Scoop wrote:

---

Hang on the "bare" is fixing to leave the woods!  More tomorrow.

---

Here is a perfect example of what LVN complained about. 

If no one sees the bare bear in the woods, did he still show his a$$?

First time here, but I will tell you it is gut wrenching to hear the queen of ADP speak.  What a farce.  Yet, she will control USM and the community.  PUKE! BARF!

Name: Scoop

Date: 5 days ago
Views: 186


Quote | ReplyRE: ADP

---

Hang on the "bare" is fixing to leave the woods!  More tomorrow.

Scoop, I thought you were going to give us more info!!!

Ex Hattiesburgian wrote:

---

Not only am I wondering about the scoop, but I'm still wondering what exactly the ADP does.

---

At long last, I think I've found what it is that ADP does. Automatic data processing, payroll, benefit administration & other HR functions.

Seriously, I invite all Mississippians to try to figure out what "economic development" agencies really do, aside from giving away a lot of state money doing things that out to be considered a cost of doing business. Thinking about opening a business? Don't worry about writing a business plan -- an economic development agency will do it for you. Don't worry about doing market analysis for your products or services -- an economic development agency will do it for you. Don't worry about locating land or a building -- an economic development agency will do it for you. Need to train employees -- don't worry about that either, because an economic development agency will get those workforce trainers in there for pennies on the dollar. And above all, don't worry about paying the standard tax rate, because an economic development agency will convince the appropriate state or local government officials to cut you a sweetheart deal. The irony is that IHL itself has published a report stating that traditional economic development incentives (see above) simply don't yield the desired results.

If you really look around, you'll find that economic development offices tend to be staffed by former politicians (if there is such a thing as a "former" politician) & political hangers-on. And simply put, they don't earn their paychecks.

Yes Invictus you are correct. Most of the jobs or atleast one is held by one who is not qualified.

FWIW, The ADP used to do a really good job (and may still, I don't know) of recruiting retirees.  Touting the university's performing arts and the ILR was (is?) an important part of the promotional package. 

http://www.theadp.com/index.htmlEx Hattiesburgian wrote:

---

... I'm still wondering what exactly the ADP does.

---

http://www.theadp.com/index.html

Just for fun, be sure to click on the link to the Mississippi Polymer Institute.

short answer wrote:

---

short answer wrote: Just for fun, be sure to click on the link to the Mississippi Polymer Institute. Sorry, first you have to click on the "economic development" tab. http://www.theadp.com/economic%20development/index.html

---

"Home to the Mississippi Polymer Institute (MPI) and one of the nation’s top 10 university polymer science programs"

I though USM used to claim to be one of the  "top 3."

MKT 101 wrote:

---

for the most part i agree with you.  however, a good economic development officer can be worth their money.  a good one simply travels around "selling " the area to businesses that might be interested in a startup or a new location.  this doesn't have to involve the sleaze associated with some sales jobs, just getting the city on the list of places to look is a good day's work.  it's a lot like selling commercial real estate, matching the buyer with the property.  also you don't make a lot of sales, if successful just a few big hits.  before AD, HBG had a good one who moved on to a bigger city. 

---

Of course, there are a few exceptions as you point out, but they should not be allowed to define the "rule." Nearly every county in the state has somebody drawing a paycheck to do "economic development" & if each of them had just a few big hits, this place wouldn't be on the bottom of nearly every metric one cares to examine. But the sad fact is that in most locations, the economic developmentationist is somebody's nephew or a guy who lost an election but got tossed a bone by the rest of the board of supervisors, etc. etc. Becoming a community college workforce director is usually a big step up for these guys.

The number one operational principle for economic development is post hoc, ergo propter hoc, which as we all know is also the number one operational principle for politicians & college administrators. I'd assume that her intimate knowledge of this principle is AD's chief qualificiation for her current job, because I don't see economic development being stressed greatly in most graduate English programs.

Observor wrote:

---

Before AD was at USM she was head of the Mississippi Technology Alliance.  I guess the English background was OK for them. What some $25 faculty members at USM that belong to ADP do not realize is that the Partnership For Tomorrow is the fund raisng arm to incrase economic development in our community.  They are a group of about 25 companies that pay  2.5 million dollars every 4 years to improve our community.  They put their money where their mouth is and do not sit back and be critical of everything in our community.  Tell me one professor that makes this kind of committment. 

---

$2.5 MM spread over 25 companies gives an average contribution of $100,000 per company per 4 year period OR $25,000 per company per year. The average USM prof works for less than $50 per hour (for a 40 hour week over 32 weeks) before taxes. Let's go with $50, though it's a high hourly wage. There are many individual faculty members who regularly work 60, 70, or even 80 hour weeks. There are faculty who work those hours even when not receiving a paycheck (summers, etc.).

Suppose a faculty member spends an extra 10 hours per week on Saturdays, nights, summers, etc., educating the young people of Mississippi, going above and beyond the call of duty. That's 10 hours per week x 52 weeks x $50/hour = $26,000 of donated time to education OUTSIDE of the professor's teaching requirement per year. Professors may not make a lot of money, but their time is valuable and they give of it freely. Eat my a$$, observor.

Of course, there are a few exceptions as you point out, but they should not be allowed to define the "rule." Nearly every county in the state has somebody drawing a paycheck to do "economic development" & if each of them had just a few big hits, this place wouldn't be on the bottom of nearly every metric one cares to examine.

I apologize.  I was speaking about economic development salespersons in general and you were talking about MS.  My experiences (both good and bad) with economic development was in other states.  The ratio of good to bad is probably well below .5 nationally but it appears that in MS must be close to the bottom again.

Invictus wrote:

---

 AD ... was a Governor Muskrat appointee & that's how she landed at USM, pure & simple. It had nothing to do with her creds. It was politics.                                 

---

As I recall,  this is also how USM got saddled with the infamous Lisa Mader,  another former member of Muskrat's inner circle and for a time his main squeeze.  Dvorak, Dvorak,  Hanbury,  Mader....politics in the American south are known for incest and  corruption,  but are particularly vile when they invade and contaminate the academy.

Invictus wrote:

---

If economic development is so freaking effective in Mississippi, how come we're always on the bottom? The answer is that the workforce in general has sub-third-world educational levels & the politicians still think that maintaining an ignorant populace is the best way to avoid democracy.

---

Mr. Wonderful and co., y'all have been absent for along time. But I sure do like this. Consider a return engagement?