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Team Elmer's
assists with
JohnnyBall
research! If you are of a certain age, you remember the "Magic 8" ball from your childhood, a black ball containing blue liquid and a multi-sided prognostication piece floating inside. A heartfelt question about your sibling leaving your toys alone, a vigorous shake, and the inevitable answer to "try again later." Fast forward thirty years to JohnnyBall, the latest and greatest technology introduced into the world of excavation, for measuring level and slope. Team Elmer's had the privilege of conducting extensive field  testing of the JohnnyBall at multiple job sites throughout 2014. JohnnyBall creator, John Miller, is an excavation operator and industry veteran. Miller first conceived the product more than two decades ago in the gold mines of Alaska. As an operator, he first saw the need for accurate and easy determination of level and slope. Two decades later his idea is being launched internationally. Miller has other inventions to his credit, including the Rockland Smart Thumb, a patented extendible thumb attachment for legacy backhoes that is still widely available today. Up until now, operators would utilize costly GPS equipment, laser technology (getting out of their cab periodically), or an additional worker outside the equipment to check measurements on grade elevations. JohnnyBall simplifies that process with the installation of a small device to the cab of the equipment you are using. Team Elmer's tested the JohnnyBall system primarily on simple slope projects for backfilling and rough topsoil restoration. Four Team Elmer's foreman used it on John Deere 650 dozers. They saw it save valuable time each day, and eliminated the need for additional grade rod staff, freeing that labor up to be used elsewhere on their project. "It's another tool for our toolbox," stated Team Elmer's foreman, Justin Kelenske. The new device is extrememly efficient. At a suggest retail price of $599, the JohnnyBall is competively priced compared to other more costly laser or GPS systems. And your sibling won't break this one. Click Here For Video
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Prop 1: Please Vote Today! If you haven't done so already, today is the day Michigan voter's have the chance to fix their roads or - if history is any indication how long it takes government representatives to agree - risk waiting another eighteen years for the next solution to be presented. Proposal 1's ballot wording is below. Further down, the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency's comparison of what taxes are placed on fuel now and where revenue goes if Proposal 1 is approved. PROPOSAL 1 BALLOT LANGUAGE
A proposal to amend the State Constitution to increase the sales/use tax from 6% to 7% to replace and supplement reduced revenue to the School Aid Fund and local units of government caused by the elimination of the sales/use tax on gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles operating on public roads, and to give effect to laws that provide additional money for roads and other transportation purposes by increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. The proposed constitutional amendment would:
• Eliminate sales / use taxes on gasoline / diesel fuel for vehicles on public roads.
• Increase portion of use tax dedicated to School Aid Fund (SAF).
• Expand use of SAF to community colleges and career / technical education, and prohibit use for 4-year colleges / universities.
• Give effect to laws, including those that: o Increase sales / use tax to 7%, as authorized by constitutional amendment.
o Increase gasoline / diesel fuel tax and adjust annually for inflation, increase vehicle registration fees, and dedicate revenue for roads and other transportation purposes.
o Expand competitive bidding and warranties for road projects.
o Increase earned income tax credit Should this proposal be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ] 
Spending $1 now to keep a road in good shape saves you, the Michigan Taxpayer, $6-$14 needed to rebuild it later. 
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