I have to say, I’ve been a long-time follower of BMG and have always considered posting – even drafting posts about various issues but never brought myself to do it. I understand that everyone has a right to their opinion and while I agree with the nature of this blog and the postings I read on a daily basis, I never felt the undeniable urge to voice my opinion. But this is an issue I cannot ignore.
Tomorrow, the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure will hold a hearing about our state’s Right to Repair Bill. It will give local, independent mechanics and auto shops the same information and tools which the big dealerships receive. This means that instead of paying up to 34% more to have your car fixed at the dealership, you can go to your mechanic down the street – you can give the job to a local, small business. This bill not only will save you money, but it will save jobs across the Commonwealth.
This piece of legislation has been discussed for sessions now. What is a very black-and-white issue, has become gray because of the smear tactics the other side is using.
Tonight’s investigative report on WCVB showed what the opposition was really interested in – profits. The New England Service Station and Automotive Repair Association has been spending almost half of what they collect in dues to pay for lobbyists to fight against this bill. But now, members are realizing that their dues are going to fight against their own interests.Not only that, but it seems that they never disclosed on their political expenditures to the IRS – which is completely unlawful. So, they are spending the dues they collect from their members to pay for lobbyists to work against their interests but then trying to weasel their way out of taxes? That seems like it’s on the up-and-up.
In a time when we are fighting to turn our economy around, how can we justify opposing a bill which would save money for consumers, save jobs across the state and keep profits out of the pockets of out-of-state corporations who are only after a buck. This is not a partisan issue. Lawmakers across the state – from both sides of the aisle – have come out supporting this bill, because they know that we need to invest in legislation which moves our economy forward.
The opposition tries to argue that our nation’s auto industry and our security would be at risk if this bill passes. Just another group using scare tactics. This bill gives us the right to chose who we trust with out vehicle while also strictly prohibiting any activity which would jeopardize the competitiveness of our auto industry or the security of our vehicles. This bill would work to make sure that independent groups received the same information to properly diagnose and repair your vehicle as the large dealerships and corporations receive. It is giving small, independent shops the opportunity to grow and increase business while giving us, the consumers, the ability to decide who we hire to make repairs.
We fight to have our voices heard on various issues. Don’t we have the right to chose where we service our own vehicles? This bill will ensure that we have that right without having to sacrifice quality or being forced to pay extra for services just to pad the wallets of big corporations and dealerships.
I urge you to watch tonight’s investigative piece on WCVB and contact your legislator and tell them that you have the right to decide who repairs your vehicle – whether it be an independent auto body or the dealership – without having to pay extra or sacrifice quality.
JimC says
Can you restate what the bill does? Does it require dealers to disclose information about their cars to small repair shops?
truth.about.dmr says
I disagree with you.
You already have the right to have your vehicle serviced wherever you choose. The very title of this bill is disingenuous–the bill itself has nothing to do with the right to have your vehicle serviced at the place of your choice.
It rather has to do with the attempt of some to acquire at bargain-basement prices the innovation and technology that the vehicle manufacurers have spent millions of dollars developing, and which currently is, and should remain proprietary.
I am convinced that his bill would not save jobs–it would ultimately result in the loss of many times more jobs than it would save. I think major auto dealers would move to another state rather than stay and comply with the law.
This bill would stifle innovation and technology on the part of the vehicle manufacturers. What company would want to spend millions to develop new technology if they thought they would have to hand it over to others for a mere pittance?
dont-get-cute says
I think the owner of the car owns the data the car’s computer records, but not the program itself that records the data. Th ey can keep that proprietary, but if the program has recorded some useful information about my car’s engine health, I think I have a right and my mechanic has a right to that data.
Like if I bought a heart monitor to record my heart rhythms, should I have to keep taking the monitor into an authorized shop to get the data out, or should I just get the key to read my own body’s heartbeats from my own heart monitor, that I own? I can sure see why the monitor company would want me to keep coming in and paying for them to do it, but if the public can get together and make a law giving us the right to our own data, then hell yeah that’s a good idea. No company has a right to, well, to anything.
truth.about.dmr says
have been outpaced by advances in computer technology. That isn’t a problem that a law can fix. It’s the natural and logical consequence of progress.
When a company spends enormous sums on research, development, innovation and technology they do own it, it’s their intellectual property–and small repair shops are not entitled to the product.
dont-get-cute says
that say they don’t own the data itself and must give us a way to see our own data for free.
dont-get-cute says
can I return the unused portion for a full refund?