Hunter safety program scheduled
The third annual hunter safety program hosted by State Sen. John Cherry, State Rep. Deb Cherry and the Flint Area Building Trades will take place this year during the first week of May.

The free MDNR-certified program includes two classroom lessons, on Tuesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 4 from 6-9:30 p.m. at the Grand Blanc High School auditorium. A shooting range lesson will follow on Saturday, May 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Grand Blanc Huntsman Club.

Free refreshments will follow the range lesson. All supplies and safety equipment will be provided. Gifts will be provided for all program graduates. To register, call (800) 551-1636 or (810) 606-0737.


'Serious flaws' tarnish wage study
The Associated Builders and Contractors are using another prevailing wage study as ammunition to convince legislators around the nation to repeal the law. Turns out the study is probably shooting blanks.

Cockshaw's Labor News and Opinion, an independent observer of the nation's construction industry, called the study of prevailing wage costs in Washington state "well-written" and "certain to influence those not intimately familiar with how construction costs are derived."

However, Cockshaw's concluded, "the report has serious flaws which call into question its central claim that 'prevailing wage laws mandate excessive costs.' "

The study by the Washington Research Council came after a series of separate independent studies involving no less than 11 states found that prevailing wage laws have no effect on school construction costs.

The Washington study, Cockshaw's said, was based on Congressional Budget Office numbers that the CBO later found to be flawed, and was based on data compiled in 1983, which were in turn was based on 1979 numbers.

"Prevailing wage opponents continue to cite so-called cost 'savings' based on unreliable CBO data which is over 20 years old!" said Cockshaw's, which added the exclamation point. The publication added that the study also incorrectly assigned labor costs at 48 percent of a typical project - double the accepted industry average.