When The Public Sector Pretends To Be The Private Sector

Hardhatters ^ | 11/13/2013 | Hal Hawkins

[thetallguy24]

Normally, there is a pretty clear distinction between the public and private sectors. There also seems to be a pretty clear definition of the energy sector (fuel extraction, refining, power generation). However, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) now seems to think the opposite, the public sector is the private sector and everyone that’s not in the energy sector now is.

The DOE will be kicking off an event tomorrow (Wednesday, November 13, 2013) with a forum on Minorities and Energy. This forum is a part of the Minorities in Energy Initiative which “seeks to empower businesses, communities, schools and individuals to partake in the technical, procurement, engagement, workforce and energy literacy resources of the Department of Energy and the energy sector overall.” Featured speakers will include Federal officials, but they are also bringing in “thought leaders and experts from the private sector” as well. For those of you who don’t know, a thought leader is, according to Forbes, someone who is most successful in his/her field.

This all sounds good, right? Hearing the best and brightest from the private, energy sector speak about empowering business and community involvement in the energy sector seems like a great reason to tune in, that is, until you see the actual list

 

Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014	If you are like me, you had to have laughed when you saw her on the list. But, surely she’s doing something in the energy field? No, she wants to be a doctor and plans on going to medical school she studied brain and cognitive sciences for her bachelor’s).
Michelle Bernard, MSNBC Political Analyst	Bernard has never been in the energy sector. While, technically, she is in the private sector (although some say MSNBC is just the marketing wing of the White House), her whole life has revolved around journalism and politics, including government and campaign work.
Freeman Hrabowski, Ph.D., President of University of Maryland Baltimore County	Hrabowksi is the president of a public university; therefore, he is a public sector employee. His entire background has been math, statistics and higher education administration. His only known energy sector experience was serving on the board of Constellation Energy Group.
John S. Wilson, Ph.D., President of Morehouse College	President of a private college, Wilson is reported as having “more than 25 years of leadership in higher education and a strong and successful record in institutional fund raising.” His bio states that his education is in theological studies and education.
Robert W. Gee, President of Gee Strategies Group LLC	Gee is the only person on this list that has spent quite a bit of time in the energy sector, although much of it was in government-related positions. Now head of a consulting firm, Gee has worked in numerous energy sector positions including two positions as an Assistant Secretary in the DOE during the Clinton Administration.
Daniel Wildcat, Ph.D., Professor at Haskell Indian Nations University	A 25-year professor, Wildcat’s primary field has been sociology, environmental research, and climate change studies. Given that the majority of operations funding for tribal colleges comes from the Federal government, it’s safe to put him in the public sector employee category.
Colonel Liana Bratland, a Senior Military Fellow at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies	Recently, the Human Resources Director, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan / Combined Security Transition Command, she now works for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. This group “works to inform and illuminate the nation's major public policy debates…with the goal of improving the socioeconomic status of African Americans and other people of color, expanding their effective participation in the political and public policy arenas, and promoting communications and relationships across racial and ethnic lines to strengthen the nation's pluralistic society.”

 

As you can clearly see, these “experts from the private sector” are mainly lobbyists, consultants, and educators who’ve had little to do with either the private or energy sectors. While this initiative is run by the DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, there is very little diversity in the selections for this forum. They have all (with exception to Miss America), at one time or another, been servants of the government. Calling any of these forum speakers members of the private sector shows the Obama Administration’s disdain for private business. Just like Batdad, masking employees of a bloated public sector as private sector heroes only leads to misinformation and is just poorly disguised and a joke.

 

[thetallguy24]

I'll always regret not choosing to be a hot minority and compete in beauty contests. If only I had become that, people would call me an expert, and I'd have no regrets.

[BitWielder1]

Sounds like the regular green, socialist, redistributive, anything-but-white-conservatives crap we've come to expect from this administration.

[thetallguy24]

[boomstick]

It is well-known that “wildcat” refers to oil and gas exploration. So including Professor Wildcat is clearly germane to a discussion of the energy industry.

As for Miss America, well, perhaps the organizer was hoping for some electricity, leading to drilling ...