Right Voices

I am late to the table on this one, but I wanted to share this story with you. Granholm held a townhall meeting to talk about our problems and it did not go well:

Grand Haven resident Jerry Scott, manager of an automotive parts firm, asked Granholm whether part of Michigan’s economic woes are because it requires workers to pay union dues.

“Where do you stand on Right to Work?” he asked, the phrase for states that allow workers to opt out of unions.

Granholm told Scott she did not believe union protection is the reason for Michigan’s manufacturing decline.

Asked afterward if he was satisfied by her answer, Scott said: “No.”

“It’s an issue that, for whatever reason, she doesn’t want to go there,” Scott said.

That’s a red flag right there. The majority of jobs lost in this state are union jobs. Manufacturers are reluctant to go to the greater Detroit area because of the union stranglehold on the region.

Here is the followup story of Hart Enterprises Inc. the owner tried to talk to the Governor about his companies situation, but she said she was too busy. He said he would be happy to take his business elsewhere, as in one of the other 49 states:

From the company’s perspective, it moved to Sparta from Wyoming in 1996 so the business had room to expand on three lots in an industrial park. Company officials said they never were told they had 0.7 acres of wetland as part of the deal.

In fact, Hart executives say, the springtime wetness on their property is transient, and they deny it rates as a regulated wetland. That is one reason they refuse to seek a permit for wetlands construction: The situation should not require one.

But when the Department of Environmental Quality got a phone call saying Hart was building on a wetland, it investigated.

“The area he’s looking to expand on is, by law and definition, a wetland,” said DEQ spokesman Bob McCann, referring to Hart President Alan Taylor’s actions.

Both sides admit there is bad blood between local DEQ officials and Hart executives.

“Mr. Taylor has decided that he doesn’t need to have a permit but, unfortunately, the law is quite clear about that,” McCann said.

As for the governor’s involvement?

“The governor understands we’ve made every offer to work this out, and (Taylor) is just not willing to work with us,” McCann said.

Both sides say they will continue to try to reach an agreement before the situation develops into a lawsuit.

“There are some alternatives here other than prosecuting this company,” Hart lawyer David Haywood said. “They want a pound of Mr. Taylor’s flesh. It’s clearly a personality thing. There’s a couple of the DEQ staff that clearly do not like Mr. Taylor, and it’s mutual.”

If no resolution is reached, Hart will need to relocate in order to grow, said Bob Striebel, vice president.

“We could fund construction of a new building, but rest assured, it will not be in Michigan,” Striebel said.

He said he was shocked when employees and the company were turned down for a meeting with Granholm.

“I was flabbergasted,” Striebel said.

The reason — that she did not have time — was “inconceivable,” he said.

“How could she not have time for 104 jobs, that are good jobs already here in the state?” Striebel said. “This is a situation where it’s entirely within the state’s control.”

Get a union and she could pencil you in!