[War] US: Quality is Job #1

[John Penta]

"Quality is Job #1"
3 January 2014
Pres. John Williams
USA
=================
<Washington>

   Well, it had happened. Snow had hit DC over the past 48 hours; Lots
and lots of snow. At least half a foot so far, and forecasters weren't
calling for it to stop for a while.

   While it shut down the federal bureaucracy in the National Capital
Region, it also turned the District into a winter wonderland; handling
the snow was a District and state job, so even the President was out
(heavily-bundled up) to enjoy the snow - as was Luke, who was even
more heavily bundled up. Julius had brought Alex and Tim, and so the
two older boys were building a snowman, while Luke was happily plopped
in the snow, occasionally sticking a handful of snow (white snow, dad
carefully made sure) into his mouth - and otherwise having fun looking
around at all the people, especially from his stroller. As usual for
him, Williams went about without any Secret Service detail - despite
the protests of the detail, he'd won after he pointed out they'd be on
the Ellipse, not off in the mountains. As such, it was a great
opportunity for him to see people, talk to people, help kids encase
their parents in the snow, and so forth. It was decidedly
equal-opportunity: From the poor to the rich, left or right, everybody
was out with their kids, enjoying the snow.

   No sooner had they begun their explorations of the winter
landscape, though, then life got interesting.

  Namely, an out-of-control sled came sailing down the nearby hill,
its pint-sized owner holding on for dear life and screaming.

  As young and old dove for cover, the sled zoomed by the Abbot
snowman, before trying to head up another hill and tumbling back to a
stop. As the grownups ran over, the kid, maybe 8 years old, poked his
head out from under his sled. "Ow. Sorry..." He trailed off, before
recognizing who was staring at him and just going silent.

 Williams grinned. "Not a problem. How'd you lose control?" He asked
gently, as if the 'sudden loss of vocal cords' thing happened to
anybody just sort of randomly and was no big deal.

 "H-h-hit a p-p-patch of i-ice, sir," the boy responded, looking
wide-eyed. Then, a voice from the side could be heard.

 "I see someone found Joey!" called a voice with a Midwestern accent.
The President looked up then, and grinned in recognition. It was, he
recalled, Paul Rogers, President of the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

 "Paul! So this is your kid on the runaway sled!" John laughed,
pulling the boy up.

 "Yes, Mr. President, he is. My grandson, Ashley's son. Has his
mother's eyes - and apparently her ability to drive in the snow, too."

  That got laughs from the other adults, as Joey Rogers just sort of blushed.

  "We're just teasin', dun worry," reassured Julius. At that, the boy
smiled hesitantly and nodded, still seemingly starstruck. Then, he
noticed Tim and Alex building their snowman again, and scampered over
to join them, as Luke giave his patented "I'm being IGNOOOOORED over
here! Why are you ignoring me! I'm cute and cuddly! You're supposed to
be paying attention to me and adoring me!" cry.

  Then, as his dad, Uncle Julius, and the new person came over, and
dad picked him up from the stroller, he cooed happily,

  John gave his son a smile, touching his nose with a gloved finger
playfully, then looked to Rogers. "Actually...Once the kids are all
cold, come on back with me. Have an idea for you."

  That got eyebrows raised from the union boss. "Oh?"

  "You'll see."

  Then, John looked over to see Joey building either a snow fort,
or...what was that?

  Then, the boy looked over. "Sir, bring Luke over!"

  John did that, Luke riding on a shoulder.

  "A slide for him."

  John grinned, then looked at Luke. "Hey, Luke? Wanna go on the slide?"

  Luke either smiled at him, or passed gas.

  But he evidently didn't mind being laid on his tummy, or when Joey
pushed him down the "slide".

  Indeed, it got a happy squeal out of him. So they did it again, and
again. Until, finally, Daddy picked him up, put him in the stroller,
and they went home, with Dad pointing out so many things.
---
<The White House>

   Soon enough, the group trooped in from the snow, and the grownups
helped the kids out of their snowsuits.

   The President went off with Luke to change the little guy's diaper,
as Julius and Paul herded the bigger kids into the Game Room on the
Third Floor of the Residence.

   Soon enough, though, POTUS was back: Luke was dry,
freshly-diapered, and placed (in footie PJs) in the playpen, watching
the big kids play on the new Wii2 (just released last Christmas by
Nintendo), as the grownups gathered around a table with coffee.

   "So, what was that idea you mentioned?" Rogers asked, as the kids
played in the background.

   "Well, Joe Paris," the POTUS noted, referring to the Secretary of
Labor, "had mentioned the labor shortage you've been seeing; Way we're
looking at it, it's a commercial issue, a labor issue, and potentially
a national security issue.

   "Now, I know your members don't necessarily like me. Okay. But
insofar as I can help correct that shortage, I plan to.

   "Here's what we're thinking:

   "First, DOL will request appropriations, in a supplemental to FY14
and for FY15. to begin a program advertising the field to college
students and, particularly, high school students.

   "Second, we'll be setting up a clearinghouse and training center
for best-practices in training, to try and standardize training -
it'll be accompanied by a certification system for workers, and an
accreditation system for trade schools. The standard curriculum for
the certification will be decided by a joint board of governors,
composed of representatives from IAM, the National Association of
Manufacturers, and DOL. To prevent a glut, or another shortage, it'll
annually release 5-year forecasts for training - to let the trade
schools plan class sizes, and so forth.

   "Third, along with DOD, DOL is going to start looking at ways to
improve training with technology - things like working in virtual
reality, augmented reality systems, so forth.

   "Fourth, we're going to be putting forth a plan to Congress on tax
credits for training, with extra for training in fields with skill
shortages - your field, nursing, emergency services personnel. We'll
be working with the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Treasury to
get a good credit set up, but also to balance the revenue
implications.

   "What do you think?"

   Rogers looked thoughtful.

   "I like it, personally. I presume you want me to shop it by AFL-CIO?"

   "Yeah, we'll be having Commerce shop it by NAM tomorrow. It's under
embargo til we hear back from all sides, then I'll do the press
conference," Williams stated.

   "Understood."

   And with that, a glance to the playpen, where Luke had started
banging away on a drum and squealing happily like there was no
tomorrow. This got the bigger kids attention, and they'd put down the
Wii to go give him an audience.

  Grins among the grownups.

  "He'll be obsessed with that for a few days, you realize?" Julius
asked with a wink.

   "Yeah," John replied, watching his son figure out that banging
things makes fun noises. "But hey, he's happy. I'll just take two
Advil when it gets to be too much."
---
Actions:
1. DOL to start an ad campaign aimed at college and high school
students (anybody from 13 to 23, basically) for precision
manufacturing careers.
2. Clearinghouse and training center on best practices in apprentice
training to be set up by DOL, as the core of a worker-certification
and trade school accreditation program jointly designed and run by the
IAM (The machinists union), the NAM (Nat'l Assoc. of Manufacturers),
and DOL.
3. DOD and DOL to look into ways to improve training (and production)
rin the trades through the use of virtual reality training, augmented
reality systems, and so forth.
4. Proposed to Congress with other modifications in the tax code to
make it revenue-neutral: A tax credit for training, with extra money
available for training in fields designated by the Department of Labor
and Department of Education as being critically short of skilled
personnel - Machinists, nurses, emergency services workers, etc.