Tag: Meltzer

"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.

"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...

Approved today, Senate Bill 93, sponsored by Senator Alan Sanborn prevents mandatory ergonomics standards in the work place that would severly harm the viability of Michigan job providers.  SB 93 prohibits the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration from establishing mandatory ergonomic rules and standards.  

The legislation was needed because, well, the Granholm-Cherry administration is a big fan of following in California's footsteps on this issue.  The Sunshine State is the only one in the union with these sorts of onerous "standards" and the cost to job makers is expected to reach $500 million or more.

"Michigan's economy remains the worst in the nation, and if we're serious about recovery, we need to enact this bill," said Sanborn, R-Richmond Township. "Despite the lack of evidence that these rules are necessary, the administration has spent more than six years crafting mandatory standards. It's just plain bad policy, but to foist this on us during a recession borders on negligence."

"Just the specter of joining California in implementing mandatory ergonomics rules could affect job-provider decisions to locate, expand--or even to survive--here in Michigan,"

And before the bleeding hearts start belly-aching about carpal tunnel syndrome... Michigan's repetitive stress injury rate decreased by nearly 40 percent since 1998 without mandated ergonomic standards--better than the nationwide drop of 32 percent during that time.

We're not talking about a choice between healthier work places or more dangerous work places.  We're talking about work places (period) or no work places (period).

Props to the Senate for doing the right thing.  Again.  And the clock is now officially ticking on the state House.

And speaking of the House... the Republican caucus apparently isn't as interested in wasting the taxpayers' time as Andy Dillon is.  Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, Paul Opsommer, Kim Meltzer and Tom McMillin joined Attorney General Mike Cox today in calling on the Granholm-Cherry administration to provide a healthy dose of desperately needed transparency to their wild spending.

Read on...