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Hi. I'm State Representative Terry Brown. Welcome to my weekly update, "Talking With Terry."

We all know that these are tough times, with many working families struggling to make ends meet. As we work to create good-paying jobs and turn our economy around,  we also have to cut state spending wherever possible. That's why I support cost-saving measures that include cutting lawmakers' pay and taking away their lifetime health care.

I voted to pass a House plan that cuts legislators' pay by 5 percent. I also voted to end the outrageous perk of giving lawmakers free health care for the rest of their lives after working for only six years. There's no other job that offers a benefit like that and as public servants, legislators should not receive that kind of special treatment.

I also voted for a plan that cuts the salaries of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state. The plan takes away free lifetime health care for these four officials as well. 

A plan I sponsored that has already made a difference is one that ended the ridiculous practice of giving free state cars to dozens of judges. The state had been spending more than $400,000 a year on taxpayer-funded vehicles for Supreme Court justices, Appeals Court judges and court staff members. The vehicles were not limited to business use; they could be used for personal errands such as shopping trips, golf outings and even vacations.

I also voted to ban the personal use of official state vehicles issued to the auditor general, directors of state agencies, and other state employees.

Last year the House cut its own budget by 5 percent, saving the state $3 million. The savings plan required lawmakers and their staff to pay more for health care, banned representatives from using state funds for out-of-state travel and cut positions in the Michigan House.

I will keep working hard to cut state spending so we can focus our resources on our most urgent goals: creating good-paying jobs and getting our economy moving in the right direction. We must be very careful about spending taxpayer money, and we should focus on providing services for people not perks for politicians.

If you would like to learn more about my work at the Capitol, please visit my Web site. The address is house.mi.gov/tbrown. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any concerns or questions that you have. You can call me, toll-free, at (888) 254-5284. Or, you can e-mail me at terrybrown@house.mi.gov. I am here to serve you and your family and represent your interests at our state Capitol.

Thank you for listening to "Talking with Terry."

Make it a great day!