Are people in Lansing bought or just stupid - tough scrapper law tabled

**jt1** · June-11-13, 12:25 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/2013061...hieves-dealers

"But state Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, asked police and prosecutors, “How much more policing do you want businesses to do for you.”"

How much do I need to pay ot have someone steal his catalytic converter or possibly his gutters or something else.

**313WX** · June-11-13, 12:33 PM

Both......

**jt1** · June-11-13, 12:34 PM

Correct. That should have been the first option

**Honky Tonk** · June-11-13, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

http://www.freep.com/article/2013061...hieves-dealers

"But state Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, asked police and prosecutors, “How much more policing do you want businesses to do for you.”"

How much do I need to pay ot have someone steal his catalytic converter or possibly his gutters or something else.

Are people in Lansing bought or just stupid

One, no two, TWO, No, no, no, ONE, no wait,.... I don't know....

Tell you what though, IMO, Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, has got to go.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-11-13, 01:22 PM

Sounds like knee-jerk GOP reaction to the dreaded "regulations" on business. How difficult is it to identify the "sellers" of the scrap and photograph the items?

**ct_alum** · June-11-13, 01:25 PM

Hint: If there is an [[R) after their name they're stupid. If there is a [[D) they're bought.
It is amazing how Republicans recoil in horror at the mention of rules and regulations for a scrap yard but have no problem imposing rules and regulations on a woman's reproductive rights. #@&* hypocrites.

**erikd** · June-11-13, 01:26 PM

I loathe Tom McMillin.

**Detroitnerd** · June-11-13, 01:28 PM

State Rep. Tom McMillin bases his political career on gay-bashing. No, not actually going out and beating people up; he doesn't have that level of courage to fight people one-on-one. Instead he pushes weasel-worded laws that have the effect of hurting and marginalizing gays and lesbians. He likes to scare people by telling them they'll have to go to the bathroom with trannies. He is one of the most despicable politicians in the state.

And yet even a stopped clock is right twice a day. His über-conservative leanings had him opposing the greasy, Lansing-concocted plan for the fairgrounds. McMillin said, "If the desire is to sell the land, then put it up for sale," instead of cutting deals with "select well-connected people."

**Honky Tonk** · June-11-13, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Sounds like knee-jerk GOP reaction to the dreaded "regulations" on business. How difficult is it to identify the "sellers" of the scrap and photograph the items?

My guess is he doesn't have to deal with stolen catalytic converters or his copper plumbing disapearing while he's @ church, so WTF does he care? It would be interesting to see where his campaign contributions come from.

**Ray1936** · June-11-13, 09:18 PM

Here in Nevada, the state legislature is part time, meeting for only five months on odd-numbered years. However, they tend to be just as stupid. Fortunately, we don't get bothered by them 3/4ths of the time.

**48205to24** · June-13-13, 11:32 AM

I know they were stealing manhole covers [[major public safety issue) and taking them to the scrap yards. I know a man drowned in a sewer [[the lastest trend stealing copper pipe underground). I do not know if DWSD has brought the issue before politicians. They get lawsuits due missing manhole covers [[repairs to cars and slip and falls) all the time.

**daddeeo** · June-13-13, 11:52 AM

You have to wonder, who elects these guys?

**Honky Tonk** · June-13-13, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by daddeeo

You have to wonder, who elects these guys?

Big SMILE!

**antongast** · June-13-13, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by daddeeo

You have to wonder, who elects these guys?

Damn good question. Seems like we keep voting for Democrats and keep getting Republicans in charge of everything. Fucking democracy, how does it work?

**royce** · June-13-13, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by ct_alum

Hint: If there is an [[R) after their name they're stupid. If there is a [[D) they're bought.
It is amazing how Republicans recoil in horror at the mention of rules and regulations for a scrap yard but have no problem imposing rules and regulations on a woman's reproductive rights. #@&* hypocrites.

My sentiments exactly.

**brizee** · June-13-13, 04:28 PM

How could someone possibly be in defense of scrapping?

Will it really take one of these legislators loved ones being hurt due to a scrapped fire hydrant/hookup or stop sign?

**313WX** · June-13-13, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

How could someone possibly be in defense of scrapping?

Will it really take one of these legislators loved ones being hurt due to a scrapped fire hydrant/hookup or stop sign?

Probably.

Sort of like how it took the threat of bankruptcy to see how vital Detroit was to the health of the state of Michigan.

**wolverine** · June-13-13, 06:44 PM

I'd still prefer a system where metals can only be transported and sold by licensed contractors of construction or demo sites. They'd have a card that's swiped or scanned when they reach the scrapyard that would also connect to an active online database of registered building permits.

Everybody else would have to call a municipal pickup service and wouldn't get anything in exchange.

**canuck** · June-13-13, 07:30 PM

Your plan sounds good wolverine.

I called this guy through the yeller pages to pick up some metal scrap recently, and the guy said he was registered as a scrap picker and got more per pound from the scrapyard than your usual joe doing the rounds.

What I cant get over is the number of Jesuses that get cruci-fried from climbing poles to steal high voltage cable. There must be a problem in the neural path between the synapses of the single neuron these people own.

**JBMcB** · June-13-13, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

They'd have a card that's swiped or scanned when they reach the scrapyard that would also connect to an active online database of registered building permits.

Sounds like it would work in theory, though there are two caveats:

1 - Implementing a state-wide permitting system would be daunting. You're talking about integrating hundreds of disparate systems. In the IT world this is known as a "non-trivial" task

2. A simple way around this would be to haul the scrap down to Toledo and sell it there. It would cut into the profit, but the material cost is pretty much zero to start.

How about this - all scrap metal payouts go into an escrow account for one year, at which time it's wired straight into a bank account [[two forms of ID required) No more cash sales. I don't think most of the people doing illegal scrapping are interested in selling scrap metal sales futures.

**jtf1972** · June-13-13, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Both......

Yep. The two are not mutually exclusive.

**old guy** · June-13-13, 11:36 PM

Yes, people are often stupid, or just don't care.

**wolverine** · June-13-13, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Sounds like it would work in theory, though there are two caveats:

1 - Implementing a state-wide permitting system would be daunting. You're talking about integrating hundreds of disparate systems. In the IT world this is known as a "non-trivial" task

2. A simple way around this would be to haul the scrap down to Toledo and sell it there. It would cut into the profit, but the material cost is pretty much zero to start.

How about this - all scrap metal payouts go into an escrow account for one year, at which time it's wired straight into a bank account [[two forms of ID required) No more cash sales. I don't think most of the people doing illegal scrapping are interested in selling scrap metal sales futures.

There is no perfect solution to the problem, but the inconvenience is key.

As for the IT complications, I'm not certain I agree with that argument since the software pretty much already exists. Many cities are now requiring construction drawing sets be uploaded and reviewed online. All you have to do is attach an ID card to the project. Scrapyards could download free software to scan and verify the contractors ID or just use simple web based interface.

If you walk into any retail store point of Sale technology has evolved so much over the years. It's so much further than our politicians probably think it is.

Expanding on the transportation part, there's not too much you can do. Here in Illinois they do heavily regulate what you can take on the road. You'd probably get busted carrying pipes in a pickup with the wrong class plates. And license plates for hauling construction materials is pricey for the average Joe, unless you are a contractor and it's just part of doing business. I did get pulled over a month after I moved to Chicago so police could inspect what I was carrying since I had Michigan plates with no specific vehicle class. I was only carrying shelving units I bought from Home Depot but they wanted to be sure.

Expecting enforcement would be challenging though, and then there's all the office work behind different plates and stickers. But I was surprised to find 'scrapaderos' very prevalent in Chicago and very open about it with phone numbers on the side of their trucks. Fortunately most homes and businesses are spared since they are well secured and the alleys are always replenishing with discarded building materials and broken appliances. The supply is enough to keep the illegal activity at a minimum.

**sumas** · June-14-13, 08:26 AM

Some years back the News featured a suburban home who did a major Rec room remodel. They were touted as very chic cool people. One feature they were really proud of was a stamped Detroit manhole cover bought from a Detroit scrap yard and turned into a coffee table. All I could do was shake my head.

Driving East Jefferson a few weeks back near Indian Village we narrowly avoided a missing manhole cover. All I could think of was another Detroit trophy for the burbs.

**Honky Tonk** · June-14-13, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by coracle

What a stupid biased analogy. On the one hand yiou have no qualms about passing the cost of Policing of scrappers onto somebody trying to make a living and provide work, while at the same time you condone throwing other people's money at women to encourage and reward them for producing the next

Sorry coracle, we don't see eye to eye on the "somebody trying to make a living" part. SOME, [[hopefully not all) scrapyards are making profits hand over fist on other people's pain by buying stolen merchandise. I'm not chastising you for your statement, but you once posted how you "got out of Delray within 10 minutes" because the area was intimidating to you. How do you think the area got that way? A big part of the reason is people are making a living devesting properties of any and all metal that can be stolen and sold. It's one thing to do it to a structure that's going to be torn down, another to do it to someone's home while they're in church. You can't tell me for a second that the scrapyard taking in a metal bust or sculpture, or a complete set of brand new soldered copper plumbing from a house, has no idea it was stolen. They're encouraging this kind of activity by buying this stuff unchecked. They're guilty just as much as the people actually doing the theft.