Michigan Votes Forum

 Again, such an obvious protection of one segment of our population at the expense of the rest of us.  Prevailing wage laws do nothing but make us over pay for government projects.  While the Governor uses our children's education to blackmail us into paying higher and higher taxes, this prevailing wage law still exists!  If this keeps up there will 20,000 protesters in Lansing on 4/15!

 Actually,prevailing wage laws are useful tools that create a 'living wage' for construction workers,who are out in the elements year 'round,sweating or freezing their arses off to build such projects! These are well-trained,safety conscience people and are among the most proficient and safety-oriented folks in the country! If Mich. were to become a "right-to-starve' state,those jobs would be given to unscrupulous,greedy contractors who would exploit illegal immigrants and pay them peanuts,while STILL bidding the job slightly below prevailing wage rates to pocket the difference in each worker's pay! The workers' comp rates would skyrocket,as well as the disability claims from this untrained workforce,once again putting profits into the pockets of greedy contractors while john.q.public foots the bill!Ever hear the phrase,'ya get what ya pay for?' The lowest bidder doesent ALWAYS mean the best contractor!

HB 5522 should pass.  Any law that encourages taxpayers to pay more for services is flawed. 

Instead of impoverished construction workers, replace it with:  wealthy surgeons.   Taxpayers can't award a contract to a surgeon willing to work for $500,000 because the prevailing rate in town is $600,000?  How does that make any sense?

The state can't contract for Ford cars because their union gets $32 an hour, and GM & Chrysler pay $33 an hour?

State contracts should be required to be let out to the minimum bid, and taxpayers shouldn't care anything about the supplier's profit, required costs of wages or supplies.   

This kind of thinking cost Michigan taxpayers $16,000,000 when Granholm overthrew one bid contract to direct the sale to a connected company.  I don't know about you, but I think the state could use $16,000,000 right now.  And that was only one contract!

The "prevailing wage" is the wage in the particular region of the work to be done. It does not preclude the State from awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, it requires all bidders to pay the prevailing wage of the region.

Mike Hignite:

This kind of thinking cost Michigan taxpayers $16,000,000 when Granholm overthrew one bid contract to direct the sale to a connected company.

Names and details should accompany this statement.

 In 2006, the state put the former Ypsilanti Mental Hospital up for sale with a minimum bid of $11,000,000.  Toyota bid $9,000,000.  A builder (DPK York?) bid $25,000,000. 

When Granholm found out Toyota was interested, she cancelled the bid with the fake excuse that mineral rights weren't considered.  Instead of opening it up to the highest bidder again, she went to the legislature and asked them to give her permission to skip the bid process and sell it to Toyota for $9,000,000. 

We are out $16,000,000.   Not to mention the $102,000,000 property tax abatement York township already gave up, and the additional $40,000,000 Toyota wants in additional abatements.

Check on line if you want more gruesome details.