on our dime.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/5918473/

9/2/2009 11:44:47 AM

That seems like quite a simplification, doesn't it?

After all, the article says that she's traveling to China "in an effort to drum up business for the state." And, given that China is our second largest trading partner, and that the commerce secretary urged her to travel to the country to improve business, it seems like an important task.

And, really, $82,000 is peanuts in taxpayer money, and they said they have made an honest attempt at spending as little as possible given the circumstances.

This really seems like you were just looking for something to complain about, and once the article has been read this trip looks very beneficial for our state.

9/2/2009 11:48:39 AM

Day after taxes are raised (during a recession) and people aren't picketing out in front of the governor's mansion.

9/2/2009 12:03:18 PM

I'd rather that bitch sit at home, with no AC, windows open and make a video conference call to china.

9/2/2009 12:08:04 PM

I'm not sure that you understand modern diplomacy, and I hope you will appreciate it when "that bitch" improves our relations with China and brings more revenue to this state.

9/2/2009 12:12:38 PM

For that to happen... let's all hope people in China are as stupid as voters in North Carolina.

9/2/2009 12:18:32 PM

I will agree with you that the voters in North Carolina can be stupid...

Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr.

United States Senator
from North Carolina
In office
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by B. Everett Jordan
Succeeded by Elizabeth Dole

9/2/2009 12:29:49 PM

Quote :

"For that to happen... let's all hope people in China are as stupid as voters in North Carolina. "

Agreed

Unless that bitch is flying Southwest I'm protestin'!

9/2/2009 12:35:27 PM

Quote :

"I'm not sure that you understand modern diplomacy, and I hope you will appreciate it when "that bitch" improves our relations with China and brings more revenue toships more jobs out of this state."

Fixed it for ya.

9/2/2009 12:37:17 PM

Quote :

"I'm not sure that you understand modern diplomacy, and I hope you will appreciate it when "that bitch" improves our relations with China and brings more revenue to this state."

"that bitch" has done nothing good for NC yet. Teachers and Obama voters put her in office and then she cuts teacher pay. She's done after one term. Sadly another corrupt governor will likely take over like Roy Cooper.

9/2/2009 12:42:08 PM

Quote :

"Fixed it for ya."

Do you have a source for this claim, or is this just paranoid speculation?

According to the article, it appears you are incorrect:

Quote :

"More than 120 Japanese companies have operations in North Carolina, employing about 18,000. About a dozen Chinese companies have sites in the state, including computer maker Lenovo in Morrisville, with about 2,500 employees total."

Would you want our relations with China and other Asian nations to diminish and have these jobs leave our state?

Quote :

""that bitch" has done nothing good for NC yet. Teachers and Obama voters put her in office and then she cuts teacher pay."

That's actually incorrect. Salaries were frozen. There's a big difference.

9/2/2009 12:46:26 PM

Quote :

"that bitch" has done nothing good for NC yet."

She did sign into law the Healthy Youth Act which I think lets parents have the options of schools doing more comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence only, which is something a GOP governor in NC would never have been able to sign with the pressure from their party & base to stay with abstinence only as the only option (heck, it was difficult to get enough democrats behind it in a state like NC).

9/2/2009 12:50:42 PM

I also resent the misogyny in this thread.

9/2/2009 12:51:30 PM

Quote :

"Would you want our relations with China and other Asian nations to diminish and have these jobs leave our state?"

Do you have a source for this claim or is it just paranoid speculation?

I made a throwaway comment based on the history of jobs in this country, and certainly this state, for the past 2 decades. As a matter of fact, SE Asia put my company out of business and dumped about 15000 of us on the street.

Quote :

"Would you want our relations with China and other Asian nations to diminish and have these jobs leave our state?"

Whether Bev Purdue goes to China or not, those companies that are already here aren't going to pack up and move. On top of that, why do we need the Governor to go in place of private business owners who are no doubt always looking for business opportunities as it is.

And back to the original point, why does it cost 82,000 for a 2 week trip in China? What the fuck is that money being spent on? Five star hotels at 1000 a night?

9/2/2009 1:50:07 PM

Defending Obama? I understand.

Defending Perdue? Why the fuck.

9/2/2009 1:54:11 PM

Quote :

"Would you want our relations with China and other Asian nations to diminish and have these jobs leave our state?"

Are you seriously implying that if she doesn't go, all of these companies are going to leave NC?

9/2/2009 1:59:20 PM

Quote :

"she cuts teacher pay"

goddamnit, you ignorant fucking tart. That never happened. Teacher pay was not cut.

9/2/2009 2:15:48 PM

Quote :

"Are you seriously implying that if she doesn't go, all of these companies are going to leave NC?"

You're right that it could have no effect. However, I'd wager that if the trip was strongly urged by the commerce secretary, then on some level it was necessary for business. Again, this is peanuts in terms of having a noticeable effect on the state budget, it's being done to bring more business and revenue to this state, and you're still whining about it?

Quote :

"And back to the original point, why does it cost 82,000 for a 2 week trip in China? What the fuck is that money being spent on? Five star hotels at 1000 a night?"

Perdue, the commerce secretary, and a handful of executives. Let's say 5 executives. That's 7 people. Airfare for seven people to China. Two weeks of hotel room rental for 7 hotel rooms at a relatively high class hotel. Food for 3 meals a day for two weeks. That's not including car rentals, drivers, whatever. It's not that hard to figure out.

EDIT: I just went and checked flychina.com to see how much it would cost to fly from RDU to Beijing from October 1st to October 18th for 7 people. Economy class is $987 pp. Business class is $3,851 pp. I'm guessing they're flying business, so that's $26957 for airfare only.


[Edited on September 2, 2009 at 2:21 PM. Reason : ]

9/2/2009 2:15:57 PM

Quote :

"Again, this is peanuts in terms of having a noticeable effect on the state budget, it's being done to bring more business and revenue to this state, and you're still whining about it?"

i don't disagree that this is peanuts. I was just calling you out for an idiotic strawman.

Also, where did I whine, and what was I whining about? Please link me to that post.

I suggest you return to wrecking cars as soon as possible. avoid the seatbelt.

9/2/2009 2:33:31 PM

Quote :

"EDIT: I just went and checked flychina.com to see how much it would cost to fly from RDU to Beijing from October 1st to October 18th for 7 people. Economy class is $987 pp. Business class is $3,851 pp. I'm guessing they're flying business, so that's $26957 for airfare only."

The private companies pitched in an additional 90k towards the trip.

So you have 172k-27k, That's 145k for 2 weeks. Ten thousand a day, 1400 per person.

Does it really take $1400 per day to get around China? I mean, even if you spend $500 a night on the best hotel you have to work pretty hard to smoke $900 on transportation and food. Are they buying armed escorts or something?

Quote :

"However, I'd wager that if the trip was strongly urged by the commerce secretary, then on some level it was necessary for business."

If I go to a barber and ask him if I need a haircut, what do you think his answer will be?

Quote :

"Again, this is peanuts in terms of having a noticeable effect on the state budget, it's being done to bring more business and revenue to this state, and you're still whining about it?"

Remind me why the governor has to go and the execs can't go on their own?

9/2/2009 2:40:03 PM

Quote :

"If I go to a barber and ask him if I need a haircut, what do you think his answer will be?"

This analogy doesn't make sense. The commerce secretary is an adviser to the governor, and is not "selling" anything.

Quote :

"Remind me why the governor has to go and the execs can't go on their own?"

Because the execs don't represent our interests, that's the governor's job.

9/2/2009 2:47:08 PM

Quote :

"goddamnit, you ignorant fucking tart. That never happened. Teacher pay was not cut."

it was. teachers income is based on a scale on the years of experience teaching each individual has. the entire scale was moved backwards one year so that a teacher with 4 years experience this year is making what a teacher with 3 years experience made last year.

teacher "raises" are when the scale is adjusted. the scale was adjusted BACKWARDS this year.

9/2/2009 2:54:29 PM

Quote :

"This analogy doesn't make sense. The commerce secretary is an adviser to the governor, and is not "selling" anything."

He is selling his job to the people of the state. Are you this obtuse? He has to do something.

Hey, uh, so what's this China thang everyones talkin bout? I think you should go there, umm, right?

Quote :

"Because the execs don't represent our interests, that's the governor's job. "

That makes no sense. Why would a coalition of unaligned interests go to China/Japan? Why would Purdue agree to go with them if they don't have the same interests she does?

9/2/2009 3:00:12 PM

Quote :

"He is selling his job to the people of the state. Are you this obtuse? He has to do something. Hey, uh, so what's this China thang everyones talkin bout? I think you should go there, umm, right?"

I don't think you have the evidence to reach the conclusion that he is incompetent or has bad intentions.

Quote :

"That makes no sense. Why would a coalition of unaligned interests go to China/Japan? Why would Purdue agree to go with them if they don't have the same interests she does?"

A business executive from XYZ company, I would imagine, would have the interests of XYZ company dear to his heart. Of course he would want to help the state as a whole, since it would help him, but above all he would be interested in helping his company. After all, he's being sent as a representative of XYZ company, not North Carolina.

Purdue is a representative of North Carolina. Of course she would want to help individual companies, since it would help North Carolina, but above all she would be interested in helping North Carolina. After all, she's being sent as a representative of North Carolina, not XYZ company..

9/2/2009 3:14:24 PM

Quote :

" I don't think you have the evidence to reach the conclusion that he is incompetent or has bad intentions. "

I certainly have evidence to support the notion that he is cool with the outsourcing of our jobs

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/04/06/newscolumn1.html

Now, how much would you like to wager this is a scouting trip for a new mfg plant for Asheboro Elastics Corp?

9/2/2009 3:35:30 PM

A visit from the "Big Man" of north carolina is irrelevant. While I agree the pricetag is low, the costs outweigh the benefits. The vast majority of job creation comes from the expansion of existing domestic businesses, which care only about their cost structure, which a promise to cut spending and future tax bills would encourage. Regretfully, Politicians do not get to take credit for such job creation, which is why they go flying off to China, so they get to cut the ribbon and give a speech in front of some grand opening which almost certainly would have taken place regardless of the trip.

As such, this trip is not about job creation, and as a signal it will probably destroy jobs, but about being seen and getting elected.

9/2/2009 3:42:45 PM

Quote :

"Purdue is a representative of North Carolina. Of course she would want to help individual companies, since it would help North Carolina, but above all she would be interested in helping North Carolina. After all, she's being sent as a representative of North Carolina, not XYZ company.."

you sound like an 8 year old girl with that idealistic mickey mouse bullshit.

9/2/2009 9:49:42 PM

Quote :

"let's all hope people in China are as stupid as voters in North Carolina. "

If Chinese businessmen associate this state with people like Bev Perdue, then this trip is going to cost us a hell of a lot more than $82,000.

9/2/2009 10:00:04 PM

I went looking on the Governor's website for some info on the China trip, came across this from yesterday which seems interesting, even if its not particularly relevant to this conversation:

Quote :

"9/1/2009 Contact: Chrissy Pearson Raleigh (919) 733-5612 North Carolina Submits Six High Speed Rail Project Applications Projects will retain or create 1,450 jobs Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that North Carolina has submitted the first of its high speed rail applications for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). NCDOT filed six “project ready” applications totaling $92,612,936, requesting $75,950,546 in Federal Railroad Administration grants and pledging a total of $16,662,390 in matching funds. The merit-based funding will be awarded before the end of this year. If funded, the projects will help retain or create an estimated 1,457 jobs for North Carolinians. The FRA requires the projects to be completed within two years of the grant award. “These rail projects are critical for communities throughout our state,” said Perdue. “Working with our partners in other states will improve the transportation system in North Carolina and in the Southeast.” The State Transportation Department worked with the North Carolina Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX Transportation and Amtrak to complete the applications. The projects include rehabilitating locomotives and passenger equipment for new service, doubling the size of the Cary station, adding much needed parking in High Point, lengthening the boarding platform in Burlington and grade separating Klumac Road in Rowan County. In addition to safety improvement projects that add rail network capacity and improve service reliability, NCDOT also applied for funding to complete environmental studies and engineering necessary to consider service extensions to western and southeastern North Carolina. The state is partnering with Virginia to request funds to complete final engineering for the development of a shorter Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor route with top speeds of 110 miles per hour, which would connect Raleigh with Richmond. The two states also will partner to complete a corridor development plan connecting Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Richmond and Washington D.C. with frequent, reliable passenger trains that can travel at top speeds of 90 – 110 mph. The second round of applications for funding of a comprehensive corridor development plan is due to the FRA on October 2. ARRA will provide $8 billion in competitive funding for high speed rail corridors around the country. For more information, please visit: bytrain.org/fra."

Quote :

"Gov. signs bill to make energy-saving upgrades 09/01/2009 Gov. Bev Perdue and the General Assembly have moved to expand the efforts to make North Carolina government more energy efficient and, as a result, tax dollars will be saved while more government buildings will use energy more efficiently. Gov. Bev Perdue signed Senate Bill 304 that expands read more..."

9/2/2009 10:18:24 PM