Posts for March 24, 2011

UMA PRESIDENT REVIEWS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH WASHINGTON COUNTY MEMBER COMPANIES AT TUACAHN

Preceding a tour of first charter school to open in Utah, Tuacahn High School in Ivins, Washington County, Utah, a group of some 25 Southern Utah UMA member companies assembled in the Haefen Theater on campus and visited about what the Utah Legislature accomplished in the just ended general session.

Participating with UMA president Tom Bingham was St. George Representative Don Ipson. Among the topics discussed was the pending repeal of the highly controversial HB-477, Amendments to the GRAMA Act. Rep. Ipson noted he believed because it has been so publicized and so misunderstood that it is time to repeal the law and start over to bring it up to date with modern technology. He told the audience that the Utah Legislature is transparent and that all committee meetings and floor debates are broadcast over the internet and that what happens on Capitol Hill is not a secret. He noted that the big issue that spawned HB-477 was the extraordinary cost to the State and its taxpayers to respond to a growing number of GRAMA requests.

Bingham highlighted the issues of interest and concern to Utah Manufacturers Association and its members. Participants were very active in responding to issues of interest and asking questions, both of Bingham and Ipson. Bingham said, “the number one issue for UMA in this year’s session was to help legislators find ways to balance the budget without a tax increase.” He reported the Southern Utah members that, “They were true to their commitment not to raise taxes and steered away from any hint of tax increase.”

UMA hosts “plant tours” in each of their three regions on a monthly basis for the benefit of members to show off technology use by other UMA members and to provide networking opportunities within its “member to member” program. Plant tours, issue expos and other UMA activities are posted on the UMA Webpage at www.umaweb.org .

NEW ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM HELPS CONSUMERS SAVE

UB Daily
Industrial firms consume massive amounts of energy every year. Governor Herbert launched the Utah 10-Year Strategic Plan, to chart a path for Utah’s energy future, the Utah Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (IEE) is doing its part to provide training, technical support, and recognition for Utah industrial firms taking action to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use. “Energy efficiency improvements are the low hanging fruit helping Utah’s industrial companies significantly reduce their energy costs, while helping them stay competitive,” comments Paul Greenwood, manager of the IEE Program.
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ECONOMIC STRESS EASES

AP – Today in Manufacturing
Lower unemployment and bankruptcies helped reduce the nation's economic stress in January compared with a year earlier, according to AP ... continue

DURABLE GOODS ORDERS FALL 0.9 PERCENT

Today in Manufacturing
Companies trimmed their orders for long-lasting manufactured goods in February, with a key category that signals business investment falling for a second month ... continue

EPA PURSUES MICHIGAN'S LARGEST COAL-FIRED PLANT

Today in Manufacturing
Michigan utility spent $65 million replacing key parts at the state's largest coal-fired power plant, but it didn't spend enough to greatly eliminate air pollution ... continue

APPLICATIONS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AID DROP SLIGHTLY

Today in Manufacturing
Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, adding to evidence that layoffs are slowing and employers may be stepping up hiring ... continue

DIVERSITY HELPS BRIDGE THE TALENT AND GENERATION GAPS

Quick Manufacturing News
Most of the managers in the material handling and logistics field are a part of what I call Generation O (for "old"), based on the responses to our recent 2011 Salary Survey. Well over half -- in fact, 61% -- of the respondents are at least 50 years old. And not too surprisingly, when asked what is the biggest challenge facing the industry today, a frequently heard response was: "developing Generation X and Generation Y employees into managers." Click to continue

GOP GOVERNORS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF OBAMACARE

Mike Schrimpf –Main Street Journal
Republican governors marked the one-year anniversary of Obamacare today by detailing ways in which the federal healthcare law will damage state budgets and fail to adequately reform the nation’s healthcare system. Republican governors are also taking to... Read More

CONGRESS SHOULD DECIDE ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Congressman Jim Matheson (Newsletter)
Last week, I voted to approve an energy bill that clarifies it is Congress’s role to make the law for federal agencies to implement. The bipartisan bill –H.R. 910—restores the proper relationship between Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when it comes to addressing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). I successfully amended the bill to say science has clearly established the need for concern about climate change and that the U.S. has a global role to play in dealing with it.

This bill is not a debate on whether climate change exists, nor is it about preventing policies from being implemented that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I believe that climate change is happening and that it is creating challenges for the economy, U.S. energy independence and for the environment that we must address.

But agencies such as EPA should not regulate what has not been legislated. Doing so does not solve problems, but creates even more uncertainty, as it opens up the agencies’ rules to countless legal challenges. There is bipartisan agreement that the way to address the challenge posed by carbon pollution is through Congressional action.