Commission could be roadblock if Snyder pushes state pay cuts
Paul Egan / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Lansing— Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm left behind what's fast becoming a headache for new Gov. Rick Snyder.
The Michigan Civil Service Commission has put its hand in Snyder's face twice in the past month, is threatening to sue his administration and promises more difficulties if Snyder, as expected, seeks state employee wage concessions in his budget Thursday.
Under the Michigan Constitution, the four-member commission that rules on state employee pay issues is supposed to be bipartisan and have no more than two commissioners from one party.
The current commission has three "independents" and one Democrat, all appointed by Granholm.
There is no such thing as a registered independent voter in Michigan, which has open primaries.
All three of the independents have given more campaign donations to Democrats than Republicans, and one of them, Commissioner Charles Blockett Jr., has given only to Democrats, according to state and federal records analyzed by The Detroit News.
"It sounds to me like we have an imbalance on the commission," said Ari Adler, a spokesman for House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. "That would be against the original intention of the constitution."
Independent Commissioner Andrew Abood, an East Lansing trial attorney, has the most balanced donations record.
He has given $4,865 to Democratic candidates and political funds since 1998 and $4,425 to Republicans, according to state records on the Secretary of State's website and federal records on the website of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group.
Thomas "Mac" Wardrop, a Grand Rapids attorney and the independent chairman of the commission, gave $4,189 to Democratic candidates and funds and $650 to Republicans, the records show.
Blockett, a Lansing human resources consultant, gave $370 to Democrats and none to Republicans, the records show.
Abood has financially supported only Democratic candidates for governor — Larry Owen, Granholm and Virg Bernero — in the past three elections, but has also donated to U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, and the Michigan Republican State Committee, records show.
"I don't consider myself affiliated with any party," said Abood, adding he once ran as a Republican for Meridian Township trustee.
Wardrop said he votes for the candidate, not the party, and his contributions would be much more balanced if the $2,614 he gave to Democratic Attorney General candidate M. Scott Bowen were not included. Wardrop said Bowen is a close friend he has known for more than 25 years.
Wardrop also gave $1,525 to two funds associated with House Rep. Roy Schmidt, D-Grand Rapids, records show.
"I didn't even know he was a Democrat, frankly," Wardrop said of Schmidt.
Blockett did not return calls.
The fourth commissioner is Democrat Robert Swanson, who was in Granholm's Cabinet.
The commission voted 4-0 Wednesday to stop deducting 3 percent from the paychecks of the state's 14,000 nonunion employees to fund retiree health care benefits, as required under state law.
Two weeks earlier, it voted 3-1 to extend health care benefits to the same-sex partners and other unrelated housemates of state employees, plus dependents. The decisions, both opposed by Snyder, will together cost more than $30 million a year.
Snyder officials say they will continue to deduct the 3 percent, despite the commission order, and Wardrop said the commission may take the administration to court over the issue, since he believes the constitution is clear in saying the commission has the final word on such issues.
The governor said Monday his administration is "looking hard at" both decisions and examining the possibility of having the decisions overturned by two-thirds votes in each chamber of the Legislature, as provided for in the constitution for certain commission actions.
D. Daniel McLellan, who recently retired after serving as general counsel to the commission since the 1990s, said there is no test for independence, and a governor could use independent appointments to stack the commission in a partisan way, though he's seen no evidence Granholm did that.
"The governor has to work with the commission," McLellan said Monday.
"If you make them an enemy, it's difficult."
A spokeswoman for Granholm could not be reached.
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110215/POLITICS02/102150375/Civil-service-panel’s-balance-is-questioned#ixzz1E2Dr1Ct5
Paul Egan / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Lansing— Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm left behind what's fast becoming a headache for new Gov. Rick Snyder.
The Michigan Civil Service Commission has put its hand in Snyder's face twice in the past month, is threatening to sue his administration and promises more difficulties if Snyder, as expected, seeks state employee wage concessions in his budget Thursday.
Under the Michigan Constitution, the four-member commission that rules on state employee pay issues is supposed to be bipartisan and have no more than two commissioners from one party.
The current commission has three "independents" and one Democrat, all appointed by Granholm.
There is no such thing as a registered independent voter in Michigan, which has open primaries.
All three of the independents have given more campaign donations to Democrats than Republicans, and one of them, Commissioner Charles Blockett Jr., has given only to Democrats, according to state and federal records analyzed by The Detroit News.
"It sounds to me like we have an imbalance on the commission," said Ari Adler, a spokesman for House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. "That would be against the original intention of the constitution."
Independent Commissioner Andrew Abood, an East Lansing trial attorney, has the most balanced donations record.
He has given $4,865 to Democratic candidates and political funds since 1998 and $4,425 to Republicans, according to state records on the Secretary of State's website and federal records on the website of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group.
Thomas "Mac" Wardrop, a Grand Rapids attorney and the independent chairman of the commission, gave $4,189 to Democratic candidates and funds and $650 to Republicans, the records show.
Blockett, a Lansing human resources consultant, gave $370 to Democrats and none to Republicans, the records show.
Abood has financially supported only Democratic candidates for governor — Larry Owen, Granholm and Virg Bernero — in the past three elections, but has also donated to U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, and the Michigan Republican State Committee, records show.
"I don't consider myself affiliated with any party," said Abood, adding he once ran as a Republican for Meridian Township trustee.
Wardrop said he votes for the candidate, not the party, and his contributions would be much more balanced if the $2,614 he gave to Democratic Attorney General candidate M. Scott Bowen were not included. Wardrop said Bowen is a close friend he has known for more than 25 years.
Wardrop also gave $1,525 to two funds associated with House Rep. Roy Schmidt, D-Grand Rapids, records show.
"I didn't even know he was a Democrat, frankly," Wardrop said of Schmidt.
Blockett did not return calls.
The fourth commissioner is Democrat Robert Swanson, who was in Granholm's Cabinet.
The commission voted 4-0 Wednesday to stop deducting 3 percent from the paychecks of the state's 14,000 nonunion employees to fund retiree health care benefits, as required under state law.
Two weeks earlier, it voted 3-1 to extend health care benefits to the same-sex partners and other unrelated housemates of state employees, plus dependents. The decisions, both opposed by Snyder, will together cost more than $30 million a year.
Snyder officials say they will continue to deduct the 3 percent, despite the commission order, and Wardrop said the commission may take the administration to court over the issue, since he believes the constitution is clear in saying the commission has the final word on such issues.
The governor said Monday his administration is "looking hard at" both decisions and examining the possibility of having the decisions overturned by two-thirds votes in each chamber of the Legislature, as provided for in the constitution for certain commission actions.
D. Daniel McLellan, who recently retired after serving as general counsel to the commission since the 1990s, said there is no test for independence, and a governor could use independent appointments to stack the commission in a partisan way, though he's seen no evidence Granholm did that.
"The governor has to work with the commission," McLellan said Monday.
"If you make them an enemy, it's difficult."
A spokeswoman for Granholm could not be reached.
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110215/POLITICS02/102150375/Civil-service-panel’s-balance-is-questioned#ixzz1E2Dr1Ct5
