Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he knows Detroit is in dire fiscal straits but it’s his “job” to defend the pension system that is the source of a huge portion of the city’s unfunded debt, Mike Wilkinson reports in the Detroit News.
Speaking Wednesday to The Detroit News Editorial Board, Schuette, a Republican, acknowledged if he wins his battle protecting the city’s municipal pension system from cuts, it could hamper efforts to solve Detroit’s financial crunch.
But Schuette said he has no other choice as the state’s top attorney.
“In Michigan, they call that doing my job,” he said.
A federal judge is now weighing whether Detroit is eligible for bankruptcy protection. Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has defended the filing, which is expected to require substantial cuts for retirees and other city creditors. Schuette has moved to protect those pensions, which the state constitution says cannot be diminished. Orr said Monday federal bankruptcy law “trumps” the state constitution.
