NAVIGATION
Latest News
The importance of a PAC (Political Action Committee) fund.
In the last twenty years law public safety felt protected by the law makers. As time went on, public safety lost touch with political candidates. In turn political candidates lost touch with public safety. Law enforcement felt that they would never be affected by financial changes made at legislative levels. Less money went into PAC’s and less effort was made to make connections with law makers and budget setters.NOW WE FIND OUR SELVES IN A BAD SITUATION!!!
In recent times we have found our selves loosing ground when it comes to our standard of living. We have been largely reactionary rather than pro active when it comes to our future. We don’t notice the change till it directly affects us. IT’S time to be pro active!!!
The less money goes into our budget the less money and benefits for us to have!!!!
The law makers set our budgets!!! We need to work and help elect law makers who are pro police, corrections, and fire on all levels. This includes state, counties, cities and townships. These candidates come from both republican and democratic parties. Not all candidates from either side are bad for us. It is more important to know where they stand by meeting with them privately. This also gives us face time with the candidate which makes them think twice about cutting off a supporter. In many cases this requires donations that must come from our PAC fund. The more that is budgeted for us the better off we are.
A CALL TO ARMS!!!
Brothers and Sisters I ask that you donate to the OCDSA PAC. I have been diligently working (with the support of our board) and have made many connections on several levels of our government that are to our benefit.
In order to effect change we have to do it from within.Working for you and yours in solidarity,
Rami Abi Adal
This link will keep you updated on the developments on the Lake Orion and Oakland
School District.
http://www.clarkstonnews.com/Articles-School-News-i-2011-12-07-244796.113121-
sub14474.113121-Schools-look-for-police-liaison-options.html
Oakland Township is now in talks of giving the Village of Orion police powers within
the township for the schools.
Working for you and yours in solidarity,
Rami Abi Adal
Due to the extensive requests I've had for the Union's Proxy Vote Form, I'm posting a link to it below. In the future, members may download it from the MEETINGS page.
Please note, I've had several members leave me voice mails, asking for callbacks, but each of these members has a CallerID block enabled (so I can't see the number of the person that called me) and they fail to leave their number in the voice mail. Folks, I can't call you back if I don't know how to reach you, so please, those of you that use CallerID blocking, leave your number in the voice mail message. Thanks!
EDIT: I also made it available in the QUICK LINKS box at the right.
House Bill 5002
Again DSAM sent a contingent to Lansing this is a letter from Brian Earl the Legislative director. Please read it, it explains the ramifications of this law.
Thank you
Rami Abi Adal
On Wednesday 11-16-2011 I was in Lansing along with our DSAM lobbyist Erik Hingst representing DSAM for a meeting with Senator Jansen about House Bill 5002. Also at this meeting were representatives from POAM, MSP, FOP and the Michigan Firefighters. House Bill 5002 drastically changes the workers’ compensation act and would have a very negative impact on all first responders.
This bill was introduced in the House in September and passed the House in November. If this bill were to pass the Senate as written, and be signed into Law three major areas would affect us.
- Under the current law, 10 days after you go on workers’ compensation you are covered to see your own physician instead of the clinic doctor. Under the new law, you would have to wait 45 days.
- The new law would create a “phantom wage” which would be held against you. How it would work is this: It would be determined by the workers’ compensation people that given your injury, you could still have a potential earning capacity, and whether or not you can find a supplemental job that would pay you that potential earning capacity, it will still be held against you and your workers’ compensation benefit would be altered accordingly. For an example: Let’s say that you make $1000 per week at your current job and you are injured on duty performing your job so you have to go off on workers’ compensation. Under the new law it could be determined that your potential earning capacity would be for example $400 per week (the phantom wage). You would then be forced to find a job making at least $400 per week. And Whether or not you find that job, $400 will be subtracted from your actual wage loss ($1000) and your workers’ compensation benefit would be based on only $600 in lost wages. The workers’ compensation benefit itself could conceivably be reduced from $600 per week to only $200 per week, even though your actual lost wages were $1000 per week.
- Under the new law if you were at “normal retirement age” and you are injured on duty, you can be forced to retire, because your workers’ compensation benefit would be reduced by your retirement benefit, whether you retired or not.
Currently Michigan has one of the most successful workers’ compensation laws in the Country. Currently only 10 % of all workers’ compensation claims are challenged by employers. In fact since 1993 there has been a 60 % drop in workers’ comp claims and a corresponding drop in premiums for workers’ compensation insurance in 12 out of the last 14 years, with a 7.4 % drop coming next year. Changes in the current workers’ compensation law would drastically increase the number of workers’ compensation claims that are challenged in court and would create levels of bureaucracy that would increase costs to the employers, employees and the State of Michigan tax payers. Given these facts you have to wonder who will profit from these changes. Once again we are faced with fighting the legislative agenda of “if it ain’t broke, break it”.
Tuesday 11-22-2011 we will be back in Lansing testifying in the committee hearing for this bill. I will keep you updated at this issue progresses.
Cpl. Brian Earle
Legislative Director, DSAM
Public sector labor unions scored a significant victory in Tuesday's elections when Ohio voters overturned the controversial anti-union that took away their collective bargaining rights. This is seen by some as a significant blow to the support conservatives thought they enjoyed when the legislation was forced through.
In Michigan, yesterday's election saw the sccessful recal of Representative Paul Scott. Scott was targeted for recall by the MEA for his support of anti-union legislation.
