This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

School Bond and waste-

Now that we are going to fix up the schools with all the tax bond money, it will be done competitively, Right?   Wrong!!   Read this.  http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/chris_fisher_taxpayers_can_no.html

The schools can't get the lowest or best price due to archaic prevailing wage laws that dictate that all public works projects must use union wage scales for construction.  If we now have Right to Work, should we not now also have Right to accept the lowest bid?  As a private owner, I can get quotes for building an addition from say source 'A'.  He quotes say $10,000.  Now if I am a school (purchaser/buyer) wanting exactly the same thing, from the same source 'A', my cost is going to be at least 25% higher since it is a public works project, in other words , $12,500, all because of the higher union  'prevailing wage' law that the same company 'A' is forced to pay its workers.  Sure, the workers make more, but at the tax payers expense.  Construction workers make plenty good money as it is, they don't need to pick the tax payers pocket even more.  Bond projects should be strictly competitive bid, without the 'strings' attached.  Agreed??
Time to get this 'prevailing wage' law repealed.  It is  costing us taxpayers big time,  we want the best value for our tax dollars, but done fairly, with competitive bids via private and union wage rates.  Ditto for the work on the new city hall as well.  If fixed up privately, by law, the taxpayers could save at least 25%.  

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?