Benefit cuts hit public workers

The Detriot News reports on a man bites dog story:

When Jeff Mast joined the city of Royal Oak's engineering department 25 years ago, the rule of thumb for working in government was lower wages but better benefits than the private sector.

A quarter-century later, that rule still generally applies. Mast gets 11 paid holidays a year, fully paid health care aside from prescription drug co-pays and a pension plan that guarantees him a set amount each month when he retires.

But times are changing regarding government employees in Michigan, long thought to have the gold standard when it comes to benefits.

This could be the beginning of a trend.Although,some state constitutions don't allow much flexibility.