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    The Caucus Courrier: Bipartisan legislation demands auto industry accountability


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 05:10:57 PM EST
    Tags: Caucus Courrier, Meltzer, Allen, Jansen, George, Proos, bipartisanship (all tags)

    With thousands of Michigan jobs on the line, several state lawmakers today joined with Michigan automotive supply companies to announce legislation to force fair payment for products received by auto manufacturers.

    "The Michigan automotive supply sector is struggling because of the failed business policies of the state, and as a result, thousands of Michigan jobs are in danger," said state Republican Representative Kim Meltzer.  "More Michigan workers are employed in the supply industry than direct auto manufacturing, but many suppliers are on the verge of bankruptcy. Times are tough, and if we are to break out of this current economic slump, we have to eliminate such impediments to job expansion."

    Meltzer, along with Democrat Rep. Mark Meadows and Republicans John Proos and Sen. Jason Allen, today introduced a bipartisan six-bill package to create accountability for the auto industry by:

    • Eliminating permanent recording on tooling: Under the current acts, tool and die companies are required to permanently record on all of the tooling it designs.  

    • Reducing the 90-day waiting period to 30 days: Current law requires companies to wait 90 days to issue a lien if payment has not been received.  A full three months is a long time for a tool and mold builder to bear the financing cost for a design, fabrication and manufacture of the tooling while the customer is allowed to continue using the tooling.

    • Grant immediate possession and enforcement under general motion practice: The acts grant the lien holder the right to possession of tooling and to enforce their right to possession by any "available judicial procedure."

    • Allow for the assessment of interest, damages and attorney fees: Tool and die companies are forced to spend thousands of dollars on attorney fees, court costs, etc. to enforce the lien under the acts.

    • Includes language regarding the waiver of a mold builder's rights under the lien act and the application of the law of another state: Prevents any contract language that attempts to waive a mold builder's right under the lien act.

    Meltzer said that current practices by the original equipment manufacturer's allow for delayed payments to suppliers making them wait up to two years to receive payment for completed jobs.

    "This is a multi-billion dollar problem across the state," Meltzer said. "But it's also a fairness issue - businesses aren't living up to their contractual obligations and these poor business practices will force Michigan suppliers to close their doors."

    On the other side of the Capitol, a big local event was added today to next week's schedule.

    Read on...

    The Senate's Making Health Care Affordable and Accessible (MHCAA) workgroup will be meeting this coming Monday in Grand Radids to discuss ways of making health care more affordable for residents across the state.  Republican Senator and 2010 Gubernatorial candidate Tom George, Senators Mark Jansen, Jason Allen and Dem Senator Jim Barcia will be on-hand at the LV Eberhard Center on Fulton, downtown from 1 to 2:30pm.

    Michigan currently has over one-million uninsured residents.  The work group is meeting with everyone from community and industry leaders to you or me... constituents, to get our input on ways to fix the problems associated with health care affordability and accessibility.

    Great example of our Republican elected leaders bringing the legislative process right into our own backyard and not just telling us what we have to support but asking what we think they should.

    < DetNews: Macomb County may raise taxes | L. Brooks Patterson Wants Your Wallet....TO STAY IN YOUR POCKET! >


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    auto parts suppliers (none / 0) (#1)
    by Eric T on Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 09:43:49 PM EST
    The above post stated,
    "More Michigan workers are employed in the supply industry than direct auto manufacturing, but many suppliers are on the verge of bankruptcy."

    The idea that was recently floated out there, about making a new law, that allows each state to set its own auto emissions standards, would without a doubt be a huge burden on the Big 3 automakers. Right now, These guys are hanging on by a thread, and don't need to have 50 different models, one for each state.

    If you have ever been to Los Angeles, and seen the smog, you can understand why Gov. Arnold or someone from a highly populated city would want cleaner air.

    The demand for reducing pollution, is there, auto parts suppliers, could be producing after market exhaust systems, in mass numbers, maybe it could be just 2 or 3 catylic converters, in a row, and some filter element that you change every so often. but it is a product that some states are demanding, and it could be built, right here in Michigan, by part suppliers, that need the work.

    If Arnold and the California lawmakers are serious about it, they will eventually find someone that will build the stuff, they want.
    Their best option would be these local part suppliers that already have the machinery and equipment to build this stuff.

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