sector. … Pete Hoekstra: Favors voluntary consolidation of school districts and units of local government but opposes any effort to have the state mandate such action. … Rick Snyder: Supports shared services among local units of government, but would not be interested in pressing for outright mergers at present.
Michigan’s $2 billion corrections budget consumes more than a fifth of the state’s entire General Fund Budget. What, if any, spending reductions and/or sentencing reforms would you support?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: Must do a better job assisting prisoners with re-entry programs; need expanded prison education and training programs; would establish a commission to make recommendations on reforms based on what’s working elsewhere. … Andy Dillon: Need thorough review to determine where costs can be reduced without threatening public safety; explore ways to deal with non-violent criminals in more cost effective ways such as drug and mental health courts; strengthen re-entry programs.
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Opposes efforts to accelerate the release of “career criminals” to save money; would privatize more services, such as food service which could save the state at least $38 million annually. … Mike Cox: Would take cue from recent study that found state could see significant savings by curbing overtime and prisoner health care costs; would explore privatization and consolidation options. … Tom George: Must bring per-inmate costs down; reduce health care costs for inmates; examine why Michigan prison employees receive higher wages and benefits than those in other states. … Pete Hoekstra: Bring per-prisoner costs more in line with Great Lake neighbors; competitively bid more prison services to save money. … Rick Snyder: Improve prisoner re-entry efforts; develop more, and less-costly, alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders
Would you seek changes in state employee pay and benefits package?
Democrats: Virg Bernero: No immediate plan to alter state employee compensation package; noted that as Lansing mayor he has voluntarily cut his own pay and perks and won concessions from city employees. … Andy Dillon: Wants to offer state employees a sweetened retirement plan to reduce the size and cost of state government; continues to push his proposal to pool all public employees in the state into a single health care plan.
Republicans: Mike Bouchard: Switch to part-time Legislature and eliminate lawmaker health care coverage; move state employees to a cafeteria-style health care plan; state employee benefits should be comparable with private sector. … Mike Cox: Save $269 million by requiring state employee to pay more for health care; roll back 3 percent wage increases for state employees to save $50 million. … Tom George: Require state employees to sign a health-care contract obligating them to take more personal responsibility for their health care (show up for appointments and participate in regular health screenings) and receive discounts for health behaviors (smoking status, exercise regimen etc.). … Pete Hoekstra: Ensure that state employee pay and benefits not exceed those for comparable work in the private sector. … Rick Snyder: Undertake review to determine if state employee compensation is out of line with that provided in the private sector.
3 Comments
Your review of candidate positions VERY helpful to me in making my decision for whom to vote. I am pleased that Rick Snyder is the only Republican not aligning himself with the Tea Party but wish that he stated his positions on the issues you presented in the comparision of candidates were more specific.
Docking legislators a day’s pay for each missed day on a budget deadline is altogether too weak a solution. Instead, the constitution should be amended to provide a date certain for completion of the budget bills. In addition, there should be a constitutional provision that each house must act on measures passed by the opposite house. In other words, citizens should say to the legislature, “We expect the two houses to achieve compromise on ALL issues. To do less is unacceptable.” Neither house should be permitted to become the “graveyard” for measures passed by the other house. Failure to reach compromise by a date certain or failure to enact a total budget should result in the dissolution of the legislature —- both houses —- and the calling of a new election with the provision that no member of the dissolved houses could be a candidate in the new election nor be a candidate an election for ANY state office for a period of ten years.
Very good report. I found it very helpful.