Blog neighbor Steve Sibson has a terrible tendency to go off the rails. For example, only Sibby can turn a friendly discussion of continued corporate welfare for Big Ag into a battle over New Age theocracy and other figments of Sibby's imagination.
So let us all give thanks for Sibby's occasional outbursts of cogent political critique. Check out his commentary on the state Board of Education's plan to create a new farm-implement dealership training program at Mitchell Tech:
So South Dakota's state budget had to cut education, put there is still enough money to subsidize Big Ag. Why shouldn't John Deere and other huge manufacturers of Ag equipment pay the costs of training their service technicians? [Steve Sibson, "SD Board of Education Approves Free Job Training for Huge Corporations," Sibby Online, 2011.11.23]
Sibby, posts like that make you much more interesting than the unenlightening and slavish sycophancy (with only rare exceptions) of Dakota War College. Keep pushing those policy posts!
As stupid and inconsistent as Pat Powers demonstrated himself to be when he ran the War College, his topics were at least worth responding to on occasion. It's hard to imagine that the sophomores who post topics there now even rise to Powers' level of lack-of-knowledge.
As I've often ranted to my young friend Bob at breakfast, Mr. Powers invented blogging as we know it and now he's running the State Secretary office, so think how wild some of the new ideas coming up this legislature might be.
As someone who worked for one of Deere's competitors, covered the company as farm and business editor in its headquarters town, and whose brother worked for the firm, I think someone from Deere would be quick to correct the false assumptions in Sibson's comment. And I wonder what planet the Board of Education was visiting. Deere dealerships are independently owned, and bear the responsibility for hiring and training their technicians. However, Deere maintains one of the most extensive training programs in industry to support its dealers. And it has been known to dump dealers whose service personnel do not meet company standards. A local vocational school might provide its students with basic principles and techniques of mechanics and using diagnostic equipment, but they won't get any relevant training on Deere, Case IH, or Caterpillar equipment. Those companies all have patented features they service and protect on their equipment and the service equipment and personnel are considered essential parts of the company brands. A technical school might prepare a student for the service training offered by these firms, but they can in no way could they ever be considered to "subsidize" their service operations.
John Deere is one of those companies that pays well enough to bring workers to South Dakota. They do not need government subsidies. Conservatives want to cut everything but throw out a bone called jobs or corporations and they perk up like rat terriers.
Here is a course description from North Dakota State College of Science on how Corporation-specific courses are handled:
Photo of John Deere lab
John Deere Tech (A.A.S. degree)
The John Deere Tech program is designed to develop technically competent, professional ag equipment service technicians. The John Deere Company sponsors the program and NDSCS administers and operates the program.
This unique program combines state-of-the-art, on-campus training with supervised occupational experiences at a sponsoring John Deere dealership. Students receive technical training on John Deere equipment and related products through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on laboratory experiences. Classroom and laboratory instruction at NDSCS covers the basics of each subject plus the latest developments in John Deere's agricultural equipment. Work experience at the dealership reinforces on-campus training and exposes the student to real life failures and repairs as they occur on the equipment.
Can a student still translate that course into a good shot at working for another implement dealer?
Might provide a good foundation for further training in another dealer's brand of equipment.