Regarding responsible bidders

To the Editor:

St. Louis County’s responsible bidder law was grievously misrepresented by Mr. Patrick Ishmael in his recent letter to the editor (“Union vs. non-union,” West Newsmagazine, Feb. 6).

The purpose of the responsible bidder law is to cater to a narrow interest or to simply prop up labor unions.

In St. Louis County, to be considered a responsible bidder the contractor must have employees who meet federal guidelines for OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration ) training and approved apprenticeship programs.

While Mr. Ishmael would like to argue that this definition only protects special interests, the reality is that protects the taxpayer by ensuring the highest quality workforce is building county projects.

Non-unions contractors are not prohibited from bidding on projects by the responsible bidder law. However, low bid contracts with an unskilled workforce are prohibited.

If non-union contractors are concerned with these regulations, they should invest in their workforce by providing federally approved OSHA training and apprenticeship programs.

It seems Mr. Ishmael has forgotten what most of us know, those who have the best training build the highest quality products. Thus, the responsible bidder law provides the taxpayers with the best value for the money.

Gary Endres

Ballwin