Thankyousoverymuchforaskingabouthowwecanimprovetheclimatetodo Businessinmassachusetts

TobyBurr

"Thankyousoverymuchforaskingabouthowwecanimprovetheclimatetodo businessinMassachusetts.

Forme,IfeelparticularlyfrustratedwiththeDepartmentofPublicSafetyandthe permits businessesneedtoputupabuilding.

Businessesappreciatehealthyregulation.Itkeepscompetitiononanevenplaying fieldandpromotes education andtraining. Eveninspectorscanbeappreciatedasa fresheyetohelpkeepupstandards.

Businesseshatebadregulation whentheywastepreciousresourcesanddemoralize workers.Anexample ofregulation that underminessafety,givesbroadadvantage topeoplewhoignorerules,andisantagonistictoward trainingis the2013hoist regulationsfromtheMassachusettsDepartmentofPublicSafety.

InNovemberof2013,DepartmentofPublicSafetypromulgatedrevisedregulations forthehoistlaw.WhatadisappointmenttoSmallBusinesses. Herearesome highlights.-

Therevisedregsarefullofrandom incompatibleswithOSHAstandards.Manytimes duringthepublichearing,peopleworkingintheindustrystoodupandsited

conflictsandinconsistenciesbetweenOSHAandtheDPSrevisedregulations. I believeonepersondocumentedover400inconsistenciesbetweenthetwo documents. DPSdidnotcare,didnotoffertomodifylanguage,andonlyasserted thattheCommonwealth hasthepowertoexceedOSHAstandards.

DPSwasaskedtoproduce aversion oftheregulationswhereonlyrulesexceeding OSHArequirementswerestated,andtheyrefused. DPSmadenoapologyaboutnot knowingwhatOSHAsaid. Theydidnotcare.

Repeatedly,workingpeopletriedtoexplainthatitisimpossibletorunahoist operationwithtwoseparate,complexsetsofregulations, wherefollowingone creates aviolationoftheother.DPSdidnotcare.

Now,whenemployers telloperatorswhattherulesare,employeesoftenpointout thatcompanystated rulesaredifferentthanrulestheyreadonline. Inconsistencies aredemoralizingforpeopletryingtofollowtherules.

RevisedDPSregulationssnuffedouteffectiveforklifttrainingprograms. In2000, GovernorPaulCellucciissuedanexecutiveorderstatingthatifcompanies ranan OSHAcomplianttraining programforthesafeoperationofforkliftsonprivate property,thennostateactionwasneeded. DPSendedthatsuccessful

policy.Workingpeoplestoodupatthepublichearings andexplainedtoDPS that

effectivetrainingprogramsexisted,andthattheproposedregswouldsnuffthem out. DPSdidnotcareaboutOSHA,oraboutexistingprograms,oraboutsuccessful situations.

TherequirementsforContinuingEducation.ascreated bytheDPSrevisedregulations.isanineffective.expensivenuisance.andaninsulttothoseforcedtoendurethem. Businessesrelyoneffectivetraining andeducation. WhatDPShas mandatedis theproverbialcamelbycommittee. Thecontinuingedrequirement shouldbeabandonedimmediately,andreplacedbysomethingendorsed andembracedbythosewhowillbeusingit.

DPSexpandedtherequirementforsupportingdocuments,andthustripledthepaperworkforlicenserenewals Inordertogetahoistlicense,youneedtoprovide copiesofadriverslicenseandaDOTcard. Inthe2013rewrite,thatrequirement wasexpanded-torequirethelicenseholdertosendacopyoftheirrenewed licenseandalsoacopyoftheirrenewed DOTcard,astheyexpired.

Thatexpansion oftheregulationstriplesthepaperworkforcompliance. Idouble­ dareanyonetoasktheDPSwheretheykeepthepapersubmissionsofpeoplewho sendincopiesofrenewals,all ofwhichareavailabletoDPS online.

DPSdemandedthatemailaddresses beincludedonthehoistlicenseapplication,andthensoldthoseemailaddresses.Nowlicenseholders arebombardedwith solicitous junkemailsstampedwiththeofficialstateicon.Someofthejunkmailis threateningthelicensewillbelostifactionisnottaken,asawaytodrawbusiness. Thisisobjectionableformanyreasons, particularlybypeoplewhoprefertoavoid work-relatedunsolicited junkemailsintheirprivateemail.

Forkliftlicensesrequire aDOTcard,whichisamisapplicationofafederal credential.DOTcardsaredesignedtoensureCDLdrivers ofbigrigswhodrive acrossstatelinesarefitforwhatcanbe strenuousconditions.Workingadayjobin anenvironmentofsupportivecoworkersis verydifferentthanstayingupallnight, alone,inheavyweatherwithbadbrakes. ThetroublewiththeDOTcard,is that sometimescompetent,qualifiedforkliftoperatorscannotgetone.Wehavean employeewithcataracts.Heisabletosharpshoottargets, drivetoandfromwork, andhasan18yearperfectrecordofsafetyoperationsdrivingaforkliftonour property,butaftertheDPSrevisionswerepublished,hecouldnotgetaforklift license. RequiringaDOTcardprecludes manygoodworkers,includingthosewith managed healthproblems.DOTcardsarenotappropriateforforkliftoperators.

SUGGESTIONABOUTDEPTOFPUBLICSAFETY-

1. .8r1rrgbacktheexecutiveorderissuedbyPaulCellucciandallowsmallbusinesses tohaveeffectiveOSHAprogramsforforkliftoperation.Thestatedoesnotneedto requestanypaperworkfortheseprograms.Thestatehasthesamerighttoreview filesasOSHAdoes.

2.Withdraw thecontinuingeducation requirementandcreatesomethingin harmonywithwhatalreadyexistsintheworkplace.

3.Rewritethewholesetofregulationsinclean,clearlanguage.

4.Restorethepublichearingprocess. Restoreproper notice. Restorethe obligationtodefendwhatisproposed.Restorethetraditionofwithdrawing proposals whenleadersintheindustryobjectiontothem. Americaisbasedon Government bythepeople,forthepeople,ofthepeople. Peopleholdinghoist licensesneedtobeinontheground floorforbuildingregulatory reform.

5.RemovetherequirementforaDOTcardforforklift operators.

BuildingCodesareextreme,conflictingandhaveunrealistictimeframesfor actionandforappeals.

Theplumbingcoderequiresfloordrainsforboatsheds. DEPandtheEPAforbid floordrainsinboatsheds. Theappealprocesstogetrelieffromtheplumbingcode takes120days,andthatdelayinconcertwithother permits,jeopardizesthe project,sothefloordrainisinstalled,andaplanis madetosealitoncethebuilding isfinished. Howdidwegetsofarawayfromcommonsense?

Notlongago,state codeswereadministeredbylocalpeopleunderthegeneral authorityofaboardofselectman. Appealsweregenerallyresolvedatalocal level, wheregoodjudgementandcompromisecouldbebroughttobear.

Nowthatstatecodeshavegrownsogreatinscopeanddetail,localpeopleget

'training'atthestatesponsoredseminars,etc....Sadly,thetrainingseemstoset themfurtherapartintellectually,fromwhatotherboardsandbuildersthinkis reasonable.Boards,suchasplanning,zoning,health,conservation,building,have grownsospecialized andrarified,meaningfulcooperationisrare. Andwith expandedtimeframes,gettingaprojectaccomplished canbeimpossible.

SUGGESTION-

1. Createataskforcetoaddresstheconundrumcreated bymultipleboards administeringmultiplestatecodes. Theoldsystemdoesnotholduptotheburdens weareputtingonit.

2.Createflexibility.Ifabusinesswantstoaddabathroom foremployees,butneeds flexibilitytoworkwithinrestrictedspace,serious mindedprofessional people shouldbeabletogetatimelyvariancetotheplumbingcode,forexampletowaivea requirementforashower.

3.Streamlinethelocalreviewforcompliancetostatecodes,ieWetlands,Building Code,TitleFive,Plumbing,Electrical. Maybethere canbecomprehensivewayto reviewoneprojectforallcodessimultaneously.

Pleaseletmeknowif icanbeofhelp.Thelistofgovernmenthindrancesgoeson andon.Ifyouwantmore,pleaseask.

Sincerelyyours, TobyBurr"

HaiTran

"Nojobs.MAneedstoconnectthecommonwealthwiththejobs...Theyneedto connectwiththelocaleconomymore."

GerryCardillo

"MynameisGerryCardillo.I'mthepresidentofBostonElectricandTelephoneCorp.Ihavebeeninbusinesssince1972.Originallywedidallprivateworkforabout35 yearsasindustrydriedupwebegantodopublicworkat50:50ratio.

Prevailingwagewasmetonallpublicworkexceptfortwoissues.Thefirstissueis thatwepayholidays,sickdays,maternityleaveandvacations.Wegetnocredit toward thewageforthesebenefits.Thereasonisthattheunionwhoestablished theseratesdonotprovidethesebenefits.Nowwearebeginforces[sic]topayrates beyondtheprevailingrate,becauseweprovidethebenefitsandstillpaytherate.

Thesecondissueisthatonaprojectwedidforj3ridgewaterSchools,wehiredtwo highschoolstudentsandamarinewhowasjustdischargedforasummer position. Thesethreeindividualshadabsolutelynoexperience.Theywerehiredforgeneral labor,cleanup,movingstockandassistingwhere needed.Theywerepaidonthe basisofafirstyearelectricalapprentice($15.00/hour)buttheywerenotregistered apprentices.Wemistakenlyputthemintothatclassificationofelectricalapprentice.

BETCOwasauditedonthreeprojectsbytheCommonwealth ofMassachusetts basedontheseissues.Inmyopinionthiswasorchestratedbybiglabor.

TheAttorneyGeneralisfiningus$45,000andundeterminedpenalties.There reasonis thattheapprenticeswerenotregisteredandtherefore entitledtothefull

$55.00/hour journeyman'srate.Theygaveusnocreditforthebenefitsweprovide.

Noemployeehasfiledacomplaint.Theydonotwantthemoniesbeingoffered.They aresatisfiedwiththeirbenefits.Fourteen jobsareatstakeandMauraHealycouldn't carelessbecauseBetcoisanopenshopandnotaffiliatedwithaunion.Inmy

opiniontherelationshipbetween organizedlaborandourstat[sic]legislators is

waytoocozyandshouldbeinvestigatedbythefederalgovernment.Thefinesare notdetermined,butcouldbetwoorthreetimesthesettlement.DoyouthinkIwill getafairhearingwithastateboardthatisloadedwithunionappointies?

Thankyou, GerardCardillo

President

BostonElectricandTelephoneCorp."

SeanSummers

"Ijustcompleted fourtermasaSelectmaninChathamMassachusetts.INaddition I have50employeesinasmallcompanythatIhaverunformanyyears. Ihopeyou areserious aboutthisproject.Ialsoorganized11townsontheCapetoorganize againstoverregulationrelativetotheendangeredspeciesAct(PipingPlovers)and havestudied theJawsrelativetoshorefrontprotection.

To beperfectlyFrank.Thegovernorshouldknowthathisenvironmental departmentsarereadingthelawsofthecommonwealthinthemostconservative waypossible.INmymindtheyclearlyarereadingthingsintothelawthatarenotthere.Ihavemany,manyexamplesofthisthatIcouldprovideiftheirwasatrue commitmenttoalterthebehavior.Thebeautyoftheproblemisnolawsneed changingitwouldjustrequirethegovernor toissueorderstoreadandactonthe lawsastheyarewrittenandtoendthesubjectivityorperhaps definewhatthelaw meanstothisadministration.Afterallitisjustenglish!

Sorrytosoundabitjadedbuttwelveyearsonthefrontlinewilldothattooyou. Ihopeyourprojectleadstomeaningfulchanges.

SeanSummers

"'"-''

DonaldTorrey

r,;;, 1

"FirstIwasforcedtopaysickleavethen1.00increaseinminimumwage,thatI couldhavelivedwith,butfacing1.00nextrearandtheyearafterIjustcouldn't justify,especiallyaftermycustomersstartedcuttingmyservicestoalso

comply. June26thIlaideveryoneoffandambacktosolo. I finditnotthatbad.My

insurancewen't[sic]from6000.00to750.00.My matchingtaxeswere6100.00/yr. nowtheyarezero.Iwillearnlessbutwillworklessandhavelessheadaches.Hated lettingemployeesgo,somehad31yearsofservice.Iexplaineditwasthesocialist democratscostthemtheirjobs.Thebestpartissomeparttimeworkersthatdidn't earn3500.00/quarterdidn'tearnenoughtocollectunemployment,yetIhadtopay itin.Iaskedmystate repforarefundhaha.Lookingatmovingsouthifitgetsmuch worse. Ivotedforbaker,butIseehewantstotaxubercabs.Nicejobneverlet anythinggowithouttaxingit.SincerelyDonaldWTorrey"

MarkCohen

"IspoketoBakeraboutitattheluncheon. Ifabusinesshas(atleastforsometypes) contractwiththeCommonwealth,weneedtoalsosubmitareporttotheOSD (OperationalServicesDivision)EVERYQUARTERhowmuchbusinesswedowith theState,andalsopaya1%"ContractFee".Thisis cumbersomeandstupid;

obviouslycompanieswillfactorthe1%inthecostofdoingbusinessandraiseprices totheStateaccordingly. NoprivateorpublicbusinessthatIknowofchargesafee for thepleasureofdoingbusinesswithit,andI'msuretheadministrativeburden on

theStateiscostlyaswell. Thanksforyourhelpwiththis, Mark"

RichardKramer

"Mysmallcompanypreparesitstaxreturnsusinginhousepeople.

However,wecannolongerfileourreturnswithoutbeingpenalized.Wewereputon noticethatwewouldbepenalized$100ifwefile paperreturns.YettheDORdoes NOTprovidesmallbusinessesthemeanstofileelectronically.We'deitherhaveto buysoftware,$500to$1000eachyear,notcountingthetimewastedlearningand usingthesoftware,orhavethemfiledbyanaccountantwedon'tneedfor$1200-

$2500.

Thesituationisoutrageousandneedstochange."