Grassroots action is the key to moving legislators.
As an employer from their legislative district, your voice rings loud and clear at the Capitol...but only if you use it. Special interests that are opposed to merit-based contracting are always at the Capitol pushing their agenda. You need to provide, as Paul Harvey used to say, "the rest of the story."
Find your local legislators in Minnesota.
Find your local legislators in North Dakota.
Don't know what to say? Here's a simple example.
"Dear Legislator,
My business, ABC Company, has been constructing buildings and providing jobs in your district for 35 years. We are proud of the work we have done, and even more proud of our workers, who we consider as family members.
We work hard, reward our employees on the basis of their productivity, and seek to build a thriving economy as well as strong buildings, roads, and public works. While we tackle logistical, technical, and weather-related challenges daily, we often are slowed down the most by bureaucracy and government intervention.
That's where you come in. Government does play a role in our industry we need leaders like you to help get things moving.
Excessive regulation raises the cost of a building project, making it unlikely that an owner or financier will move forward. Please help in keeping those extra costs down, because it truly means less people working.
Please reform our state's prevailing wage law. Our system does not look for real market wages, and is about 17% over what the majority of workers get paid. While I wish I could pay each man and woman in my shop more, I also know that out-of-line wages make our bids noncompetitive and mean less jobs. It does no good to offer a person $50 per hour and then lay the person off because you are priced out of the market. I pay my workers based on how much productivity they bring to the table, and that allows me to be competitive. I review each worker's performance, and pay them accordingly. If I didn't pay them well, I would lose them to competitors. Why shouldn't we let employees and employers bargain freely for wages?
The state does purchase a good deal of construction each year. This year, with construction costs down, it would be a good opportunity for the state to update its infrastructure. The bonding bill moves the costs off this year's budget, and appropriately spreads out costs over the life of the building or roads. Buying durable goods at their lowest cost is good economics, and I encourage you to support a substantial bonding bill.
Thank you for your public service and your time in hearing my thoughts. I understand you also have a tough task ahead of you in the legislature this year, and hope that you can take some time to improve the construction business climate in our state.
Your friend,"