Time for changes in Michigan by my friend Brian Pannebecker

While another Labor Day holiday was observed, most Michigan residents are watching passively as businesses and their accompanying jobs leave the state in droves. Unfortunately, we have stood by and watched as more than three-quarters of a million jobs disappeared from Michigan over the last decade alone.

It's time to start doing something different.

I suggest two things; Our elected legislators in Lansing need to seriously look at passing right-to-work legislation that would allow the workers of this state to compete with workers of other states by having the choice of whether or not to join a union when they are hired by a union-represented business.

Secondly, we need to dramatically reform the business tax structure in our state. The failed "Michigan Business Tax", which replaced the reviled "Single Business Tax", needs to be scrapped and replaced with a simpler, fairer business tax that will attract businesses to Michigan, not drive them away.

Only by taking these types of bold steps will Michigan again be able to compete with more business friendly states, let alone the rest of the global economy.

Brian Pannebecker

UAW member Local 228

Shelby Township