What IS the cost-benefit balance of our officials junketing to China?
Nil benefit and thousands spent, as best as I can tell from the "detailed reports" we see presented prominently on the City's website, or in Ramsey books and records.
Thousands that could have been spent other ways. Zero real reporting about the total amount spent so far compared against whatever boost of Chinese goodwill toward Ramsey has come of it, not to mention hard trade contracts benefiting Ramsey's economy and jobs market.
One New Year's report. I would like to see at least that.
One report, some kind of feedback, about events arising from our officials going to China.
If there were gigantic favorable contracts, you'd expect that would be trumpeted from the opulent rooftop of the new opulent city hall. So, what about the trumpets?
Success with a thousand fathers, etc.
Failure and embarassment an orphan.
It looks like Ramsey is on a "Slow Boat to China," which was a poker players' term for a pattern where a player loses steadily on each and every hand; and a term that Frank Loesser in 1948 copyrighted from the gaming table to affairs of passion and love, in a song sung by Bing Crosby, Jimmy Buffet, and other crooners, with the incomparable lyrics:
To get you and keep you in my arms evermore,
Leave all your lovers
Weeping on the faraway shore.
Out on the briny
With the moon big and shinny,
Melting your heart of stone.
Darling, I'd love to get you
On a slow boat to China,
All to myself alone.
Really. All younger readers can bear that in mind if parents or grandparents ever get critical over the music they listen to now. "Sure, dad, but for idiocy, what about 'Out on the briny, with the moon big and shinny,' huh?"
Here's some of the story. The state via DEED, the Department of Employment and Economic Security, is promoting trade possibilities with China, see here, here, and here.
That's the same DEED that gave free money for a crabgrass expense, re the dubious and possibly dangerous idea of putting housing on top a former hobby shooting range on Variolite, where lead-shot contamination would be a consistent concern.
Ramsey sent Mayor Gamac first, then later Todd Cook and James Norman, together. I believe Councilmember Olson was scheduled but declined a junket. I could be wrong on that, you'd have to ask her. So far, officially, what's to show? Here's my understanding, first, some private persons formed a nonprofit they call "City of Ramsey Foundation" but it is not a city thing, but private. See, e.g., Jan. 3, 2006, Council Worksession Minutes; with at p.4, Councilmember Jeffrey stating this "foundation" wanted seed money (or some kind of free cash from the city), and nobody on council saying who are they and why give them taxpayer wealth? Second, the effort produced a billing dispute from one of the bag full of little known low-profile Ramsey consultants, a Vern Hegg whoever that is, but again it was Vern wanting more free taxpayer money than even Tom Gamec was willing to give away, this instance. Really.
See, Council Work Session Minutes, Aug. 14, 2006.
That's about it: I found two instances of private folks (once at least from Ramsey) wanting to be given taxpayer cash; but no benefits of any kind ever noted of record, tangible or intangible, other than I suppose the Mayor felt useful and puffed up with being sent - the warm-&-fuzzies, but only such very intangible hand-waving kind of stuff. Not one single, they'll buy this-and-that, from so-and-so, in our TIF district 2844, or such.
Tangibility of returns on investment apparently is an outcast from the council table.
Here's the part of the story I'd like to see town officials explain. Go back to those opening slide views. They are from DEED, with their "positively Minnesota" trademark, whatever that's supposed to mean.
The first slide is the opening of a DEED Power Point style of presentation, but go to the second.
I want to know -- Jim Norman going to China, what has he, or other junketeers Tom Gamec and Todd Cook, but say Norman, in particular, what has he done positively fitting into and causing goodwill to:
Strengthen existing connections between the people of MN and China and seek new relationships
Promote greater understanding of US-China relations
Raise MN's profile among prominent Chinese leaders
Has he been a positive or negative factor, in that regard? Those are the goals of DEED's efforts. So tell me -- Has Ramsey's officials junketing into and around China helped or hindered the DEED goals? Any info to share? Anything? Wouldn't you expect at least a report? An upside-vs-downside analysis - these folks went (with itineraries given) and such-and-such events transpired, good or bad, but of record for Ramsey's citizens and others to read, understand, and benefit from.