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By Michael Sluss
RICHMOND
Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell announced two more Cabinet appointments Thursday and clarified the role his lieutenant governor will play in efforts to boost Virginia's economy.
McDonnell said that he, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and other members of the incoming administration will visit Martinsville and Danville on Wednesday to meet with local leaders and "begin to address the chronic, double-digit unemployment rate in those areas, which is unacceptable."
McDonnell said Bolling will coordinate economic development and job initiatives in state government and lead business recruitment efforts. Bolling also will chair a multi-secretariat jobs creation work group.
McDonnell also named Richmond business executive Robert Sledd to serve as his secretary of commerce and trade, and longtime aide and adviser Janet Polarek to be secretary of the commonwealth.
Sledd will be a key player in the administration's efforts to attract businesses and create jobs. Polarek managed McDonnell's 2005 campaign for attorney general, served as his director of administration in the attorney general's office, and later worked on his gubernatorial campaign.
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Reduce Government!
I will continue to say this until somebody up there listens... ELIMINATE ENTIRE STATE AGENCIES!!! For example: Every state agency has a human resources department. We also have an entire state agency named, the Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM) with an annual budget of nearly 9 million dollars. WHY?! What is the difference between the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness (OCP) and the Dept. of Emergency Management (VDEM)?? What does the Dept. of Aviation really do, and why do they need a small fleet of aircraft? ..and for pete's sake... why have we not already terminated the VITA / NG contract?? Are you listening Bob??
State Dept of Aviation
The state Department of Aviation requires all Virginia residents who hold pilot's license from the FAA to also have a Virginia pilot's license. The only additional requirement to get the Virginia pilot's license is to pay a fee.
VITA / NG
If VITA / NG ran the scanning and payment terminals in grocery stores the the entire population of Virginia would starve to death in grocery lines waiting to check out. (The due to the cost of VITA / NG, grocery prices would by necessity have to double).
How will McDonnell streamline state government?
The past two governors have “downsized” state services by asking the department heads to submit prototype budgets at 5% or 10% or 20% less than the current budget. This is almost tantamount to asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Downsizing is passively accomplished by the attrition of service delivery employees while the fat cats keep sitting behind their desks putting on weight. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to get input from line employees about how to make state government more efficient? Toyota did it that way. What will McDonnell do to streamline state government?
Hey RLS...
Maybe having the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world behind Japan coupled with years of pusning the Global Economy has helped to send these industries away.
That and the fact you all go to Wal-Mart to get those cheap made Chinese goods that force a lot of the native industries to go elsewhere.
Maybe The President will waive his hands and milk and honey will fly from the sky.
If the President
would stop flying around daily in Air Force One, that would start saving some bucks right there!
How Will McDonnell Save Money and Provide Service?
One good state employee can do the work of three incompetent employees. (At the same pay). Administrators are hired at triple the pay of line workers to create oversight procedures to keep the jackass employees on task. Is this going to continue in the McDonnell administration?
McDonnell the House Cleaner?
Expansion in state government agencies for over thirty years has been in administration, not service delivery. Administrators (who refuse to quit or move on, by the way) make a living creating counterproductive policies and procedures that disrupt and impede the efforts of the line workers. Is Mr. McDonnell going to perpetuate this trend?
What kind of a business wil McDonnell run?
For the past twenty years the Commonwealth of Virginia has had a strict, hardcore policy of paying the best employees the exact same pay as the worst employees, even after building up five, ten or fifteen years of service. The best workers quit and the worst hang in there. What kind of an employer will Mr. McDonnell be?
Will McDonnell be a model employer?
Throughout the current recession state employees have been quitting in record numbers and getting better jobs! All of the state government downsizing since 2002 has been accomplished by attrition; actual layoffs were never necessary. Perhaps if Mr. McDonnell turns out to be a good employer then perhaps he will know how to attract businesses that are also good employers. Virginia does not need any more so-called businesses, like Lillian Vernon, that employ huge numbers of part time workers without benefits and with wages barely skimming above minimum wage.