News
Opinion
I am a local union carpenter. So let's set the record straight. We are not the “Missouri” Carpenters Union. We are more than 14,000 working carpenters and families in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Millwrights in Wyoming. In fact, we have 25 locals throughout those six states, including five locals in Colorado and dozens of members that live right in the town of Eagle.
As tradesmen and women, we as a general rule want to see development. In most cases, it means jobs for us and our fellow members. There are times, however, when we oppose development, for example, Eagle River Station.
Why? Very simply, we don't believe the developer will do what they are inferring, which is provide 1,900 good-paying construction jobs that they claim will benefit the local economy.
We have a very good reason to doubt RED Development. Take, for example, the project brought up in previous letters — Lee's Summit's, Summit Fair development.
RED Development says over and over again that the local union contractors' bids were 38 percent higher than the winning bid. Well, that part is true, but what they don't tell you is the contractor from Georgia that won the bid broke the law. They didn't even pay the workers minimum wage in Missouri. They didn't pay unemployment insurance in Missouri, and the workers that were interviewed said there were no taxes deducted from their pay, and they didn't receive overtime although they worked 60 or 70 hours a week. No wonder the bid was 38 percent lower.
Those “good paying” construction jobs they promised in Lee's Summit went to out-of-state contractors and workers that sucked the money out of the Lee's Summit economy.
Local contractors in Colorado are already telling us that RED has told them they plan to build as cheap as possible, using out-of-town contractors if they are cheaper. We know what that means.
Ask construction workers in Lee's Summit or at the Eagle County Justice center what that means. They know, too, contractors that cheat and break the law.
RED says everyone will have equal opportunity to bid for the work, but they won't agree to hire contractors that pay the average for wages and benefits for Eagle.
If you think that just because something is not in the agreement now, it won't happen, then you are not paying attention to how RED operates or their real track record. Don't buy an out-of-state developer's spin.
As a local resident, I support good development that provides our community with job opportunities and increased tax revenue.
But we have also seen bad development in Eagle. We have seen what it looks like when contractors and developers “do it on the cheap” with little to no local hiring, low wages and no return on our investment.
I make my living on construction, so it is tough to oppose a local development venture.
However, I could not in good conscience support this project.
Vote “no” on ERS.
Mike King
Avon
As tradesmen and women, we as a general rule want to see development. In most cases, it means jobs for us and our fellow members. There are times, however, when we oppose development, for example, Eagle River Station.
Why? Very simply, we don't believe the developer will do what they are inferring, which is provide 1,900 good-paying construction jobs that they claim will benefit the local economy.
We have a very good reason to doubt RED Development. Take, for example, the project brought up in previous letters — Lee's Summit's, Summit Fair development.
RED Development says over and over again that the local union contractors' bids were 38 percent higher than the winning bid. Well, that part is true, but what they don't tell you is the contractor from Georgia that won the bid broke the law. They didn't even pay the workers minimum wage in Missouri. They didn't pay unemployment insurance in Missouri, and the workers that were interviewed said there were no taxes deducted from their pay, and they didn't receive overtime although they worked 60 or 70 hours a week. No wonder the bid was 38 percent lower.
Those “good paying” construction jobs they promised in Lee's Summit went to out-of-state contractors and workers that sucked the money out of the Lee's Summit economy.
Local contractors in Colorado are already telling us that RED has told them they plan to build as cheap as possible, using out-of-town contractors if they are cheaper. We know what that means.
Ask construction workers in Lee's Summit or at the Eagle County Justice center what that means. They know, too, contractors that cheat and break the law.
RED says everyone will have equal opportunity to bid for the work, but they won't agree to hire contractors that pay the average for wages and benefits for Eagle.
If you think that just because something is not in the agreement now, it won't happen, then you are not paying attention to how RED operates or their real track record. Don't buy an out-of-state developer's spin.
As a local resident, I support good development that provides our community with job opportunities and increased tax revenue.
But we have also seen bad development in Eagle. We have seen what it looks like when contractors and developers “do it on the cheap” with little to no local hiring, low wages and no return on our investment.
I make my living on construction, so it is tough to oppose a local development venture.
However, I could not in good conscience support this project.
Vote “no” on ERS.
Mike King
Avon
