Never underestimate state attorneys general. They are always learning. And they, including Connecticut's Richard Blumenthal, got it fast that the new bad guys are businesses that close plants.
Today Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies, closed two here in CT, eliminating 1000 jobs. Who rode in with his legal posse has been Blumenthal. He just might wind up saving those jobs. You bet: The local 6:00 P.M. news here did mention that his intervention had previously saved 500 other jobs. This keep-jobs-in-this-state strategy can make state AGs perhaps even more influential and powerful than members of Congress.
The state AG emerged as a force through collective action on tobacco. That cause, both in the national consciousness and in the courts of law, has lost its bloom. The antics of some of the state AGs like Marc Dann [Ohio] and the obvious greed of others such as Jim Hood [Mississippi] temporarily cast a negative shadow on their role that was changing from enforcement to activist. Then there were the situations of excessive zeal for regulating beer laced with coffee.
That's all in the past. When Blumenthal arrived at Dodge, he was clearly framed as a hero. Other state AGs, who aren't already implementing this strategy, will soon be. No question, there will be plenty of opportunities for execution as U.S. business becomes increasingly ready to approach cost-control with manpower cuts.
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