So what's the answer. Well, a few years ago a business associate came to me and suggested that if I were to criticize, I should take the time to offer solutions. I have attempted to do so in so many ways and it seems because it's a Joe Albero idea, elected officials tend to go in the opposite direction.
All that being said, allow me to offer the following...
We need to recreate the RESPONSIBILITY of our City Council, County Council, Mayor and County Executive.
Right now we are ALL experiencing a unique financial meltdown here on the Eastern Shore. Not one of you can deny that, so let's all please try to agree on this particular issue.
So, what do we do about it. Yes, Salisbury News seems to be the ONLY one delivering you information on crime daily as well as delivering business closings on a regular basis. So let's start with businesses.
I propose that one of the NEW responsibilities of our elected officials are to go out into their districts and approach businesses and get a feel for where they stand business wise. Perhaps there's a chance we can get involved as a local government BEFORE someone chooses to close their doors, lay off employees or even delay an expansion.
Each Council Member can report back to the Mayor or Executive in a monthly meeting to discuss their findings. This is no different from having a sales staff who are PROACTIVE, knocking on doors to see IF there is a service they can provide. If the salesman doesn't do his job and simply waits for leads to come in, they're useless.
Another thing Wicomico County and Salisbury could propose is a reinvestment back into this community. PAY to train ALL new Employees during their training period. SHOW local businesses we want to support them. Show them we want them to grow. This is putting good money after good money and the INVESTMENT is quite small compared to losing another business, in which we can no longer afford.
We need Representatives who can PROVE they truly want to represent us. Right now we are in a business/financial crisis and we need to not only be proactive, we need to save the Shore from further collapse. We can no longer wait until opportunities fall into our laps. We need to impress upon local businesses, we care.
You wanted me to deliver solutions, here they are. We can discuss crime at another point.
38 comments:
I could have not stated it anymore eloquently than what has already been said. DITTO!
joe are you suggesting that the county executive, mayor and council people actually do what they were elected to do? that might cut into their all you can eat buffet time! not to mention hammering out some issues at a local watering hole and have to drive their taxpayer funded vehicle home under the influence? and to think people actually ask, what fat to trim?
Joe, you really need to run for County Executive. I see something like this and I'd be honored to give you my vote. This is a breath of fresh air.
Joe we own a small business on the east side of Salisbury, during the downturn of the last seven years we have gone from nineteen employees to nine. We are still open and hope to stay open, there has only been one person in local goverment who has ever contacted me about our business and how we were doing and that is Joe Holloway. More than once Joe has stopped by just to say hello and catch up on what was happening with our local economy. People seem to show up just before an election and ask for your vote then you never see them again. This is a great post I just hope people will pay attention.
This is what real leaders do...hit the streets and talk with the real people...find out what's needed...what's working...and where the business men/women see as critical needs. Sitting on your bums spreading the same old BS achieves nothing except the same results.
Pollitt's idea of growing an economy is spending taxpayers monry eating out.
11:07, Joe Holloway is an incredible human being. Joe Holloway CARES. He isn't interested in raising taxes to survive. He's smarter then that and the fact that he's running again to represent his district proves he's not afraid to stand his ground in what he believes in. The County is VERY fortunate to have him.
I don't agree with you often but even as a democrat I can't argue against this proposal.
11:31, Thank You. Perhaps we can all come together for the betterment of the Eastern Shore. Each and every one of us can deliver fresh ideas but we really need to do so NOW before it's too late. I see the County wanting to spend tens of thousands of dollars on GPS equipment for public works trucks and $12,000.00 each year to maintain that program and I just CRINGE!
City police are going to spend 12,000$ on sadist electrocution devices. CUT that for some savings.
Our elected leaders have lead us into a depression. It must stop.
11:40, I have to say, (with all due respect) Give Chief Duncan her due.
Whatever we can do to help protect our Officers as well as saving lives of those who may otherwise get shot is a proactive move and a good investment.
Now if deadly force is necessary, believe me, they'll use a gun. However, I know for a FACT that many Officers have been physically injured in Salisbury and a taser would have resolved that.
I'd also ask that we keep this topic about securing local businesses and the possibility of our elected officials becoming more proactive in our business community. I'll do another article referencing crime soon enough.
Thanks.
There are already a slew of retraining programs, paid for either by the state or fed.
I do not understand why the taxpayer should bear the burden of paying to retrain a private enterprises employees. If a company has a high turn over rate, it would be an endless burden on the taxpayer.
Goodwill and The One Stop job center among others provide re-training, paid for by the taxpayer.
We already have an agency that does this Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development
so why duplicate it?
We will have to hire more government people in a new department, with more payroll and vehicles to do what other agencies are suppose to do?
12:15 & 12:23, Those training programs may not be in line for what certain businesses might need.
You make it sound as if EVERY business out there will take advantage of such a proposal, they won't.
I'll tell you what. Let's do NOTHING like we've been doing over the past 16 years and the Taxpayers can foot the bills for all the businesses closing down and going away.
in BUSINESS you MUST reinvest to grow. In this economy we should be helping wherever we can. REMEMBER, I'm a Republican making such a suggestion because it is in the best interest of the County and Shore.
As for Economic Development, that's been an absolute JOKE for YEARS! Rick Pollitt and Jim Ireton don't have the balls to do what is right. They have NO business sense and would rather increase taxes and grow the government before they'd actually hire someone to do their JOB.
ok, you say; "in business you must reinvest to grow", that is their responsibility, not mine, I already have the responsibility and financial burden to keep my certifications up to date and that comes out of my pocket, I shouldn't have to pay for others also.
And "I make is sound as if every business out there will take advantage", they will.
"those training programs may not be what they need", you won't know until you look and you would be amazed at what is offered.
Then you say ...."would rather increase taxes and grow government", which is the same as what you are proposing.
Let's do nothing? No I never said that, but there are already programs out there that do this, so it is simply a duplication of services and taxpayer costs.
Where does SWED get their money from? Taxpayers?
Maybe we should use and promote the programs out there.
i'm eligible for retraining, what am i supposed to do, quit working so i can go to school for 2 years at over 55 years old? sounds good huh?
1:08 doesn't seem like a very logical comment.
Night school=Personal accountability
You have a job?
Then why do you need to re-train?
12:56, I respect everything you are saying, everything.
The only place I'll disagree or perhaps expand upon is just how desperate Wicomico County is right now.
The idea here is to open our minds, make suggestions, (as you have) and hopefully as a community come together with positive and sound results.
We do have programs, obviously not working. Perhaps they need to be reconstructed.
Ask yourself this. Are you seeing any Industry moving here? Are you seeing Manufacturers moving here? Are you seeing good paying jobs here?
I'm suggesting we invest in Wicomico County. How we do so is clearly up to our elected officials and or candidates. Your votes are going to count more now than ever before.
1:08 Your humor is about as logical as your own brain comprehension, you goof. Yes I'm working but not making no where near what I was making 30 years ago. At least I am working, I guess I should just quit the job, get an EBT card and go back to school? If you were close enough I'd smack that stupid right off your face. like Joe pointed out, to do better the area needs more jobs to increase the tax base instead of taxing the few working people here more!
1:36 If you were close enough I'd smack that stupid right off your face.
I am thinking that job training is not all you need.
Ironic. Cohen is the only one in city government who has business background and tries to strike a balance between business and other needs. She gets treated like garbage.
1:36 thank you for resorting to threats of violence... nice.
1:20 to solve the problem, we need to find out, why they left in the first place.
I have heard stories of those in the know, that work ethic in this area is a huge issue.
No one is going to invest where over half your population is on welfare. Why do you think, certain stores will not come here. Right now a lot of it is geared toward capturing the college dollars.
Unless you know why they left you will never solve the problem. Speculate all you want, it won't solve anything.
People should turn out in droves to the city council's little "coffee with your council" tonight at 6:30 and raise hell.
It's at that church on Beaglin, Immanuel something.
1:18 You make lite of someone's situation with no facts, or idea what a person may be going through, and your condescending tone, you're sure to attract venom. Unless you've been long termed unemployed after working your whole life, it can seem hopeless. I was on unemployment a long time, but I've got a good job now, not everyone is so lucky. Some have worked hard all their lives and go through, bankruptcy, foreclosure, but you have to ask this person if they are working, then why did they want retraining? You suggest that the person has no accountability. When I was collecting unemployment they told me I was eligible for retraining for 2 years whether I got a job or not, I chose to seek the job and it sounds at least like the person you are questioning did also. Not only was I eligible for 2 years in school, as long as I was in school I wouldn't even have to look for a job and still get unemployment checks!! Nobody plans to be unemployed 2 years. I just love you compassionate liberals, you just see what you want to see. At least 1:08 and myself took the work route, but we still have to live up to your expectations and elitist approval.
There are sooo many professionals with degrees out here and they can't find jobs either. I went to a seminar at the one stop job market and one older guy in class had 2 masters degrees and a bachelor degree. You can throw all the money at retraining that you want, if there are no jobs here then that's what you are getting, throwing money at the problem for school yet when they graduate there are still no jobs! These politicians remind me of dogs chasing their tails, they are so close and yet so far!
2:46 you assumed a lot from a 4 sentence comment. And got it all wrong. I just love when people interject their attitudes and twist words.
Make lite? No, I asked a question.
Condescending tone? No, but I do see 2 question marks.
Ask a question = justifying threatening violence?
Oh the horror - get free job training and get paid for it! ummm that's the point of the program. BUT you could also pick a program that only runs a year.
I suggested the person had no accountability?, no I implied that if they really wanted re-training they could go to night school. That would be personal responsibility.
Sounds like you took the pity route.
Um and ignoramus, I went through the program years ago. But see, I went to school for 9 months, went back to work and then finished my schooling while I was working = personal responsibility.
Take your pity party rant elsewhere. Some of us were/are more interested in changing our lives than crying about it.
Looks like you made the wrong choice.
Martyr - a person who pretends to suffer or who exaggerates suffering in order to get praise or sympathy.
Martyr - a person who pretends to suffer or who exaggerates suffering in order to get praise or sympathy.
Seeking to be a Martyr with an anonymous comment. That's a good one.
4:40 you are clearly confused
Pride - a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements
3:16
Joe i like your idea about training people but it seems to me that if tax payers are going to support this then the trainee should have already been hired and the training would be for a specific job within that company.I don't want my taxes puting somone through school and then there is no job. It seems to me that a better solution would be to tell established businesses and new business coming to our area if they hire new employees and keep them working for atleast 6 months we would pay their first months salary to cover their on the job training period. That way a few thousand dollars invested would have guranteed results.
Barbara Boxer: I worked so hard for that title.
There are a lot of good ideas posted here. There are already some programs they have that train people to get them off welfare. Most of the people that take those courses do not pass them. They are only going to the class so they can keep collecting. There has to be some type of punishment if we pay good money to train people and they don't take it seriously and waste our money.
5:51 I suggest we pay the 6th month.
5:51, That's exactly what I'm talking about. Oh, I so agree, training people for WHATEVER when there are no jobs falls nothing short of the Liberal ways of Lore' Chambers and Jim Ireton. Heck, they were wasting tax dollars on retraining former inmates released from the Prison.
These people being trained for new jobs within a local company MUST be Salisbury/Wicomico residents too.
The state already has such a program for companies to move into Maryland.
EARN Maryland, managed by DLLR, is a first-of-its-kind state skills training and economic development initiative that is business-led, flexible and collaborative. EARN Maryland is designed to ensure that Maryland employers have the talent they need to compete and grow while providing targeted education and skills training to Maryland workers.
Implementation Grants, to be awarded in June of 2014, will fund worker training in the skills that employers demand, from the training provider best able to meet industry-identified needs. The Solicitation for Implementation Grants will be released in January 2014, with Proposals - finalized Workforce Training Plans - due by March 31, 2014.
It's a suggestion that might be helpful.
As some have noted already, there are a variety of established programs trying to provide some assistance; none are a perfect match.
The concern about the proposal I haven't seen addressed, which does arise when schools are the topic, is that anytime government at any level spends money on these type of programs they try to dictate what will be taught, by whom and in what manner.
I'd favor reducing start-up paperwork, reducing some of the employer taxes for a period after the new employee starts (employee must stay hired or reduced taxes must be paid). I'd put an emphasis on making these steps/programs/incentives as simple as possible to encourage employer usage.
Have seen a variety of programs over the years with genuine good intentions but with burdensome reporting requirements that made them more trouble than they were worth. Result: DOA and no participation.
Well I agree with you joe about the situation in wicomico county the issue that really needs to come first is bringing in corporate jobs and industry to the shore and it needs to happen ASAP!!!!! If that doesn't happen within a year the shore is done. The shore can't even begin to come back without it. The rail line and so much water around its a no brainer. The clock is ticking... It's time for progress on the shore. The born here's and everyone else need to embrace NEW things. You all need to work the tourism angle and oc needs to freshen up its act. Embrace the tourists as they bring the $$$. It's time also to elect people that will actually work for the shore and not themselves. Delmarva the shore may not be able to be saved but an honest attempt needs to happen.
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