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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's new proposal to spend $350 million of taxpayer money to help protect retirees and Detroit's famous art collection amid the city's bankruptcy is so far only raising questions 鈥� and anger.

Detroit鈥檚 looming bankruptcy crisis is threatening retired public workers, who worry that they will ultimately see cuts to their pensions, while officials at the city鈥檚 art museum are concerned that the state will seize or monetize masterworks, diluting what is considered one of the greatest public art collections in the world.

To address those concerns, Governor Snyder (R) wants to put $350 million into a special fund. The money would be added to the $330 million pledged by nine national charitable foundations to help the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum (DIA) remove itself from city control by creating its own independent nonprofit.

The immediate reaction, however, has mostly ranged from confusion to criticism. Considering that Detroit's unfunded pension liabilities are estimated to be $3.5 billion 鈥� and city-owned art at DIA is appraised at $875 million 鈥� it's unclear what $350 million could accomplish. Moreover, in a state where the federal bailout of the auto industry was widely criticized by Republicans, Snyder risks alienating his own party by using state money for his plan.

Announcing the proposal Wednesday, Snyder tried to stem fears that this was the first step of a state bailout of Detroit.

鈥淭his is not a bailout of paying the debts directly of the city of Detroit. This is not a bailout of banks and other creditors. This is focused on helping reduce and mitigate the impact on retirees,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 bailout is just contributing dollars and paying debt without getting anything in return. This is to help people in our state.鈥�

Snyder proposes drawing the money from tobacco settlement funds and stretching it over 20 years. He suggests the plan will save taxpayers money, paying a lump sum up front as opposed to payments over a number of years slowly accumulating.

But the terms of the settlement are vague, and Snyder declined to go into detail how it might affect the pension cuts of the city鈥檚 21,000 current retirees. Those details will likely emerge when Snyder鈥檚 emergency management team files its restructuring plan by a court-ordered March 1 deadline.

Already, pension advocates are complaining that Snyder鈥檚 commitment is not enough.

鈥淲hile workers and retirees appreciate that he is wiling to come to the table, the amount proposed is far too little to avoid unconstitutional cuts in benefits for retirees who, on average, earn less than $30,000 per year,鈥� said Jordan Marks, executive director of the National Public Pension Coalition.

Experts have similar questions. Snyder鈥檚 proposal 鈥渃ertainly has the potential to help鈥� but the many unknowns throw doubt on how much it can help, says Eric Scorsone, an economist at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 going to be strings attached,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f the $3.5 billion number is right, the governor鈥檚 offer is nice, but it鈥檚 not enough.鈥�

Also unclear is the relationship between the charitable foundations and the state. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for me to believe that the foundations want to be in the business of subsidizing government pensions." Professor Scarsone says. "I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 what they are interested in doing. I have a feeling this is going to get a lot more complicated because everyone has different perspectives about what they鈥檙e actually doing.鈥�

Early last year, Snyder was adamant that Detroit鈥檚 bankruptcy would not involve taxpayer money. His reversal is causing critics, especially the city鈥檚 creditors, to balk. They say the DIA collection is a valuable city asset and should remain on the table. Christie鈥檚 auction house appraised the city-owned pieces 鈥� representing 5 percent of the total collection 鈥� as worth up to $867 million. Outside estimates calculate the total DIA collection is worth up to $8 billion.

On the other side, critics are accusing the governor of putting art above people's pensions. 鈥淸I am] troubled by the policy implications of the state favoring art ahead of the economic realities and recovery interests of the city鈥檚 pensioners, bondholders and other unsecured creditors," says Steve Spencer, a financial adviser for Financial Guaranty Insurance Co., one of Detroit鈥檚 creditors, said in a statement. "We find it incredible that the city is being allowed to leave such a valuable art collection untouched when it can鈥檛 provide basic services and is proposing to essentially walk away from its debt obligations.鈥�

Likewise, members of Snyder鈥檚 party are grumbling, which suggests the governor could get significant pushback in trying to get it passed through the legislature.

鈥淚鈥檓 not prepared to vote for mid-Michigan tax dollars to go to Detroit. I represent mid-Michigan, and my taxpayers want money to go to our roads and our schools and our cities and townships,鈥� Sen. Rick Jones (R) told the Detroit News.

This is an election year for Snyder, and he faces opposition from Detroit, where he is perceived as staging a state takeover of the majority black city, no matter how hard he tries to say he wants the city to flourish because it ultimately helps the state thrive.

Criticism from members of his party, who are already characterizing his proposal as a bailout, portrays a 鈥渃ulture war鈥� emerging in Michigan that will ultimately make exiting bankruptcy very difficult, says Ed Sidlow, a political scientist at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

The proposal is ultimately 鈥渢he responsible thing to try and do鈥� because it offers immediacy in lifting 鈥渁 considerable amount of stress off the shoulder of retirees who are fearful their pensions are gone,鈥� Professor Sidlow says.

If the governor were 鈥渢o turn his back on Detroit and say, 鈥楧rop dead, you made your bed, you sleep in it鈥� 鈥� that鈥檚 a bit simplistic and hard-hearted. This is an attempt to fix it,鈥� Sidlow says. 鈥淎ny politician has to be thinking about their legacy and what they鈥檙e leaving behind.鈥�