Friends of Chris Timm

Sept. 1, 2004

Currently, he‘s in the intermediate ICU unit at Munson Medical Center where the staff is trying to help him get off a ventilator.
“He‘s making progress but there‘s possible paralysis and he doesn‘t have any feeling in his legs,“ says friend Shane Jackson. “But he does have some feeling in his hands and is getting his breathing back.“
Jackson adds that fortunately, Timm didn‘t sever his spinal cord and is slowly regaining some abilities, such as writing.
“He‘s a real strong person,“ he says. “He‘s really strong in his spirit and his personality.“
A 1995 graduate of Traverse City Central High School, Timm is a chef at Hattie‘s Grill in Suttons Bay and a singer with the Full Bore punk rock band. Bandmates Erick DeCaire and brother Jon Timm on guitars, Paul Hastings on drums and Gus Bellanger on bass are donating all proceeds from the sale of the band‘s new “Full Bore“ CD to his recovery.
Friends and family have also organized a series of benefits to help Timm with expenses, including one this Thursday, Sept. 2 at Union Street Station with The Love Story band among others; Sept. 9 at the Loading Dock with the Deadly Sins; and Sept. 19 at Frog Pond Village in Interlochen featuring Jason Kott. Jackson‘s parents own Frog Pond Village and are planning to offer dinner and a silent auction along with the music for a $10 donation.
“We‘re trying to get donations from anyone who‘d like to help out,“ says Jackson. If your business would like to make a silent auction donation, call Jackson at 313-2811. Check local venues for other bands signing up to play on Chris Timm‘s behalf.

Overtime pay punches out
Just in time for Labor Day comes the news that the overtime pay of six million workers is in jeopardy due to new regulations from the Bush Administration.
A news release from Congressman Bart Stupak blasts the move as a “sweeping rewrite of the rules“ that were included in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938, making it easier for employers to reclassify their workers to deny them overtime pay.
“The bottom line is this new regulation will force millions of employees to work longer hours without pay,” Stupak said.
The new rules will cut the pay and lengthen the hours for workers making as little as $23,660, with the greatest impact of the regulations being felt by middle-income workers making between $23,660 and $100,000.
A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that the regulation will deny overtime rights to at least six million workers, at a time when household incomes are down, prices are up, and there is a 1.8 million private-sector jobs deficit. “These regulations will result in a pay cut for middle-income Americans,” said Stupak.
Nationwide, the Bush regulations deny overtime pay to 30,000 nursery and pre-school teachers, 1.9 million low-level working supervisors in fast food restaurants, lodging and retail stores, and more than 900,000 employees without a college or graduate degree who would become “professional employees” because employers will be able to substitute work experience for a degree.
In addition, anyone designated a “team leader” on a “major project” by their employer would be denied overtime as well, even if they are not a supervisor, which could strip nearly 2.3 million workers of their overtime protections. The regulations also deny overtime to 160,000 workers in the financial services industries, 130,000 chefs, and 87,000 computer programmers, according to EPI.
Last spring, the Bush Administration came forward with its proposed regulations on overtime. After these unfair regulations were finalized in April, House Democrats offered amendments and motions to block the harmful provisions in the new regulation. But Republicans have consistently voted against these measures.
“The House Leadership and this Administration have no plan to help our struggling economy, and these regulations add further insult to our middle class families,” said Stupak. “1.8 million private-sector jobs have been lost nationwide since 2001, including 245,000 jobs in Michigan. At a time when middle-income families are feeling the pinch of failed economic policies, it is unthinkable that the Administration has moved forward with this regulation that cuts the pay that families depend on.”