Last Saturday night, I dropped by a shindig Joe Taylor was hosting at the State Fairgrounds. He was serving vinegar-and-pepper barbecue from Hemingway, and Frogmore Stew. At this event, I saw John Courson, Bob McAlister, Samuel Tenenbaum, Andre Bauer, Bob Coble, Tameika Isaac Devine, Patton Adams and…
… Mark Sanford. The governor, who isn’t famous for showing up and staying any length of time at evening social events, stuck around for at least as long as I was there. Basically, I had to split once the band cranked up and it was impossible to carry on a normal conversation with anybody.
Next thing you know, Joe Taylor is secretary of commerce.
The governor must have really liked that barbecue.
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“So how could this happen? The answer is simple. The American democracy has
been stolen by our new class of Robber Barons—the CEO’s of our big
corporations. A political system dependent on charity from rich men in
hand-tailored suits with $100 million retirement packages is no democracy.
It is a kleptocracy. It is not what our founding fathers envisioned.
But we have the power to change this; to free our corporations from
sticky-fingered CEO’s, to free our elected representatives from “pay to play
money” and to free our people from all these tyrants. We have the power to
be free, at last.”
THE NEW ROBBER BARONS
by Peter Rost, M.D.
Peter Rost, M.D., is a former Vice President for the drug company Pfizer.
Brad, you are wrong, it was the Stew, Frogmore Stew, it never fails. I guess the real surprise is that the governor actually appointed someone he knew who was also a businessman, successful one at that. Here he could have tabbed an environmentalist to send a clear message to businesses wanting to locate into SC that since nearly every industrial enterprise produces some kind of pollution, watch out. Or, he could have picked a reputable trial lawyer who made a fortune suing businesses and that would have been a great message to send out to the business world. Come to SC and staff up with lots of barristers, we aim to sue you.
If the governor could appoint a Secretary of Education, he would probably shock us by selecting someone who had background in education.
Of course I am being sarcastic but unless you know some insider stuff that you aren’t sharing, what’s the big deal here?
Joe Taylor will do an outstanding job at Commerce. We have worked together on the Bull Street Neighborhood and the homelessness issue here in Columbia. (the BBQ was good!)
Was it just us, or were the comics missing in the paper this morning? How can I go through the day without a daily dose of Doonesbury?
Mark has a point. There are plenty of folks ignorant of industry and trade that the governor could have chosen – just check out those hanging around the mission; they’ve got the time. Just because Taylor’s grown his own business, had to meet payroll, is active in the community, and has the respect of folks throughout the state is no reason to appoint him to a position where outstanding success is expected and every misstep trumpeted. He’ll be on the hot seat soon enough, the honeymoon will be short. “Joe, what have you done for us lately?” will echo throughout the state.
What’s infuriating is that in accepting this position, in tackling myriad challenges for the benefit of the state’s growth, Taylor will sacrifice time and energy he could otherwise devote to his own interests and investments. Such public service from those who have prospered in our capitalist system should be discouraged.
We need leaders who will care for us all, who can feel our pain and replace this corrupt, greed-based system with one where:
With a world like that, economic development will take care of itself.
I am glad to see the service cabinet positions being rotated, and to see business people in the Department of Commerce, instead of academics, real estate developers, or career bureaucrats.
Those who advocate making the mayor of Columbia a full-time career job should take a lesson in citizenship from Joe Taylor’s appointment.
Thanks for the excellent link,Mark.
Brad, who is Gregory Hardy? How dare he slam my home city, Lubbock?
“Armpit of America,” huh? Does he know what North Carolinians say about Columbia? If Lubbock is the armpit, then Columbia is the . . . well, I won’t go there. Actually, I kind of like it here. The barbecue is pretty good. Not as good as in Texas, but pretty good.
If you have this man at The State’s offices, then let him come out with his dukes up. This is a duel, man, except I get the shotgun. Let the rioting begin.
Think where we would be without Lubbock — no Buddy Holly. And to think, I used to sit in the same English class he did, a few years after him.
Joe Taylor may be the best man for he job, but his credibility is already undermined regardless of his qualifications. O.K., so what is his nickname? Are we in for another “Kenny Boy” or a “Brownie”? In order to get my job, I went to a job interview with a resume in hand to explain my qualifications. I went through several interviews with different groups of people who judged my qualifications and demeanor. How would have my fellow employees judged me if I had thrown a big barbeque to in order to secure my position? If my prospective boss had asked me to do such a thing, then I would have refused to so in order to keep from sullying my own reputation, and the reputation of my boss/institution. Even the appearance of cronyism destroys institutional credibility.