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Government

President Trump fires TVA chair, cites hiring of foreign workers

2020-08-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federally owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump.

The TVA was created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Trump also removed board member Richard Howorth, another presidential appointee.

Trump also urged the TVA board to immediately hire a new chief executive officer who "puts the interests of Americans first." According to the president, the current CEO, Jeff Lyash, earned $8 million a year.

"The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year," said Trump, who lacks the authority to remove the CEO. "We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. ... Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: ’You’re fired.’"

Posted by:Besoeker

#8 Not so sure those foreigners would be "uneducated", but if the "wrong button" it pushed, does it really matter? I guess we are assuming that a foreign button pusher would have inherently more evil intent to push the incorrect button.

Posted by: Clem 2020-08-04 23:33

#7 Do you want uneducated foreigners pushing the wrong button?

Posted by: Canuckistan sniper 2020-08-04 23:26

#6 Do we want uneducated hillbillies pushing the wrong button?

Posted by: Spusomp Grumble2077 2020-08-04 18:12

#5 But Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA doesn’t get any taxpayer money. Commenting on the issue in April, Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation. He said that TVA chief executive officers’ pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation.

Ask me if I care. We don't need foreigners "accidentally" pushing the wrong button.

Posted by: gorb 2020-08-04 13:27

#4 Since part of the TVA's mission is alleviating poverty in the region, hiring foreign workers is a violation of its mission. Paying someone $8 million a year could go into 80 well-paying jobs that would do more to spur economic development than that one person -- especially since they likely don't even live in the area.

Posted by: Rob Crawford 2020-08-04 09:51

#3 ...pre-EPA filing era.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-08-04 08:17

#2 TVA...a relic from the 1930's.

Posted by: Clem 2020-08-04 07:43

#1 Put them on government military pay scales*. The same should have happen at Fanny Mae and Freddie Mae, it was obscene what they gave themselves before and during the 'melt down'.

*General Officer pay is capped at the level of representatives and senators.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-08-04 07:11

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