AARP files amicus brief in Detroit bankrutpcy case

AARP filed an amicus brief late this afternoon with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in each of seven appeals filed in the Detroit bankruptcy case, according to AARP Michigan State Director Jacqueline Morrison.

The decision of Michigan voters to protect the pensions of state and local government employees through their ratification of the 1963 State Constitution is supported by the AARP brief.

The brief provides context for the legal decision in terms of the case’s impact on the lives of retirees.

AARP’s brief discusses the economic implications of the proposed benefit reductions on City of Detroit workers and retirees, as well as on the City of Detroit itself.

Specifically, the brief notes that through reductions in retiree benefits and cost of living adjustments, the amount of income that retirees receive will be diminished. At the same time, retirees will face a significant increase in their health care costs. This creates a recipe for drastically reducing the standard of living of a median income retiree to an income that in many instances will fall below the poverty level.

See the amicus brief here: Amicus brief Detroit bankruptcy appeal