Supply Chain

Scrutiny On The Bounty

May 19, 2007

Now here's an odd story, for a couple different reasons:

1. Somebody is getting a nice severance package ($150,000) for resigning from his job (as a lobbyist) and taking another job elsewhere (for the government). The payout in fact is about the same as what he'll get from his new job, which pays about half what his old job paid.

2. The government agency he's joining is empowered to make life very uncomfortable for many of the companies he used to lobby for in his previous job.

3. Some people in Washington think there's something fishy going on, using the analogy of "putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," because his activities as a lobbyist apparently included efforts to "weaken" the organization he's now going to lead.

I guess the one question that begs to be asked in this story, but isn't, is this:

Is it even remotely possible that this person will do a good job in his new post, serving the needs of consumers while remaining sensitive to the economic challenges manufacturers face in the global marketplace?

Actually, I guess there's one more question that needs to be asked:

With the political climate in Washington being what it is, is there anybody who would even want a high-level government job if they weren't already firmly entrenched in that arena? Is the ability to survive constant scrutiny of every decision you might make the number one job qualification these days in Washington?

About the Author

Dave Blanchard Blog | Senior Editor

Focus: Supply Chain

Email: [email protected]

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Contributing Editor Dave Blanchard provides the IndustryWeek audience his expertise in lean supply chain, reporting on topics from logistics, procurement and inventory management to warehousing and distribution. He also specializes in business finance news and analysis, writing on such topics as corporate finance and tax, cost management, governance, risk and compliance, and budgeting and reporting.

Dave is also the chief editor of Penton Media’s Business Finance and editorial director of Material Handling & Logistics.

With over 25 years of experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), and is a frequent speaker at industry events. Dave is an award-winning journalist and has been twice named one of the nation’s top columnists by the American Society of Business Publications Editors.

Dave received his B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University, and was a high school teacher prior to his joining the publishing industry. He is married and has two daughters.