Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit, said the bills would keep the city “under the rule of unelected cronies for Lord knows how long.”
And Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton Township, pointed to financial problems in Wayne County — which includes Detroit — and other cities such as Flint and Highland Park.
“Are we going to dip into the rainy day fund to bail out all these communities?” he said. “We continue to box ourselves into dead-end solutions that lead to bigger government.”
Among those supporting the legislation was Ryan Plecha, a lawyer for the Detroit Retired City Employees Association, who said members are seeing reduced health care benefits and sharply rising out-of-pocket costs and stand to see a 4.5 percent pension cut and no cost-of-living increases. As part of the deal, retiree groups will withdraw pending lawsuits and release Michigan from future claims that retirees are owed their full pensions under the state constitution, he said.
“Honestly, it would be easier to recommend a fight to the end. But that is not in the best interest of retirees,” Plecha said.
Article Appeared @http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/04/the-city-of-detroit-just-got-a-huge-bailout/