Tag: public employees

One of the ways that union membership can be better aware of the shenanigans their representation might be up to, is to remind them they are paying the bill.  Nothing makes it clearer, than taking away the invisible deduction as it is now. Credit to the Michigan legislature, and Governor Snyder for taking this first step to ensure accountability from the MEA and saving Michigan Taxpayers money.

LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation ensuring the proper use of public funds and resources by prohibiting schools from deducting union dues or service fees from employees' paychecks.

House Bill 4929, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Haveman, also requires that unions representing public employees file with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission an independent audit of expenditures attributed to the cost of collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance adjustment. The commission must make the audits available to the public on its website.

"This legislation furthers the goal of good government by promoting greater transparency and ensuring that public resources are used solely for their intended purposes," Snyder said. "It is essential that state public school resources be devoted to the education of our children. This continues the fiscal reforms designed to save schools money and help them operate even more efficiently."

Schools currently collecting dues or service fees under collective bargaining agreements may continue to do so until the contract expires or is terminated, extended or renewed.

H.B. 4929 now is Public Act 53 of 2012.

The same day we learned that Michigan's economy, in the third year of his "leadership" of the state House, has reached a devastating 15.2 percent unemployment rate and that 740,000 Michiganders are officially jobless, the ugliest number since they started keeping the statistic in 1976, Dillon strode to a podium in the Capitol City and told reporters that moms and dads across the state will be forced to endure yet another tax hike.  

Peter Luke reports:

Balancing the state budget in the next 10 weeks will require a combination of cuts as well as revenue, he said.

Never mind the fact that higher tax rates do more harm than good to total tax receipts as they force companies out of business, workers out of jobs and families out of Michigan (remember that "budget-balancing" $1.5 billion tax hike in 2007 and the precipitous fall revenue has taken each year since).  

Never mind the fact that a $10 million-plus property tax hike in Macomb County only three months ago, while aimed at wiping out county government deficits long term, has done nothing more than administer steroids to the problem, producing a projected $32.2 million deficit in 2010 and 2011.

Never mind the fact no one has ever squeezed blood from a stone.  Yesterday afternoon the House Democratic leader made his intentions pretty clear... grab your wallets (those of you who can still afford them) because Lansing's coming calling.  Again.

Not that that's why Dillon called his presser... like a magician distracting you with one hand and hiding an object with the other the man just snuck that one in there and hoped no one was paying attention.  Abra-kadabra.  Poof!  He's going to make our bank accounts disappear.  

And while it certainly won't be worth the price of admission, the distraction coooooould wind up being pretty interesting.

Read on...