Tag: prevailing wage

LANSING--State Representative Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alto issued the following statement today in response to reports that legislative leaders are considering a proposal to take repealing Michigan's prevailing wage law off the table for consideration as well as to raise the state's sales tax to fund road repairs:

"Our roads and infrastructure are in bad need of repair, but simply raising taxes on hardworking families while preventing policies that make Michigan competitive and create jobs is not the answer.

"Michigan's hardworking taxpayers deserve better. Our road funding problem is an opportunity to look at comprehensive tax restructuring, not just taking the status quo and asking for more.

"I am asking the Governor and legislative quadrant to take a different approach to this issue. I am willing to seek solutions, but this proposal misses the mark, and I will lead the charge to ensure it does not get the 2/3 votes in the House to put it on the ballot."

 

Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement blasting 36 House Republicans for defeating an amendment to an appropriations bill that would have repealed the 82-year old Davis-Bacon prevailing wages mandate for federal contractors:

"Prevailing wages demand that the U.S. Department of Labor set the cost for labor for federal government construction contractors rather than having the taxpayers get the benefit of competitive labor cost bidding. The impact of Davis-Bacon on increasing the cost of government has been so extreme that the 2012 Republican National Committee's official platform called for its repeal.

"Yet when given the opportunity, 36 House Republicans broke their own party's promise to do away with these requirements that unnecessarily cost billions of additional tax dollars every year. Apparently, the platform is not worth the paper it's printed on."

Jase Bolger attempting to keep ALL the options on the table for the road funding component of Michigan's budget speaks of reaching out across the aisle. From SFGATE on Saturday:

"They're saying, 'We want everything we want and then we'll give you no assurance that we'll help you with solving the road problems,'" said House Speaker Jase Bolger. "We're saying, 'Please, give us a list of what you want but participate in providing the solution at the same time.' ... We've continued to reach our hand out and that hand has not been returned."

Stop feeding the beast that would bite them off.  If they refuse to deal with such common sense solutions as removing the prevailing wage provisions (saving hundreds of millions annually) then they offer no value to the conversation.

Moving forward, ignore the buffoon in the other chamber:

"Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, a Monroe Republican, said the prevailing wage legislation won't go anywhere "unless I were to die."  "