MEA Votes

A story in today’s Gongwer newsletter noted the one-year anniversary of the introduction of Speaker Andy Dillon’s proposal for a mandatory state-run health insurance pool for public employees.

There’s nothing much to celebrate though. After that full year, the proposal is still stewing in the House, with many lawmakers still uncertain on the basic numbers of Dillon’s plan – including proof of how (or even if) it will save the state money.

A letter in this morning's Detroit News says it better than I ever could...

Will Virg Bernero protect your right to collectively bargain health insurance?

In a word, yes.

There's a stark difference between gubernatorial hopeful Virg Bernero and his primary opponent Andy Dillon.

As Speaker Andy Dillon’s gubernatorial campaign pushes forward, the media is starting to push back on his outlandish claims about his mandatory state-run health plan for public employees. From Tuesday’s Lansing State Journal editorial page:

When Dillon first launched this idea, an LSJ editorial stated, "House Speaker Andy Dillon has a good concept."

It also stated, "The key problem right now is that Dillon and his supporters don't have the details to carry the argument."

Nearly a year later, that's still the case.

Former Gov. John Engler was famous for his attacks on public school employees and their unions during his 12 years as governor.

So, it’s not surprising that he thinks the scheme for a mandatory health plan for public employees is a great idea – it’s the attack on the hard-earned benefits and bargaining rights of these dedicated workers that he dreamt about for more than a decade.

Engler broke his normal silence on state political matters yesterday, receiving lots of media coverage on his predictable position.

But no one should be fooled by the rhetoric about financial savings that he and other proponents of the plan are promoting. All three experts who testified at yesterday’s hearing on the proposal said that there was no data proving cost savings would come from this plan – watch the video of the testimony for yourself below or view testimony of all the hearings on MEA's YouTube channel.

Speaker Dillon's ill-advised idea for a statewide health insurance pool for public employees is being roundly criticized by many -- and drawing support from at least one strange ally.