Media Reporting on Michigan's Public-Sector Benefits

National and state media are reporting that a more responsible approach to public-sector benefits could help ease Michigan’s financial crunch.

The Chicago Tribune cites research by Mackinac Center analysts that show Michigan taxpayers could save some $6 billion in the next decade if state employees were enrolled in health savings accounts.

The Lansing State Journal reports that Mackinac Center research shows private-sector employees receive benefits that are equal in value to $8.24 an hour in the Midwest, while Michigan's classified state employees have benefits worth $14.90 an hour.

The Dearborn Times-Herald ran this Op-Ed by James Hohman titled "Bringing Balance to Public Benefits."

The Clare County Review and the Livingston Daily Press & Argus both reported that public-sector benefits in Michigan outpace those of the private sector by $5.7 billion annually.

Crain's Detroit Business provides a breakdown that of Hohman's research, $708 million of the $5.7 billion could be saved by brining state worker benefits in line with the private sector, while public school employee benefits are some $2.5 billion above those in the private sector.

“It’s not something we can skirt around the edge,” Senior Economist David Littmann said at a recent Livingston County Chamber of Commerce event, according to the Press & Argus. “Our government has become more expensive and more spendthrift.”

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