Does anybody here remember the inception of Jobs For Delaware Graduates?
I do. Pete duPont created this repository for some of his less-qualified lackeys back in 1978. It was basically modeled after other Federal jobs programs, but with the bar set so low that it could claim success even when said success was dubious at best, and would never have been accepted under federal requirements:
It was designed in 1978 by five working groups in Delaware, drawn from business, educational, workforce, labor union, and community leadership. The purpose of the organization was to address simultaneously with Delaware’s unemployment rate and the dropout rate (?).
Did I mention the bar being set low? When it comes to ‘at-risk’ youth, nothing turns their lives around more than being a burger flipper, or being shipped off to the military or, one of my favorites, being placed with yet another training program. In fact, joining the military practically defines the term ‘at-risk youth’. Although…I cannot confirm the rumor that, upon their body bags returning from overseas, they get a special gilt-edged certificate marking their successful completion of the program.
So, you’re saying to yourself, well, Steve, this is all well and good, but, so far your headline is false advertising.
Ladeez & Gentlemen, meet the new President of Jobs For Delaware Graduates…STATE SENATOR NICOLE POORE.
That’s right. So new, in fact, that her legislative bio has not been updated, if it ever will:
Occupation: Sr. Client Services Manager-Agile 1
Not any more. She’s now the President of JDG. Gee, must’ve missed that press release…
So, you’re saying to yourself, well, Steve, this is a private non-profit corporation (just the way crazy Uncle Pete wanted it to avoid those pesky auditors and federal requirements), what’s the conflict? Here’s a major conflict: Didja know that this ostensibly ‘private non-profit’ gets about $1.4 million annually from the Grant-In-Aid bill? Taxpayer money appropriated by the same General Assembly to which Sen. Poore belongs? And now she’s drawing a salary from them. From the same $1.4 million?
Just the latest example of a legislator enriching themselves at the public expense while trolling for public funds for an agency that doesn’t deserve them.
State Senator Nicole Poore. Delaware’s latest political hack.
UPDATED: This information from “Non-profit Information In A Snap” (Thank You!!) should be required reading:
Good post, but you are wrong about one thing. You CAN get financials on private, nonprofits. You can get the financial reports on any nonprofit registered with the IRS on Guidestar.org. Create an account at GuideStar for free, search the name and click on the links until you see 990 reports (the IRS requires nonprofits to make these public). Download the PDF of the 990 reports, read and BOOM .. you are informed! You get all the spending, including top salaries, board members, donations, etc. etc. The outgoing president, Susanna Lee (who is that??) made about $102,000 in salary and about $10,000 in “compensation from related organizations,” according to the 2013 financial statements. There were 85 employees, total, and they shared about $3.3 million in salary and benefits. (Only top employees are named. In this case, they only opted to name the president’s salary. Other nonprofits typically list the top five or so.)
SADLY, these reports lag a year, so we will have to hold our breath a year to find out to know Poore’s salary. Unless she has to disclose it on her ethics forms with the state. Anyone know?
So. Nicole Poore has been set up in a job that will likely yield her over $100,000 in compensation annually. All she has to do is keep the state money flowing to this close-to-worthless agency. The Delaware Way at what passes for work.