IS IT TRUE? October 20, 2011 Just What is Job Creation

IS IT TRUE that it was announced yesterday that Berry Plastics will be closing down its facility in Madisonville, KY and that the 124 jobs in that plant will be either eliminated or transferred to other Berry locations?…that we are sure that the executive team at Berry Plastics has carefully considered what is best for their business model and that at the present time and based on future projections that this decision is right for Berry Plastics?…that about 20 jobs will be added at the former Rexam facility in Vanderburgh County that was acquired by Berry about 6 weeks ago?…that Madisonville, KY while not within the defined Evansville MSA is very much a part of the Evansville region of economic influence and that many of the dollars earned by those 124 people would have been destined for Evansville retail establishments, Evansville based entertainment, and Evansville health care facilities?…that the net employment in Vanderburgh County will soon be plus 20 yet the Evansville region will see a change of minus 104?…that Evansville’s small gain is at the expense of Madisonville’s large loss?

IS IT TRUE that if this restructuring would have occurred as a result of the closing of a facility that is more than 100 miles away that today we would be treated with smiling politicians and economic developers claiming to have created 20 jobs?…that if we are as a country all in this together that such celebrations should never take place and the disingenuous claims of “creating” jobs from conditions more conducive to economic cannibalism should be seen as just what it is, political posturing?…that a similar no gain situation occurs when a foot doctor from Newburgh moves his or her office to Evansville?…that unless that move results in additional business and hiring that the net change to the MSA is a great big zero?…that expansions from other places is fair game for celebration and that our gain is also a gain for the home office?…that we wonder just how many of the jobs that have ever been claimed as “created” were really just moved from one place to the other?…that we have been treated to this locally when the Ford Center is touted for jobs “created” when it really just moved those jobs from Roberts Stadium to the downtown?… that this is SNEGAL reporting and that even a kid can figure this one out?

IS IT TRUE that the Board of Zoning Committee that was scheduled to meet at 4 PM today will not be having a quorum?…that the possibility to pass something that will allow for a pole barn indoor tennis facility in Wesselman Park has just been punted until November 17, 2011?…that this is safely beyond election day so the threat of votes will not be able to be used by opponents of the indoor tennis facility this time around?…that we are still gathering information with regard to SNEGAL or even SNEILLEGAL shenanigans regarding the scheduling of meetings to discuss the requirements to even consider moving forward with the current proposal?

IS IT TRUE that the Bank of America is no longer the largest bank in America from an asset management perspective?…that all of the stunts that they have pulled including the recent $5 charge per month for debit cards is catching up to them?…that is what happens in the FREEMARKET where COMPETITION flourishes and consumers have a choice?…that we predict that the Bank of America will be backing off of the $5 per month fees soon?…that if the Bank of America had a monopoly that they would raise the fees to $10 and tell its fee payers to go pound salt?

IS IT TRUE that we would first like to congratulate Evansville’s favorite major league baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals on winning a very well played and well coached game in last night’s opening game of the World Series?…that we know that Evansville will be tuned in tonight and rooting for the Cardinals to extend their series lead to 2 – 0?

IS IT TRUE that the cheapest face value tickets at the World Series are standing room passes at $50 each?…that these are very difficult to come by?…that the resale price of these tickets starts at about $250 from dealers and scalpers?…that selling that stadium out in a recession is an impressive feat?…that winning teams have a way of doing such things and that we extend best wishes and good luck to the Evansville Aces and the Evansville Icemen to be championship contenders as the financial success of the Ford Center does not depend on the plushness of the seats or the convenience of the parking?…that the financial success of the Ford Center depends on the competitive level of our local teams?…that winning takes talent, focus, and that certain yet undefined quality called “edge”?

IS IT TRUE that there is a new book out that addresses the attraction of exceptional talent?…that the first conclusion is that if one, or one’s HR department can’t recognize exceptional talent that is sitting in the next office how can such talent ever be attracted?…that in this book exceptional talent is defined as someone who is more than 5 times more productive in a given field than the average worker?…that Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were both diagnosed as dumb in early elementary school?…the J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter author) was turned down by a score of publishers before signing for $2,500?…that Sylvester Stallone’s manuscript for “Rocky” was dismissed by Hollywood?…that it seems as though extreme talent is something that corporate America, our educational system, and even creative industry executives are simply blind to?

IS IT TRUE that the US Special Forces absolutely depend on finding such people and have identified the intangibles of resilience, tenacity, and mental agility as more important than brawn?…that the most important indicator that the Special Forces people look for is a willingness and ability to improvise solutions when faced with a seemingly impossible task?…that those who “doggedly follow procedures” need not apply?…that the few places that seem to “get it” have a hard time keeping up the pace?…that in the 60’s at the University of Utah a computer scientist named David Evans had an uncanny ability to identify such people and to put them on research teams?…that among those recruited were high school troublemakers, itinerant musicians, and the educated unemployed?…that from this group other than some great research came co-founders of Adobe Systems, Pixar, and Netscape?…that two specific things that headhunters looking for game changers search or are stand-up comic ability (folks that can tell jokes) and college debaters?…that direct experience was determined to have very little influence on being an exceptional talent?…that the ending conclusion on corporate America is that they are good at finding people who are competent at defined tasks but exceptional at nothing?…that the other thing that people of exceptional talent always do is to live and work in a way that is DISRUPTIVE TO THE STATUS QUO?…that governments are even less capable of recognizing such people with the sole exception of special forces?

IS IT TRUE that the 2010 census has just released the fact that the Washington DC area has passed San Jose, CA as having the highest median income in America?…that this passing of the torch is very symbolic that we now reward those who consume taxes more than those who create the products and make the investments that enable the taxes to be paid and people to be employed?…that the average federal government employee including benefits is now reported to earn $107,843 per year?…that the average job in Evansville, Indiana is roughly one-third of that?…that it really makes you wonder just what in the $%&@ we are doing?