Fearing Pension Cuts, Retirees Make Their Case In YouTube Video
DETROIT (WWJ) - "I don't live large at all — I wish I could. I don't know the last time I've been shopping."
Detroit workers and retirees have taken to social media to make their case against likely cuts to pensioners while the city goes through bankruptcy.
A four-minute You Tube video called "Detroit Matters" highlights the personal stories of people worried about how cuts in pay and pensions would impact their lives.
The video is produced by AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"I only get eleven-hundred dollars and I'm 81 years old, and I need every penny that I can get, and that I do get," said retired clerk, Ora Mae Mott, who is featured in the video. "And I'm very upset about the idea of them taking away my pensions that I worked 30 years for."
Said road crew foreman Clarence Sanders, "The only thing wrong with Detroit: People have lost hope here, residents, city workers — so much corruption, they lose hope. But I grew up here; I love this city; I think it can come back."
Ruling last week that Detroit is eligible for Chapter 9 protection, a federal judge said that, under law, pensions could be cut as part of the road to solvency.
MORE: Unions React To Detroit Bankruptcy Ruling: "This Is A Very Scary Day"
