Wednesday Open Thread [2.6.13]
Saturday mail is coming to an end as a way to cut costs. Here is how much I no longer use the Post Office: I had thought they had already ended Saturday service.
Gov. Markell has appointed two veteran state employees to serve as interim cabinet secretaries until permanent appointments are made.
Karryl McManus, director of the Division of Management Support Services in the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families, will serve acting secretary of that department following the resignation of Vivian Rapposelli. […] Karl Hines, Bureau Chief of Community Corrections at the Department of Corrections, while serve as acting commissioner of corrections when Commissioner Carl Danberg steps down Feb. 15. Both Danberg and Rapposelli have been appointed to judgeships.
Meanwhile, Governor Markell is embarking on a trip to India. Wait.. what?
Markell is leading the ten-day trade mission which includes Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt, Deputy Director for International Trade Felicia Pullam, and University of Delaware President Patrick Harker.
“Delaware’s got a great story to tell and I want to tell the story. I want Delaware to be top of mind when companies around the globe are thinking about where to expand in this country and so as these companies decide to expand, I want them to engage with us here in Delaware,” said Markell.
The governor’s itinerary includes speaking with a biotechnology trade association in Bangalor, addressing a software services forum in Mumbai and visiting the US Embassy in Delhi. Markell says his goal is to promote the state’s workforce, location and reasonable cost of living to potential businesses seeking to expand in the US.
“There are a lot of Indian companies that over the last several years have been expanding in the United States, primarily around information technology. Those are the companies that are Indian-based that are most expanding here. I’ll be visiting one other company in the packaging materials business as well,” said Markell.
The trip is Markell’s latest soujourn to encourage foreign businesses to set up shop in Delaware. Last year, Markell visited Japan and South Korea.
I am always suspicious of these goodwill and business-rousting trips aboard by any Governor of any state, especially in this day and age of the Internet where anyone can find out about any place through a Google search. I much more understand trips to conferences. But I am sure the Governor can tell me that his trips have brought business to the state and thus my wariness is unwarranted.
The end of Saturday delivery of mail is no surprise, the besuited clowns of congress have no intention of doing anything, just like usual. As for the Markell “good will tour” to India, nothing will come of it, nothing of value ever comes from politicians junketing around the world.
Not everything can be done by a google search. Every state sells itself as a great place to do business.
Markell went to Korea and a Korean plant bought a chicken plant here in Sussex. Sometimes international junkets are necessary.
Or we could do what TX is doing, trying to poach jobs from CA by running tv and radio ads.
“…nothing of value ever comes from politicians junketing around the world.”
What about Neville Chamberlain’s trip to Munich?
I am suspicious of the President of the United States having the extra judicial ability to kill people with drone strikes.
While I sorta trust Obama to not kill people for the hell of it, we will have a Republican President again someday.
People who are looking to make large and long-term investments tend to like a personal touch when in that decision-making process. Building a new plant halfway around the world isn’t the same as picking a new TV from Amazon. Plus, I suspect that the personal touch is something of an advantage for Delaware, since we don’t have the same level of funds to throw at businesses as some other states do. We are throwing too much money at some businesses, but other states do have a bigger pot.
He went to Korea after the poultry deal. The deal was not a result of a trip.
The woman who was fired from Applebee’s after posting the check that stiffed the waiter speaks.
Bloom Energy has been penalized by the Department of Labor for bringing workers — welders people! Skilled labor — from Mexico to their Sunnyvale facility and then underpaying them — paying 2.66 pesos/hour. Link.
Yeah, but Americans won’t do those jobs (snark).
It’s great that the cheated Mexicans got paid back, but what about the cheated US workers who applied but didn’t get the jobs? Bloom should also be forced to pick one of the US applicants for each job and pay them what they would have made. That is, if they ever bothered to advertise the jobs in the US.
Isn’t Markell going during the six-week recess for budget mark-up? Why is he needed in Delaware? And can’t he stay in touch anyway? After all, this is the age of the internet.
I feel left out. Just about everyone is on the NRA’s Enemies List cept me. I’d like to know the criteria. Maybe I meet the qualification and they just need some documentation.
$6,160 in civil penalties . . . wow that must have hurt their bottom line!!!
http://www.upworthy.com/glenn-beck-accidentally-explains-his-sleazy-business-model-on-his-own-show?c=ufb1
This is sort of amazing. While denouncing somebody else Glenn lifts the curtain a little bit.
That is something. Beck must be completely irony-blind.
Jason330:
“I am suspicious of the President of the United States having the extra judicial ability to kill people with drone strikes.
While I sorta trust Obama to not kill people for the hell of it, we will have a Republican President again someday.”
First of all, Obama does not by law have that “extra judicial ability”. He just took it. And are you saying although Obama unilaterally made the rule that drones could strike US citizens even if they’re not terror suspects, he would never order it but a later Republican president would? That is total bullshit.
History begs to differ.
Isn’t Markell going during the six-week recess for budget mark-up? Why is he needed in Delaware? And can’t he stay in touch anyway? After all, this is the age of the internet.
Yes, it is the internet age, which opens up the possibility of video conferencing instead of travel. I would offer this as a suggestion for particularly the Davos trip, since a great deal of what they discuss there is the immediate need to reduce everyone (elses) carbon footprint. Video conferencing has a very little carbon footprint.
Subaru HQ in New Jersey is in play… iHurry back, Jack!
Yeah, reducing carbon footprints is a major interest of our ruling class.
Would you be OK with this if he rode there on a unicorn?
Suburu is trolling for taxpayer dollars.
That’s how the game is played. Sometimes it’s a good deal, sometimes it’s not. If Delaware didn’t kowtow to corporations we’d all be raising chickens and selling each other aluminum siding.
Videoconferencing isn’t especially good for the kind of relationship building that some types of deals need. It is good for keeping in touch, working groups dealing with detail- the kind of stuff that results from the relationship. There’s a reason PHL is slammed with people in suits this AM.
Last time we did this, puck, the game was played by raising taxes on the Suburus of the world. Now we’re on feeding from the taxpayer trough. Good grief.
“Now we’re on feeding from the taxpayer trough.”
Link please. I think you are getting a little ahead of the news story.
You’re the one referencing taxpayer dollars as how the game is played. If you aren’t able to follow arguments you just made, it is time to step away from your keyboard.
I’m not sure how the gross receipts tax thing actually works, but wouldn’t Subaru enjoy of the benefit of not paying gross receipt taxes on vehicles sold out of state? From a revenue perspective, just having an HQ in DE, it seem to be a good deal for them.
Would you be OK with this if he rode there on a unicorn?
I never said I wasn’t OK with the Governor’s travels. My point was that much of the world’s conference travel in general could be handled more energy efficiently by video conferencing. This is, afterall, the “age of the internet.”