CARROLL: Preening Post
By Vincent Carroll, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 16, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
They'll be quaffing champagne over at The Denver Post next month when Butterball LLC sheds more than 200 jobs from its Colorado operations - thus fulfilling a recent announcement - because of the escalating cost of turkey feed.
After all, as the Post loftily explained Monday while discussing Gov. Bill Ritter's fabled New Energy Economy, "Not all jobs are created equal. If a poultry firm wants to hire another 5,000 chicken pluckers at minimum wage, Coloradans would just as soon they look elsewhere. We'd rather work with progressive companies like Conoco-Phillips, Vestas Wind Systems, Fort Collins-based Integware, and other employers offering quality jobs."
If Coloradans would just as soon send chicken pluckers elsewhere, then presumably we'd just as soon bid adieu to those turkey handlers at Butterball's Longmont plant and its turkey farms, too. Sure, let them relocate to a state where such grubby occupations are somehow still tolerated.
Working with poultry is so downscale, so passe, so 20th century. In the New Energy Economy that is so slavishly extolled these days, every one of us eventually is going to work for a "progressive" company installing solar panels, constructing wind turbines or juggling test tubes in a renewable energy research lab.
Progressive companies don't raise poultry - although occasionally they do serve a nice Cobb salad in the lunch room. But that's as close to an actual chicken that any self-respecting Coloradan should ever be required to go.
Brain drain quick fix
Speaking of high-end jobs, they are often created - especially in this country - by entrepreneurs.
"A quick look back through American history reveals that many of the most important radical innovations in the past - the telegraph, telephone, radio, television, automobiles, airplanes, computers and the software that operates them, and many of our current Internet-based successes . . . have been introduced and commercialized first by entrepreneurs," Carl Schramm and Robert Litan of the Kauffman Foundation write in the current issue of The American.
And yet, they add, "Entrepreneurs tell us that finding skilled workers, especially those with math, science and engineering skills, is one of the most difficult challenges they face."
That chore isn't getting easier, according to a coalition of business groups - Tapping America's Potential, the coalition is called - that released a report this week. Three years ago, TAP decided to push for a doubling by 2015 in the number of students earning college degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. The U.S. hands out 225,000 bachelor's degrees in those fields every year, or 24,000 more than at the beginning of the decade. But the number in recent years has stalled.
At this point it is customary to issue a "no-quick-fixes" warning, reminding readers that it will take years of investment and hard work to turn this problem around. Except that there is at least a partial quick fix here. Back to Schramm and Litan. They suggest we "increase the number of student visas and give a permanent green card automatically to foreign students who earn degrees in science, math or engineering at U.S. universities."
Even if you think this country has been admitting too many immigrants - those doggone chicken pluckers among them, no doubt - you shouldn't fret about the national balance sheet involving newcomers with technical degrees. In fact, a team at Duke University has discovered, according to research leader Vivek Wadhwa, that "in over 25 percent of tech companies founded in the United States from 1995 to 2005, the chief executive or lead technologist was foreign born." Moreover, "the vast majority of these company founders didn't come to this country as entrepreneurs." More than half came as students.
Now, too many of those students' counterparts, to our detriment and often against their own own preference, are taking their diplomas and heading home.
Vincent Carroll is editor of the editorial pages. Reach him at carrollv@RockyMountainNews.com.
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July 16, 2008
7:07 a.m.
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JohnSWren writes:
As Amory B. Lovins from the Rocky Mountain Institute in Aspen has said that we have plenty of technology right now, what we need is more true entrepreneurs to apply existing technology.
Dr. Amar Bhide's new book to be published this fall takes an in-depth look at this critical entrepreneurial shortage and it's causes. www.bhide.net
To learn more about true entrepreneurship join us for the Denver IDEA Cafe this Friday. http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1
July 16, 2008
8:30 a.m.
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SlouchingTowardBoulder writes:
"New energy economy" is a euphemism for "command and control".
July 16, 2008
9:21 a.m.
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Konyok writes:
In a more modest time people understood Bismarck's adage: "Politics is the art of the possible."
But, Americans seem to have become a nation of princesses struggling with peas. Apparently the possible has become too bland and banal, and we are driven to seek aesthetic perfection in our politics.
Vince highlights here a bit of silliness that perfectly captures the zeitgeist.
Our friend SASQUATCH illustrates it even further. (I assume that this Al Lewis is the author of the Post item that Vince refers to, I need to feel there there is SOME continuity here.) Not content to simply disagree with Lewis, SAS seems compelled to describe him as a "hard core socialist," "raving liberal loon" and "media moron" who "despises" capitalism, for good measure. Is this really about this Al Lewis fellow, or the poster's need for a stronger political fix?
Soon enough, the lefties will join the fray. Somebody will find a way to slip "fascist" or "nazi" into the mix, and, of course, this season's bingo word: "McSame!"
Meanwhile, all of the causes brought to our attention in the aftermath of 911 continue their relentless progress and we bicker ever more loudly about the peas under our luxurious mattresses.
July 16, 2008
11:42 a.m.
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peterpi writes:
Sasquatch, you're a raving lunatic. If your idea of capitalism is to continue to do things the way they've always been (Drill more to the exclusion of everything else! Damn the environment! Worship at the feet of the CEOs of the biggest companies!) I feel sorry for you.
Al Lewis often highlighed businesses and individuals who did well by doing good. He blasted those companies and individuals who thought ripping people off was a perfectly acceptable way of making money. He actually thought that businesses and businesspeople ought to behave ethically. That's apparently a concept you don't understand. If behaving ethically is socialist, then call me one.
Vincent is right on about the sometimes smug attitude of the New Economy folks. If they want boneless, free range, organic locally-sourced chicken breast, someone still has to kill, pluck the feathers off, clean, and cut up the darn chickens.
July 16, 2008
11:44 a.m.
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peterpi writes:
sorry to post twice: Oops, I meant turkeys, not chickens, in relation to the pluckers. And, Sasquatch, Al Lewis will be missed.
July 16, 2008
1:11 p.m.
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jay writes:
konyok are you still having trouble coming to terms with The McSame Effect?
shall we go over it again?
July 16, 2008
1:38 p.m.
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Konyok writes:
I knew that I could count on you, Jay ...
I am feeling a bit confused about the fine points as it plays out.
So, you're saying that it really doesn't matter much whether the next president is J. Sidney or B. Hussein McSame, the historical dialectic will produce very similar policies to those of G.W. Bush?
July 16, 2008
1:39 p.m.
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peterpi writes:
Sasquatch, if you actually bothered to read the news stories about Xcel and those 50,000 homes, you would discover that the reason isn't because of energy shortages or gas prices, it's because people are delinquent in paying.
As the staunch capitalist you claim to be, why are you conserned? After all, this is purely a business decision. If someone can't pay for services, they deserve to be cut off, right? Isn't that the free-market solution?
July 16, 2008
3:12 p.m.
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jay writes:
"So, you're saying that it really doesn't matter much whether the next president is J. Sidney or B. Hussein McSame, the historical dialectic will produce very similar policies to those of G.W. Bush"
not even close...and i wager a guess you know that.
konyok, it's kind of sad that you continue to run from the inconvenient truth that mccain's policy stances are no strategically different that bush's on most of the major issues before the country today.
looks like you aren't the only one taking that familiar minority stance:
78% of Americans believe McCain would continue Bush’s Iraq policies
61% of Americans believe McCain would continue Bush’s economic policies
65% believe McCain would not bring change to Washington
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages...
July 16, 2008
3:42 p.m.
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Konyok writes:
Jay,
Your sentimental attachment to Fuehrerprinzip is really quite touching.
Despite Senator Obama's fine oratory during the primary season, the closer that he gets to maybe actually being president, the closer his positions will come to those of Bush and McCain.
You used the key word: "strategically." In the military sense, strategy is NOT derived from a cool aesthetic idea - it IS firmly grounded in the logistical, diplomatic and political realities of the situation. Strategy is intrinsic to Bismarck's "possible," not extrinsic to the marketing campaign of a charismatic politician.
To a somewhat lesser extent, economic, energy and domestic policies are similarly predetermined by conditions beyond the president's direct control. There is no magical transformation at the change of an administration, Obama's hypothetical first term is already being laid out by Bush and the present congress.
The Obama campaign's gamble is that the inspirational Hope and Change rhetoric has gained the senator enough positive name recognition to immunize him from the disillusionment caused by his necessary pivot to the center.
Your opinion polls are interesting, but much more significant, I think, is the dramatic drop off in contributions to Obama over the last three months. Based on April totals of $44M the campaign took the calculated risk of declining matching federal funds, May totals were $22 M and they still haven't released June totals.
You can pleasure yourself repeating campaign slogans as much as you like.
July 16, 2008
3:48 p.m.
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jay writes:
this is a wonderful conspiracy theory you've constructed here, konyok.
it could be...who knows...maybe nader will make a run while we're dreaming about possible outcomes.
as of right now, however, the truth is that mccain's policy stances do not strategically differ from bush's platform on most of the major issues before the country today.
give me some sign that you understand and accept that...regardless of what obama might do in your version of the future.
July 16, 2008
4:12 p.m.
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Konyok writes:
Jay,
Nader is indeed running, but I don't expect him to be a major factor. Cynthia McKinney is running for the Green Party. What is interesting is that the Libertarians are fielding Bob Barr. That may actually be Obama's best hope if he doesn't get a massive bump from the Denver convention - though, I'm skeptical.
I don't deal in conspiracy theories. If you paid a modicum of attention you would know that I am a historical determinist - a legacy of my old days as a marxist. Be definition, conspiracy theories depend on the force of will - conspirators join together to control events according to their *will.* I believe that the business cycle, demographics, social trends and technological change together account for 90% of what happens.
I predict that when Obama returns from his trip to Iraq he will be emphasizing nuance rather than difference. (Petraeus will read him the riot act - especially about his occasional threat to invade Pakistan ... )
July 17, 2008
2:13 a.m.
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Patron_Drinker writes:
Jay,
I like that McCain's policy stances don't differ much from Bush's. That means they don't differ much from mine. I bet it galls you no end that Obama's policy stances won't differ much from Bush's before we get to November. You pretend they won't, but I'm sure History has been a cruel teacher, and that you've not forgotten your lessons.
You might ask yourself: Why do Democrats always head right when they're trying to get elected to national office? And you know the answer: Because the majority of voters, the majority of Americans, are conservative.
July 17, 2008
7:47 a.m.
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jacka writes:
Hey blogger freaks over at the Post.
Butterball and their employees pay taxes, which fund our schools, so these passe jobs should not be discounted unless you feel that your fat tax rolls are just fine. I doubt it, half you crybabies think TABOR needs to go away.
Butterball and their employees also buy products and services from the rest of us. Maybe they dont buy porsches and macmansions, but they do pay NEE Xcel bills.
Butterball must be leaving Colorado for Nebraska a state with real employee free choice.
July 17, 2008
11:06 a.m.
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jay writes:
"I predict that when Obama returns from his trip to Iraq he will be emphasizing nuance rather than difference"
here again, konyok, i'm not really interested in your fortune telling abilities...but rather your acknowledgement that mccain represents a third bush term.
stop running...it won't hurt much.
"I like that McCain's policy stances don't differ much from Bush's."
good for you for being honest, patron. can you tell us 5 bush accomplishments that warrant continuing his policies under mccain?
" I bet it galls you no end that Obama's policy stances won't differ much from Bush's before we get to November."
what leads you to believe obama will flipflop on his platform before november? don't you think that would be bad for his chances of being president? why would he do this considering that the vast majority of americans agree with his stances on the issues before the country?
July 17, 2008
5:54 p.m.
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Oliver2 writes:
Merck was founded as a German company and its private assets were seized by the US during WWI. Is that what you call 'capitalism' SQUAT? Just wondering. I had a different term in mind. (My point here is to simply point out how stupid SQUAT is. I have never read one damn thing he has written that was based on reason or fact. He must be one of the 20% or so who still think Bush is doing a 'heckuva job').
The reason that natural gas is going up is the OLD energy economy, not the new. Specifically it is because that Colorado is developing its resources at such a breakneck speed that to recoup their investments, companies have to sell more and more and more and more out-of-state, driving up our prices here as well. I know that you can barely type, and it would require some research, but should you be inclined you could easily verify that what I say is true. But you won't preferring to wallow in your 20% delusion.
Patron--America may be a conservative nation, but to imagine that that means they agree with you is not supported by fact (see above). 4/5 Americans think Bush stinks. I agree, and once they all see how much McSame flip-flops around, panders, and mimics Bush, Obama will be racking up states in his column that Dems never thought were winnable. I don't agree with Obama on everything, I think he is and has always been more of a centrist than not. And yet compared to McSame, no contest. Grampy McSame is going down hard this November, along with B.O. Bob Schaffer. Colorado will vote for a Dem as president and have 2--count them-TWO Democratic senators. Ha Ha. You lose!