KEEP MICHIGAN RETIREE-FRIENDLY!

City workers demonstraate against Bing attacks, including proposed pension takever

By RON GRACIA

Retired  Detroit General Retirement System President and Board Member

One of my MAJOR Pet Peeves is when statements are made by politicians AND reporters about a subject that is either not true or absent the full contextual framework. In the budget presented by our newly elected governor with respect to taxing pensions a statement was made tov the effect that only three other states do not tax pensions.
 
That is not entirely true.
 
My last research on the subject done last year reveals the following:
 
(A) Only 15 states tax Social Security:

 1. Colorado 2. Connecticut 3. Iowa  4. Kansas 5. Kentucky 6. Minnesota  7. Missouri 8. Montana 9. Nebraska 10. New Mexico 11. North Dakota 12. Utah 13. Vermont 14. W.Virgina and  15. Rhode Island.

(B) THE FOLLOWING I8 STATES DO NOT TAX PENSIONS: 
 
1. ALASKA 2. ALABAMA 3. ILLINOIS 4. FLORIDA 5. KANSAS 6. LOUISIANA 7. MASSACHUSETTS 8. MICHIGAN (AS OF NOW). 9.. MISSISSIPPI 10. NEVADA 11. NEW HAMPSHIRE 12. NEW YORK 13. PENNSYLVANIA 14. SOUTH DAKOTA 15. TENNESSEE 16. TEXAS 17. WASHINGTON AND 18.. WYOMING.
 
(C) WHEN ONE ADDS UP ALL THE TAX ISSUES, SALES, INCOME TAX, ESTATE, REAL ESTATE ETC, THE FOLLOWING LIST, ACCORDING TO AN INDEPENDENT STUDY , SHOWS THE MOST OVERALL-TAX-FRIENDLY STATES FOR RETIREES:
 
1. ALABAMA 2.ALASKA 3. COLORADO 4. GEORGIA 5. HAWAII 6. MARYLAND 7. PENNSYLVANIA 8) MICHIGAN (AS OF NOW). 9. SOUTH CAROLINA 10. WYOMING
 
 MICHIGAN WILL REMAIN ON LISTS B AND C  IF THIS PROPOSAL IS VOTED DOWN IN THE LEGISLATURE.
 
(I WOULD ALSO STATE THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES AS OF THIS WRITING TO VARIOUS STATES’ POSITION ON THESE MATTERS WHICH MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.)

CAN MICHIGAN RETIREES LIVE LIKE THIS? Photo and test by KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN AP: New Gov. Rick Snyder is getting used to being driven to work each day by a state trooper. But the ride starts each day at his home near Ann Arbor, not at the official governor’s residence in Lansing.Snyder, who is staying in his own home so his teenage daughter doesn’t have to change schools, gets the side benefit of keeping the indoor pool, wine cellar and movie theater that are part of his 10,600-square-foot home. The stately two-story house is in a subdivision of million-dollar homes in Washtenaw County’s Superior township.

(VOD Editor: IF THE LEGISLATURE VOTES IN THE  PENSION TAX, PERHAPS OUR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RETIREES NOW LIVING HERE, BUYING GOODS, MAINTAINING HOMES, PAYING REAL ESTATE AND TAXES, AND OTHER THINGS BENEFICIAL TO THE ECONOMY, SHOULD CONSIDER MOVING TO THE RETIREE-FRIENDLY STATES. 

A BOYCOTT OF MICHIGAN BUSINESSES MIGHT ALSO BE IN ORDER. AFTER ALL, THE BIG 3 HAVE NOT INCLUDED THEIR LAID-OFF WORKERS IN THEIR “RECOVERY” BY CALLING THEM BACK TO WORK!)