A reader sends in the Union-Tribune's coverage of Biocom's (San Diego's life science business association) endorsement of San Diego mayoral candidate David Faulconer:
*Can't find a lot of data, but this PDF from San Diego Unified suggests that the graduating classes for San Diego Unified for the entire district was in the 7000-8000 student range.
SORRENTO VALLEY — City Councilman Kevin Faulconer launched the first salvo of San Diego’s post-holiday mayoral runoff campaign on Thursday, landing the endorsement of Biocom, a group of 600 life science industry officials who had backed Nathan Fletcher in the first round of the race to replace Bob Filner.In the article, an interesting comment from the opposing candidate, fellow councilman David Alvarez:
Rival David Alvarez, a fellow councilman, responded to the endorsement by saying he’s a strong supporter of the biotech and high-tech sectors.
“As mayor, I’ll work to draw more of these high-growth, high-wage employers to San Diego by streamlining regulations and working with our governor to offer incentives,” he said in a prepared statement. “We also have to better prepare young people for these types of jobs. I’ve set a set a goal of 10,000 internships for high school students to ensure our young people are prepared for opportunities to fill the jobs these employers provide today and in the future.”10,000 internships!?! Wow. That's darn near 30% of kids in San Diego-area high schools, I'll bet.* What are these companies going to do with all of these kids? I think it's a rather absurd goal myself. My reader's comment:
Aside from the economic absurdity of using tax dollars to shift jobs from one part of US to another (I'll grant from overseas is net benefit to chemists....) what jobs is he referring to? You can't drive 20 feet in Sorrento Valley without seeing a 'lab space for rent' sign from a company that's recently laid off employees.....Also, my commenter notes Arena's CEO's endorsement of Faulconer:
"Arena Pharmaceuticals founder and chief executive officer Jack Lief said Faulconer understands the need for research and development dollars."
Brilliant! ARNA has cut R&D spending from $204 million in 2008 ($221 mill adj for inflation to 2012) to $54 million in 2012, I guess Jack understands the need for R&D dollars so long as he's not providing them.Good to see that our business and political elites are grounded in reality. Best wishes to the rest of us.
*Can't find a lot of data, but this PDF from San Diego Unified suggests that the graduating classes for San Diego Unified for the entire district was in the 7000-8000 student range.
"...jobs these employers provide today and in the future."
ReplyDeleteYou know. Mopping floors. Filing papers. That sort of thing.
"Aside from the economic absurdity of using tax dollars to shift jobs from one part of US to another (I'll grant from overseas is net benefit to chemists....) what jobs is he referring to?"
ReplyDeleteThis is a key observation. Tens of billions of dollars are being wasted to shift jobs from one side of a border to another every year in the US. This isn't growth (even if the jobs are poached from abroad), it is just waste and a handout to corporations. These negative-sum, beggar-thy-neighbor policies should be shunned at all levels, and anyone who conflates stealing jobs from some other jurisdiction with "growth" mocked for their blithering ignorance.