Ergonomics? Common Sense?

Businesses in Michigan are struggling to stay open. I don't think anyone would argue with the me on that.

So, why is Michigan considering legislation that would add an additional regulatory burden on our already over-burdened businesses?

Last week two state commissions initiated formal rule-making to adopt regulations on ergonomics. In case you're wondering, ergonomics is the process of arranging workplace equipment to reduce back pain, frozen shoulders and carpal tunnel syndrome. California is the only state with their own layer of rules on top of those already laid out by OSHA.

Michigan will be even more costly and uncompetitive for businesses. Small business will be the hardest hit and small business is where most new jobs are created.

MIOSHA Inspectgor Doug Kalinowski says the state wants to have a "common sense" approach to ergonomics (rather than hard and fast rules). Where there is disagreement judges could wind up settling disputes. And therein lies the problem. Do we really need to burden our court system with this and do we really need another layer of regulations, uncertainty and costs for Michigan employers?

The other question that needs to be answered is: Do we even need this?

Workers' compensation claims for injuries requiring seven days or more of lost work time declined 49 percent from 2000 to 2007.

So, my question to Mr. Kalinowski is: Can you really justify this? Really?

Desperate Times. . . . . . Desperate Measures Part I

The following is from a brochure published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. They've broken it up into eight sections, which I'll post one section every few days.

101 RECOMMENDATIONS TO REVITALIZE MICHIGAN

Michigan is blessed with a wealth of the human and natural resources integral to building vibrant commerce and vigorous communities in the 21st century. At the moment, however, counter-productive public policies have made it harder for our industries to compete nationally and internationally and have reduced our state's attractiveness to investors and entrepreneurs.

In addition, Michigan is not immune to the gradual erosion of equity and basic human freedom that accompanies a steady growth in the power and scope of government. Our government's ability to properly perform many critical functions, including education, has been jeopardized by policymakers' attempts to do too many things. This lack of focus has even led to confusion among policymakers over whether government exists to serve the people or vice versa.

There is a lot of work to do to reverse this, but there's good news. Once growth - and freedom-friendly policies are in place, recovery is likely to occur much more quickly than most people imagine.

Government Spending and Operations:

1. End mandatory collective bargaining for government employees who already enjoy civil service protections.
2. Eliminate the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
3. Privatize some state prisons.
4. Lower government employees' compensation to the average rate for private sector workers performing comparable work.
5. Eliminate state arts grants.
6. End the Michigan Economic Growth Authority.
7. Close down the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a business subsidy and government ownership program.
8. Replace conventional health insurance plans for government employees with health savings accounts.
9. Fund public universities primarily through a standard per-student grant or voucher, with a university's research financed in a separate line item.
10. Devolve State Police road patrols to county sheriff departments.
11. Eliminate state subsidies to the cooperative extension service to to Michigan State University's agriculture experiment station.
12. Eliminate state film production subsidies.
13. Stop paying Amtrak an annual state subsidy.
14. Eliminate Medicaid spending not mandated by federal regulations.
15. Pending the elimination of all nonmandated health-related spending, end Medicaid coverage for 19 and 20 year olds.
16. Eliminate - or cut in half - "Merit Awards," "Promise Grants," or other non-need-based college scholarships financed by tobacco lawsuit proceeds.
17. Require local bus systems subsidized by state road tax dollars to generate at least 20 percent of their operating expenses from fares paid by riders.
18. Enact smarter sentencing for nonviolent offenders.
19. Adopt a constitution amendment which would require setting aside 4 percent of projected revenue when adopting annual state budgets.
20. Repeal laws that mandate binding arbitration in labor disputes between local government and police or firefighter unions.
21. Require every state department and agency to post an expense register online that is at least equivalent to the one provided by the Michigan Department of State.
22. Repeal the state's "prevailing wage" law, which prohibits awarding government construction contracts to the lowest bidder unless it pays above-market wages.
23. Pending repeal of the state's prevailing wage law in total, repeal it for schools.
24. Pending repeal of the state's prevailing wage law, revise it into a "median wage" law focusing on low-wage, rather than high-wage workers.
25. Abolish special incentives to turn food or plants into fuel.

More to come. . . . . . .

Say It Ain't So Mr. O!

Often and repeatedly during his campaign Barack Obama emphatically promised, "The first thing I'd do is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." Will he keep his word? Let's hope not.

FOCA would abolish all pro-life regulations across the nation from parental notification laws to bans on federal funding on abortions. And make no mistake - FOCA eliminates all state laws regarding abortion.

All this despite a new nationwide survey that shows 4 in 5 adults would limit abortion in some way. Only 9 percent said abortion should be legal at any time and for any reason.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government."

If you're interested you can sign an online petition to fight FOCA. You can also contact your representatives and senators to tell them how you expect them to vote on this bill.

Panel-Packin' Pelosi

Pete Hoekstra has sharply criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plan to take one of the seats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence away from Republicans and give it to a Democrat.

The 9/11 Commission recommended the Committee never have more than a one vote majority for the ruling party. In spite of this, the Dems already hold a three seat majority (12 Democrats vs. 9 Republicans). And yet Pelosi wants to increase the influence of Democrats on the Committee.

Hoekstra, who is the top ranking Republican and former chair of the Committee commented "This is a brazen move by Democrats to pack the Intelligence Committee and drive intelligence into a partisan realm."

So much for bi-partisan cooperation.

Not-So-Secret Ballots Coming Our Way

It's payback time. Big Labor came through for the Democrats in November and now it's the Democrats turn to come through for the Dems.

Organized labor is going the way of typewriters and poodle skirts. Somewhat quaint, but no longer necessary or relevant. Sadly, the only growth in union membership has been in the government sector. (Side note: and we wonder why our taxes continue to rise?).

The trend in recent years has been workers nodding their heads in apparent agreement with union organizers, but voting against union membership in the privacy of the voting booth.

But wait! Union leadership has a new idea - just get rid of secret ballots. And so the outrageously misnamed "Employee Free Choice Act" was born.

Instead of workers casting secret ballots, the EFCA allows union organizers to find workers and encourage them to sign cards requesting union representation. I'm not saying the organizers would resort to baseball bats or brass knuckles, but there is nothing in this law that protects the worker from coercion.

While this is certainly "change", it don't think it's exactly the change we have been waiting for. What's next? No more secret ballots come election time?

On a Happier Note!

I guess I've spread enough doom and gloom for one day. Take a minute to read this article in the Holland Sentinel.

Happiness is within our control and in reach.

Be Afraid. Be Very Very Afraid

While I'm on the subject of the economy. . . . . . . . another thing I'm worried about is hyperinflation. You know, this is what's happening in Argentina and even more extremely in Zimbabwe. According to the Christian Science Monitor, inflation in Zimbabwe is at over 231 million percent and rising daily. Frightening isn't it?

Another example - Germany after World War One was crippled with by inflation. The reason? The newly formed German government kept pumping up the money supply. The process started relatively slowly, but it wasn't working so the pace accelerated until eventually all wealth in Germany was wiped out.

Could our government's panicked efforts to "stimulate" the economy and "save" financial institutions contribute to the same result? President-elect Obama's plans to spend more than an additional trillion dollars and probably even more in the next few years will soon cause inflation to grow. The simple truth is we cannot create money and borrow without limit.

I think many Americans instinctively know that what is going on is wrong. I'm more concerned about some of the ignorant politicians who simply don't get it. Or maybe they don't care.