Don't expect to read about this in the Register & Bee

News from a reader asking why The Danville Register and Bee hasn't covered this story. Hmmmm...could be because they supported Barack Obama and may be pro-union???? The Register and Bee doesn't do a lot of reporting on business issues like this. They're down to just two reporters for news - although there are what? Three or four for sports? We know where the priorities are - and it's not politics, uranium or business reporting. Anyway....

This reader writes:

Late Friday Feb. 6, President Barack Obama issued an executive order encouraging the federal government to require wasteful and discriminatory union-only project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal and federally funded construction projects over $25 million. This executive order also repealed Executive Order 13202, which has prohibited the government from mandating PLAs on all construction projects receiving federal dollars or financial assistance since February 17, 2001.

The Obama pro-PLA executive order encourages merit shop contractors be locked out from federal construction opportunities unless contractors agree to the onerous “union-friendly” terms and conditions found in union-only PLAs. Contractors signatory to labor unions will have an incredible advantage in winning federal construction projects.

ABC member contractors and your workforce should be outraged by the Obama executive order because it will eliminate you from federal construction contracts paid for by your very own tax dollars. As a result of this executive order, local and state contracts that receive federal funding or assistance may be subject to PLA requirements as well.

In addition, the Obama Order is sure to waste taxpayer dollars. Credible academic studies have found that inefficient union work rules and decreased competition as a result of PLA requirements increases construction costs by as much as 20 percent when compared to projects bid without PLAs. In these tough economic times, it makes no financials sense for the federal government to build four schools, bridges and hospitals for the price of five.

Send a letter by clicking below OR call President Obama at (202) 456-1111 and tell him that union-only PLAs are wasteful, discriminatory and keep skilled people like you from working in their own communities.

Readers are urged to call Tom Perriello - who is not expected to do a damn thing about it because he's a democrat. But that's okay. Virgil is running again next year and he won't have a turn-coat homosexual in his office selling him down the river, faxing documents and selling out Virgil for political favors this time. We know who you are and what you did - and so do the Congressmen who like Virgil. Lot of people aren't happy about it. Of course the Register and Bee won't report on that either - since Sarah, "Oh I love Obama I hate Virgil Goode," is gone. Convenient eh? Come in, slam Virgil, then resign after the election....that way you don't have to report on what went on behind the scenes do you....Don't expect Steve Kaylor to pay attention. He has to run the circulation department and advertising now that Fia was laid off and Rob abandoned ship to take a better job elsewhere.

But there's a chance you might find a politician who's not taking pay-offs, hob-nobbing with the pharmaceutical industry, back scratching, cheating on their wives and boyfriends, or partying hardy. Good luck. If you find one and they actually have time to listen to you before their next junket, party or meeting with a lobbyist, you should also say:

Union-only PLAs have no place on taxpayer funded, federal construction and infrastructure projects;PLAs inflate costs by as much as 20 percent and discriminate against 84.4 percent of the U.S. private construction workforce;
PLAs have a public record of poor performance. PLA proponents’ claims of cost savings, avoidance of delays and or improved performance under proposed PLAs have been repeatedly contradicted by the actual project performance under such union-only requirements; Explain why merit shop contractors won’t bid on projects subject to PLAs
We encourage you to forward this action alert to your fellow employees, friends, state and local public officials and the media. We need your help in spreading the word about this special interest-driven policy.

To learn more about union-only PLAs and the Obama executive order, please visit www.abc.org/pla