Hundreds of senior citizens gathered in front of the state Capitol today to protest Governor Rick Snyder’s proposal to tax pensions.
Michigan is one of four states that does not collect an income on pensions. Snyder’s proposal would change that.
Connie Cole Burland, a retired Battle Creek school teacher, says it’s not fair to ask her to pay more if Snyder follows through on his plan to cut taxes for most businesses.
"We gave them 40-plus years of service. We had a deal when we retired, and this is tax hike. You can call it whatever you want, but this is a tax hike. We had a deal."
Governor Snyder says it’s reasonable to ask retirees with good pensions to pay the income tax when younger people with smaller incomes have to pay it.
He says it is part of the “shared sacrifice” necessary to fix Michigan’s budget troubles.
Some Republican lawmakers are looking for an alternative to taxing pensions.
