Breaking News: Jonathan Newman resigns!

[KatieLoeb]

The committee seemd to really want to grill the OTHER two PLCB members, Goldsmith and Stapleton, who were both sweating like NY waiters and stammering like Porky Pigs.

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Their answers to the same questions posed to Mr. Newman could be very enlightening. Especially since their "contributions" to the state revenue as a result of their travels remains questionable at best.

[Mano]

The politically motivated negative press and the poor treatment Newman's been receiving by the politico's is further proof that politics is a contact sport.

[MarketStEl]

So is there anywhere where I can find out how the other two commissioners performed on the hot seat? Is PCN (Comcast Digital South Philly/Center City: Channel 186) re-airing the hearings at any time?

Something tells me that I'm not going to see anything about this in the Inquirer given what the paper has chosen to focus on thus far.

[Rich Pawlak]

So is there anywhere where I can find out how the other two commissioners performed on the hot seat?  Is PCN (Comcast Digital South Philly/Center City: Channel 186) re-airing the hearings at any time?

Something tells me that I'm not going to see anything about this in the Inquirer given what the paper has chosen to focus on thus far.

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You can check the schedules on www.pcntv.com which is where I actually watched the testimony.

[percyn]

I would like to point out that the $47,188 in travel was from "Between 2004 and the end of last year" (2006). So that's really over 2 yrs, which would equate to les than $23,594 per year. For the private sector, that is very reasonable, even for a job which requires much less travel.

A typical C-level exec in of a fortune 500 company would not even fly commercial and charter jets at $2500/hr.

Edited January 29, 2007 by percyn (log)

[MarketStEl]

I would like to point out that the $47,188 in travel was from "Between 2004 and the end of last year" (2006). So that's really over 2 yrs, which would equate to les than $23,594 per year. For the private sector, that is very reasonable, even for a job which requires much less travel.

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(emphasis added)

What we consider reasonable for the private sector is often considered extravagant when public servants do it.

This attitude doesn't always make sense, and this appears to be one of those instances where it doesn't indeed. (Certainly, if even the budget hotels in Napa County are pricey, then slamming Chairman Newman for spending lots of money on hotel rooms in Napa is unfair, although one could still chide him for booking a room in the fancier hotel rather than the budget one.) And in a sense it's unfair to those who choose public service as a career. But people who do so--just like people who go into the nonprofit sector--do so, or ought to do so, knowing that there won't be the level of renumeration or perks that some private businesses may offer.

Edited to add: Even so, $23,000 per year on business travel doesn't strike me as all that outrageous either.

Edited January 29, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[KatieLoeb]

My earlier example of the travel expenses for the head wine buyer at a large wine outlet like Total Wine is probably a bad example, in retrospect. Actually a buyer for a private retail outlet could just sit on his ass behind a desk and wait for all the wine reps to bring him samples of stuff, so other than attending regional tasting events (also sponsored by those same wine salespeople) he wouldn't have to travel much at all.

Since I understand how the workings of the PLCB go from my days of ordering the wine for restaurants I'll see if I can explain this better. The SLO (Special Liquor Order) products are warehoused by the various wine and spirits purveyors that represent those products. The "Listed" products are those which must be on the shelf in every one of the 600+ stores in the Commonwealth from Philly to Pittsburgh and are effectively the State's inventory. "Specialty" products are those which are purchased by the state in limited quantities and appear on the shelves at the "Specialty" and Outlet stores like the 12th & Chestnut Street store in downtown Philly or the Outlet stores on Delaware Avenue or at Franklin Mills Mall. These are the items that Mr. Newman was giving his most personal attention and expertise to. There were no salespeople that would come calling and begging him to place an order for 800 cases of Burgess Cabernet. They wouldn't have that at their disposal even if in their dreams he could place such an order with them. These were deals he worked out on his own. And he went directly to the source to do that. These trips he made to Napa and Italy and France were direct negotiations with the wineries. That's how he could cut those amazing deals and pass along the savings to us lowly consumers. It costs money to fly the plane to wherever and then to stay there for a week as well as feed oneself or possibly entertain the winery owners or directors of sales. The amount of money that was spent to secure that inventory and the HUGE profits that came from the sale of it is a pittance. By anyone's standards. This is a complete non-story and the Inquirer should check with their legal department on the definitions of libel and defamation.

I can't wait for someone to uncover the nefarious dealings that went into that "news" story. If anyone has checked back to the article the comments are overwhelmingly in favor of Mr. Newman and his accomplishments and display a high level of public disgust with the politics.

So has anyone figured out yet whom we direct our outrage toward to continue the hearings and get some real digging happening? How about the other members of the LCB board? What about their travel expenses? What about the Governor's travel expenses? Who do we send our signatures to?

[philadining]

So, given the outrage about Newman's travel habits, should we expect that the powers that be will give us some assurances that Conti will stay exclusively ay Motel 6 and eat only at Denny's while on business for the PLCB?

[Andrew Fenton]

So, given the outrage about Newman's travel habits, should we expect that the powers that be will  give us some assurances that Conti will stay exclusively ay Motel 6 and eat only at Denny's while on business for the PLCB?

Lord, I hope so. I've been trying for years to find a wine to pair with Moons Over My Hammy.

[Phila-Foodie]

So is there anywhere where I can find out how the other two commissioners performed on the hot seat?  Is PCN (Comcast Digital South Philly/Center City: Channel 186) re-airing the hearings at any time?

Something tells me that I'm not going to see anything about this in the Inquirer given what the paper has chosen to focus on thus far.

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You can check the schedules on www.pcntv.com which is where I actually watched the testimony.

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I put direct links to the hearing testimony on my blog last week. You can find them here:

http://philafoodie.blogspot.com/2007/01/pe...nd-justice.html

[KatieLoeb]

We can try and write to Senator John Rafferty who is Chairman of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, and express our desire for a more thorough examination of the process of hiring the new CEO. I think if there's a groundswell of outrage, the questions might get a bit more specific.

[Jeff L]

Bumping this thread up, in today's Bucks County Courier Times, Conti speaks to PA House lawmakers publicly for the first time.

He was "bubbling" about his new position. Who wouldn't be?

The article goes on to say he will make changes to better brand the 633 stores, distinguishing the premium stores from the non-premium ones. He plans to slash advertising, especially the Chairman's program which will be kept, but the $2 million ad budget will disappear.

Conti says the program is popular in eastern PA but accounts for less than 2% of sales statewide.

I guess time does heal all wounds...Stay tuned.

[MarketStEl]

[...]The article goes on to say he will make changes to better brand the 633 stores, distinguishing the premium stores from the non-premium ones. He plans to slash advertising, especially the Chairman's program which will be kept,  but the $2 million ad budget will disappear.

Conti says the program is popular in eastern PA but accounts for less than 2% of sales statewide.

I guess time does heal all wounds...Stay tuned.

(emphasis added)

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Recall earlier comments of mine to the effect that the PLCB is a big issue only in the Southeast?

I think this backs up my point. (Although he did say "eastern Pennsylvania." I would be interested to see a breakdown of sales at Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania stores for "Chairman's Selections." I'll wager that the lion's share of sales volume for this program comes from the Southeast, and that it is probably as much as or greater than sales for the other two eastern regions combined.)

[JanMcBaker]

The article goes on to say he will make changes to better brand the 633 stores, distinguishing the premium stores from the non-premium ones. He plans to slash advertising, especially the Chairman's program which will be kept,  but the $2 million ad budget will disappear.

I guess time does heal all wounds...Stay tuned.

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And I wonder where that $2 million's going to go-- if allocated money works the same with the state as I think it does on the federal level, then they gotta use it or lose it.

[wkl]

"And I wonder where that $2 million's going to go..."

2005 white and red burgundy would be a good start!

[KatieLoeb]

At least part of it is going to Conti's six figure salary...

[Mano]

Bumping this thread up, in today's Bucks County Courier Times, Conti speaks to PA House lawmakers publicly for the first time.

He plans to slash advertising, especially the Chairman's program which will be kept,  but the $2 million ad budget will disappear.

Conti says the program is popular in eastern PA but accounts for less than 2% of sales statewide.

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Of all the stats for Conti to mention...

My guess is that Newman was spending far more than 2% (20%?) of his time on the Chairman's program and that the $2 million advertising budget was mostly for that program.

The article also said that following the practice of supermarkets, products will be placed on shelves according to popularity as opposed to the current practice of placing higher priced items at eye level.

I don't blame the LCB for wanting to increase revenue, and it makes sense that high volume sales of lower priced items account for most of the profit. I just don't want the shift in focus to be at the expense of the Chairman's Selections.

No reason we can't have both.

Edited March 1, 2007 by Mano (log)

[MarketStEl]

Wonder if there are any stats on traffic or changes in sales volume at State Stores in the Southeast?

If that $2 million ad budget can be shown to have measurably increased traffic or sales or both in the region where the Chairman's Selection program has had the most impact, it might suggest that that $2 million was money well spent -- especially if the increased revenue generated thereby exceeded the amount spent on ads.

But that would mean that the PLCB was being run like a business, which would be curious to learn such things. It seems here that the only thing current PLCB management is interested in is discrediting the board's former chairman, or at minimum diminishing or dissing his accomplishments.

If it weren't for the fact that the PLCB does generate serious revenue for the Commonwealth, I'd say that this resembled academic politics, of which it has been said that they are so vicious because the stakes are so low. There seems to be plenty of petty behavior going on here.