Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Built in 1928, abandoned in 2000, and meticulously disassembled in 2016, the Loblaws Groceterias warehouse at Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West in Downtown Toronto is soon to be reborn in both the figurative and literal sense as part of Choice Properties'West Block Est. 1928retail and office complex. Four years after the building's brick-by-brick disassembly and cataloguing, a process overseen by heritage expertsERA Architects,the rebuilt and expanded buildingincluding anarchitectsAlliance-designed office structure atop the reconstructed heritage facadesis now preparing to welcome its first tenants.

Looking northeast to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Among the businesses set to populate the retail space is namesake grocery store Loblaws, who are just days away from opening their new flagship at this location. Signage for Shoppers Drug Mart has also appeared in recent weeks, while clothing retailer Joe Fresh is also gearing upto open its doors in the building.

Looking northwest to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The completed reconstitution of the exterior walls includes restored brick and limestone finishes(which we covered in greater detail in anearlier article covering the project).Another more recent detail that has added to the overall aesthetic is the addition of medallion motif window blinds on the second and third floors of the reconstituted warehouse, prominent along the main Lake Shore Boulevard elevation.

Looking north to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Loblaws will occupy 4,000 ft of the ground floor, while Shoppers will occupy 12,000 ft, and Joe Fresh6,400 ft. Loblaws is taking the entire 45,000 ft footprint of the second floor, along with a 1,650 ft mezzanine above. In total, there is 101,378 ftof retail and 160,989 ft of office space at the site. Along the ground floor's Lake Shore Boulevard frontage,smaller spaces are set to include a 1,400 ft cafe and an 1,800 ft office lobby.

Meanwhile,thetwoIBI Group-designed condo towers developed byConcord Adexto the north are also wrapping up construction. Known asThe LakeFront and The LakeShore, the 37 and 41-storey towers are now welcoming their first residents, evidenced by a sign along Bathurst directing residents to a pickup location for their suite keys.While the towers are practically complete, work continues on various elements at the base of the towers, including a two-storey restaurant space set to front Bathurst Street in the base of the west condo tower.

Looking east across Bathurst Street to condo towers, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Other finishesare beling applied to other retail spacesalong Bathurst andbelow the Gardiner Expressway in a couple of standalone buildings, with a group of four commercial retail units sized at 913 ft, 1,653 ft, 7,599 ft, and 8,858 ft.

Panorama looking northeast from condo drive aisle, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Martare currently aiming for an August 28 opening.

Additional information about this development can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to join the conversation? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insiderhere.

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Loblaws About to Return to West Block Retail, Office, and Residential Complex - Urban Toronto

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The husband and wife couple behind HGTV series Stay or Sellhave sold their Edina home, but won't be moving too far away.

Heather and Brad Fox announced to their Facebook followers this past week that their $1.25 million home on Dawson Lane was on the market.

It didn't stay on the market for long either, with Heather Fox confirming to BMTN that it has since been sold to a "very sweet fam!"

The couple have made a name for themselves and risen to national prominence for their stylish home remodels in the Twin Cities, having transformed what was a rambler on Dawson Lane into the 4,035-square-feet two story family home after buying it in 2016.

The five-bedroom house was finished with custom walnut cabinets, Cambria quartz countertops and a walk-in pantry in the kitchen, an open staircase with oak slab stairs, an office, and a children's playroom.

Now they've got their sights on another labor of love, having bought "another project house" just a few blocks away on Lake Cornelia.

Heather says selling their home is "bittersweet," with work on their new one expected to take up to a year.

It's been a busy year for the Foxes despite the pandemic, having also opened their studio and lifestyle shop, Foxwell, at 44th and France in Edina.

The pair are also hoping to return to HGTV screens soon, though the virus has delayed a potential second series of Stay or Sell.

Buying or selling? Find a realtor using BMTN's directory

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Gallery: HGTV stars Heather and Brad Fox sell their $1.25M Edina home - Bring Me The News

Countertop Microwaves Market Trends, In-Depth Research on Market Size, Emerging Growth Factors, Global 2020 Trends and Forecasts 2025

The Countertop MicrowavesMarket report is one of the most comprehensive and important dataabout business strategies, qualitative and quantitative analysis of Global Market.It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the Countertop Microwavesmarket. The market analysts authoring this report have provided in-depth information on leading growth drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, and opportunities to offer a complete analysis of the Countertop Microwavesmarket.

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Top Leading players covered in the Countertop Microwaves market report: GE, Sharp, Whirlpool, Magic Chef, Panasonic, Oster, Danby, Westinghouse, RCA, Frigidaire, Avanti, LG Electronics, Farberware, KitchenAid, Samsung, Nostalgia Electrics, Impecca, Sunbeam, Summit, Cuisinart and More

Key Types:Single DeckDouble Deck

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Huge Growth of Countertop Microwaves Market and its Latest Trends, Demand, Opportunities and Forecast to 2025|GE, Sharp, Whirlpool, Magic Chef,...

Nashville Tennessean Published 5:00 a.m. CT Aug. 24, 2020

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5641 Cloverland Park Drive, Brentwood 37027

Year built: 2002

Square feet: 3,735

Price: $599,000

Description: Four-bedroom, four-bathroom brick home is on one level with full walk-out basement. Home has lower level office, open floor plan, storage areas in unfinished portion of basement.Home has screened deck and patio.

5641 Cloverland Park Drive, Brentwood 37027(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/5641-cloverland-park-dr-brentwood-tn-37027/id-600027828587/

GET THE LATEST UPDATES:Download the free Tennessean app on your mobile device.

5468 Old Hwy. 96, Franklin 37064

Year built: 2006

Square feet: 2,000

Price: $599,000

Description: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is on 1.3 acres and less than 1.5 miles to downtown Leipers Fork. Home has new kitchen, both bathrooms, new hardwood floors on main floor, new carpet upstairs, new deck. Master bedroom is downstairs, and two bedrooms are upstairs. Home has French drain and encapsulated crawlspace.

5468 Old Hwy. 96, Franklin 37064(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/5468-old-96-franklin-tn-37064/id-1000081680759/

1006 Harwick Drive, Franklin 37067

Year built: 2004

Square feet: 4,169

Price: $599,000

Description: Four-bedroom, four-bathroom brick home in Providence subdivision has open floor plan, new roof and gutters, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and new light fixtures. Home has screened patio and fence in back.

1006 Harwick Drive, Franklin 37067(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/1006-harwick-dr-franklin-tn-37067/id-600029298811/

Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/brentwood/2020/08/24/homes-what-599-000-can-buy-williamson-county/5618068002/

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Homes: What $599,000 can buy in Williamson County - Tennessean

There are many options for remodeling your home, from a light remodel such as painting and new flooring, to a major remodel that adds living space. Since the home is the largest investment most people will ever make, it is smart to know where to spend your money. And, since the kitchen is the heart of the home, its no surprise that the kitchen is just the place to begin.

The REALTOR ranking of interior projects most likely to add value lists these top three items:

So, a kitchen remodel, from total to partial, accounts for two of the top three ways to add value to your home!

According to Remodeling Magazines 2019 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners recoup approximately 60% to 80% of their costs on a kitchen remodel upon resale. In a hot real estate market like we currently have in Middle Tennessee, you may see an even higher return as long as the remodel is tasteful and on-trend.

If you are considering a partial remodel, dont make the mistake of adding new appliances or countertops to low quality cabinets. Its like putting lipstick on a pig, and you know what they say about that! Just as your home has a foundation for the structure to be built on, the cabinetry is the foundation of your kitchen. Dont scrimp and throw good money after bad by updating everything but old, low quality cabinetry. This will not add value to your home. A potential buyer can even be turned off by the thought of having to rip out new counters placed on old cabinetry.

If your existing cabinetry is high quality and you like the layout, you might suffice with a refresh of new hardware and countertops. Along with painting the walls, these items could yield good results, adding potential value.

We find many older kitchens are low on function and aesthetics. So, a complete remodel would not only yield the highest return on resale, but can also become an investment in the enjoyment of your home. This is really the main motivation to remodel a kitchen in the first place!

Contact Frenchs Cabinet Gallery, LLC to begin the process. Call now to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced designers: 615-371-8385.

Have a question for Frenchs Cabinet Gallery,LLC? Fill out the form below:

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Adding Value To Your Home Through A Kitchen Remodel - rutherfordsource.com

Bidens White House and his Cabinet would likely lean on his connections from the Obama administration, including institutionalists who are palatable to centrist Democrats. But in the same way Biden shifted left on policy in recent months in response to the pandemic, he is also taking advice from the progressive wing of the party.

Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats familiar with his transition process describe an effort by his campaign to assemble a center-left amalgamation of personnel designed to prioritize speed over ideology in responding to the coronavirus and the resulting economic ruin. Think Susan Rice, but also Elizabeth Warren. Pete Buttigieg, but also Karen Bass.

I think those [ideological] distinctions are going to be a little hard to draw in this administration, said Matt Bennett, whose center-left group Third Way, like others, is developing lists of candidates to propose to Bidens advisers for sub-Cabinet and other roles.

One Democratic strategist familiar with Bidens work to form a government said, Does it mean that the chief of staff wont be [longtime Biden advisers] Ron Klain or Steve Ricchetti or something? No, but it does mean youre going to see some unusual suspects in the government, I think.

Among those advising Biden on the transition are centrist-minded establishment figures such as Tony Blinken, the former deputy national security adviser in the Obama-Biden White House, and Lawrence Summers, the ex-Treasury secretary and bane of progressives who said last week that he will not go into the administration. Ricchetti, Bidens former chief of staff, is a former lobbyist.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. | Samuel Corum/Getty Images

But Biden is also taking economic advice from Warren, Democrats familiar with the campaign say. She is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. It did not go unnoticed when Biden in April called corporate America greedy as hell. He has also proposed raising the corporate tax rate.

And progressives have been heartened by the composition of his transition team. Headed by former Sen. Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden adviser and Bidens successor in the Senate, it includes Julie Siegel, who has been a top Warren adviser, and Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"I think this is about getting seasoned people that are really qualified to do the job. People with experience, people that are smart as hell and people that reflect America," Kaufman said in an interview. A lot of this isnt about ideology or anything else. Its totally about what do you do with the incredible hollowing out that Trump has done ... so many of the agencies just are empty, the career people have left.

"Youre going to be walking into a very difficult situation, and a lot of its going to be blocking and tackling.

One name often mentioned as a potential secretary of State is Rice, who was Obamas national security adviser and made Biden's short list for vice president. Blinken is often mentioned as a potential national security adviser.

Tony Blinken is often mentioned as a potential pick for national security adviser. | Getty Images

Warrens potential selection for Treasury could depend in part on the balance of the Senate after the November election. If she steps down, her states Republican governor, Charlie Baker, would appoint her replacement a Republican, presumably until a special election. But there are workarounds.

A veteran Democratic strategist close to Bidens transition team said that if Warren wants a post, she is definitely in the Cabinet. And even if she isnt, she's likely to influence Bidens thinking.

Elsewhere in the Cabinet, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who endorsed Biden in early January and served on his vice presidential selection committee, is a likely candidate for transportation or Housing and Urban Development, among other possible positions. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), another finalist for vice president, could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham comes up a lot in Cabinet talks, according to one former Biden adviser who remains in contact with Biden campaign officials. Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor and presidential contender, is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. And Jared Bernstein, a longtime economic adviser to Biden, is frequently mentioned as a potential chair of Bidens Council of Economic Advisors. Bernstein was among the administration veterans and academics who gave Biden and Harris an economic briefing last week.

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Discussing the kind of leaders he wants to surround himself with at an event in April, Biden said his job is to bring the Mayor Petes of the world into this administration and even if they don't come in, their ideas come into this administration.

He has left open the possibility of including a Republican in the Cabinet and is considering adding a climate-focused position.

I think he will govern like [Bill] Clinton in terms of consensus-building, but he will be surrounded by a lot of Obama people, said former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in the Clinton administration as energy secretary and ambassador to the U.N. I believe he will have a free reign for six months, and then if there isnt major, positive change, you know, the fractures in the party will start showing.

The health and economic wreckage from the pandemic has changed Bidens outlook on the presidency and his preparations for a potential administration. Seeing the immediate, post-Trump era in more transformational terms than he did before, he has adopted a more expansive legislative agenda, including more robust college affordability, bankruptcy and Social Security plans. He has significantly expanded his proposal to address climate change, proposing to spend $2 trillion over four years on a suite of programs.

Bidens advisers are preparing for the opening months of his administration almost as a rescue mission, with contingencies to address the coronavirus based on how severe it remains and on whether a vaccine is available.

Rep. Karen Bass could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Between Covid-19, what Trumps done and the economy, this is going to be a totally different transition because of that. Its just going to be very, very difficult," Kaufman said.

However, he added, When [Biden] shows up on the first day, hes not going to need to be told where the Situation Room is. Hes been in the Situation Room for hundreds of hours. So hes going to come in as the most experienced and qualified person in terms of federal experience of anybody in the history of the country.

The prospects of Bidens legislative agenda would rest heavily on whether Democrats win the Senate. Just as Biden is preparing to populate the executive branch, he is laying groundwork to move legislation. Biden speaks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and their staffs are in regular contact.

Last month, Biden signaled an openness to ending the 60-vote filibuster rule, a practice President Barack Obama recently called a Jim Crow relic.

The filibuster is gone, said Harry Reid, the influential former Senate majority leader and a friend of Biden. Its not a question of if, its a question of when its going to go Next year at this time, it will be gone.

The filibuster is gone."

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

When asked what changed Bidens thinking about the filibuster, Reid said, I dont know. I talked to him and Ricchetti about it. Maybe that helped a little bit. I think, just basically, pragmatism if hes going to get anything done as president, [the filibuster] has got to go.

Biden campaign advisers say he considers his Build Back Better agenda a package that can get broad buy-in, not a legislative starting point. Jake Sullivan, a former top State Department official and a senior adviser to Biden, said that as he formulates his legislative agenda, Biden is being attentive to how you construct a bold, integrated agenda that can also attract a big tent coalition of support.

And Stef Feldman, the Biden campaigns policy director, said that in addition to Biden's legislative experience, he "also knows how to move the levers of government in the executive branch.

Brown, who would likely become chairman of the Senate banking committee if Democrats win the Senate, said it is not Biden "moving to the left," but "Biden, and all of us around him, recognizing this is going to be a very consequential presidency."

The fear among some progressives is that Bidens relationships and penchant for compromise may serve to water down the Democratic agenda. Larry Cohen, the former Communications Workers of America president who now chairs the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution, said the inclusion of progressives on Bidens transition team is the reason Im hopeful about a Biden administration.

Invoking Bidens frequent references to FDR, Robert Reich, the Clinton-era Labor secretary, recalled that Roosevelt initially was certainly not thought of as somebody on the left. At first, he placed trust in the nations financial institutions, pursuing a working relationship with both populists and business interests early in his administration.

It was only after businesses balked and the relationship deteriorated that Roosevelt changed course.

Then and now, Reich sad, America was ready and willing and eager to try almost anything.

The country will get behind Joe Biden, I think, in very powerful and important ways, Reich said, adding that Biden has the opportunity to be a transformative president Its almost entirely a function of the times.

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Biden is already forming a government. Here's what his Cabinet could look like. - POLITICO

NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) IFB #20-006 NVMHI Fire Alarm Replacement DBHDS PC No.: 720-10880-28-08 DEB Permit Code: 720-A9720-003 Sealed bids are invited for the construction of NVMHI Fire Alarm Replacement at 3302 Gallows Road in Falls Church, VA. The project is generally described as a 100% complete fire alarm system replacement throughout the building including but not limited to associated uninterruptible power supply and surge protection systems, equipment racks, enclosures, wiring, cables, devices, and programming. All conduits and components of the fire alarm system to be recessed unless otherwise noted. All locations where existing devices are removed and not replaced shall be patched and painted to match existing. The facility is a 24/7/365 mental health facility. All access shall be approved by the Owner beforehand. Contractor to follow the facility's procedures for health, fire evacuation, COVID-19 testing, storage areas, and Contractor parking. All work areas shall be approved by the Owner each day. The Contractor is responsible for protecting equipment and materials at all times. Any work area shall be cleaned prior to leaving the area at any time. The Contractor shall take direction from the security officers and staff during events. Sealed bids will be received at the Office of Architectural and Engineering Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), Commonwealth of Virginia, 1220 Bank Street, 7th Floor, Jefferson Building, Richmond, VA 23219. The deadline for submitting bids is 2:00 P.M. sharp, as determined by the Bid Officer, on September 8th, 2020. The bids will be opened publicly and read aloud beginning at 2:00 P.M., on September 9th, 2020, at the same location. A Bid Bond is required. eVA Vendor Registration: The bidder or offeror shall be a registered vendor in eVA. Procedures for submitting a bid, claiming an error, withdrawal of bids and other pertinent information are contained in the Instructions to Bidders, which is part of the Invitation for Bids. Withdrawal due to error in bid shall be permitted in accord with Section 9 of the Instructions to Bidders and 2.2-4330, Code of Virginia. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids. A pre-bid conference will be held at the NVMHI at 2:00 P.M., on August 27th, 2020. Attendance is mandatory for those submitting a bid. Bidders are asked to meet outside at the main visitor's entrance. To maintain social distancing, the meeting will either be held outside or in the NVMHI gym. All participants are asked to show up wearing adequate Personal Protection Equipment (masks). The contract shall be awarded on a lump sum basis as follows: The Total Base Bid Amount including any properly submitted and received bid modifications plus such successive Additive Bid Items as the Owner in its discretion decides to award in the manner set forth in Paragraph 12 of the Instructions to Bidders. 'Notice of Award' or 'Notice of Intent to Award' will be posted on eVA, Virginia Department of General Services' central electronic procurement website, at https://eva.virginia.gov. Contractor registration is required in accordance with Section 54.1-1103 of the Code of Virginia. See the Invitation for Bids for additional qualification requirements. Under Executive Order 20, July 22, 2014, Cabinet Secretaries and all executive branch agencies are directed to continue and advance the following on a race and gender neutral basis: Exceed a target goal of 42% of discretionary spending with small businesses certified by DSBSD Drawings, Specifications and Invitation for Bid documents are available in electronic format and will be obtained by contacting Cole & Denny Architects. Louis Barbieri (lbarbieri@coleanddenny.com) or Brett Weiglein (bweiglein@coleanddenny.com) will be the contacts for the electronic files and will coordinate the distribution to all requesting contractors.

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VIRGINA DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BIDS: TEXTURIZING KITCHEN MODIFICATIONS, PIEDMONT...

N.W.T. MLAs sat Monday in an emergency session of the legislature after a cabinet minister was stripped of her portfolios in a surprise shuffle last week.

Katrina Nokleby, formerly minister of infrastructure and of industry, tourism, and investment, will face a vote Wednesday on whether she should remain in cabinet.

Premier Caroline Cochrane sought the unanimous consent of the assembly to fast-track discussion of a motion to remove Nokleby from cabinet, but was stymied by Nokleby's single vote against.

MLAs will sit again on Tuesday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. But because two-days notice must be given for motions, a vote on Nokleby's future will not be held until Wednesday afternoon.

In the consensus system of government, all 19 MLAs select the members of cabinet, who are then assigned their portfolios by the premier.

Nokleby currently sits with cabinet as a minister without a portfolio, after Cochrane issued a surprise statement Wednesday saying she no longer had "confidence in the minister and her ability to fulfil her responsibilities."

Cochrane last publicly expressed "complete confidence" in Nokleby on May 29.

Few regular MLAs have offered any public statements about the shuffle, and none have granted interviews with media.

The premier has also repeatedly denied CBC's requests for interviews.

Instead, on Friday, Cochrane posted a five-minute video to a Facebook page with600 followers in which she said she was "reluctant" to offer her reasoningout of "respect for conversations held in confidence."

Nokleby's departments have been the subject of intense criticism from Indigenous governments who say the territory's procurement process is broken, and from tourism operators who accuse her department of unreasonable delays.

She has also been accused of taking a combative tone in discussions with fellow MLAs, according to NNSL.

But in the wake of Wednesday's statement, industry leaders have lined up to voice their surprise at the premier's move, telling Cabin Radio they had few issues with Nokleby's performance.

Late Saturday, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reillyjoined the list of MLAs breaking silence over Facebook about the decision.

In a lengthy post, O'Reillycalled the revocation of a minister's appointment an "awkward and uncomfortable process," and said MLAs "collectively have not done a very good job in explaining how the Legislative Assembly actually works."

His post struck a different tone from Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson and Kam Lake MLA Caitlin Cleveland, who criticized the premier for providing little notice of her decision.

The decision "was conveyed in a timely manner ... and there was a meeting to discuss this move," O'Reilly's post reads. "The Premier explained the decision ... and there was an opportunity to ask questions."

"I thank the premier for taking my concerns seriously and taking decisive action," it concludes.

O'Reilly could not be reached for comment.

O'Reilly is one of four Yellowknife MLAs well-positioned to replace Nokleby in cabinet.

Historical convention holds that two cabinet members are drawn from northern ridings, two from southern ridings, and two from Yellowknife.

If convention held, O'Reilly, Cleveland, and Johnson would all be eligible, as well asYellowknife Centre's Julie Green.

Of those four, only Johnson has ruled out a bid for a cabinet seat.

Selecting Nokleby's replacement, should she be voted out, will require more sittings, during which candidates for her seat in cabinet will present their case to MLAs and a winner will be decided in a secret ballot.

According to a release from the assembly, the emergency session is expected to conclude bySept. 1.

Continued here:
Move to fast-track N.W.T. minister's exit stymied by her single 'nay' vote - CBC.ca

With Gavin Williamson facing no repercussions over the exams algorithm shambles, Alex Andreou argues that the more incompetent a minister is, the more likely they are to do well under this administration

It is supremely ironic for this Government to be so preoccupied with the spectre of unmerited qualifications. For never has a group of such ill-qualified individuals held such high office. Anyone dismissing the dangers of grade inflation needs to look at the current Cabinet as its consequence.

A clear pattern is beginning to form. Whenever there is a major fiasco necessitating a U-turn, three things happen: Boris Johnson disappears, the minister involved stays put, a proxy is blamed. In time, Downing Street will announce that it considers the matter closed.

And so it is with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the exams scandal.

The convention of individual ministerial responsibility the notion that if things go horribly wrong in your department, on your watch, you walk collapsed long ago. Lord Carrington was the last to do the honourable thing in 1982 (with the possible exception of Estelle Morris in 2002, paradoxically over an A Level marking snafu, much more anodyne than Williamsons). But at least ministers usually have the decency to make a case for why this was an administrative, rather than a policy, mistake.

These ministers are sandbags of incompetence, keeping at bay a rising tide of moral outrage. Why would those at the top kick them over?

Weve had no such explanation from Williamson. Asked again and again by interviewers whether he had offered his resignation or even considered his position, he did a Blackadder-trying-to-avoid-the-order-to-advance impersonation. Sorry, Sir? Bad line. Schnell, schnell, kartoffeln!

What has been more surprising is how poorly the affair was judged politically. It was instantly obvious, from the moment Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon walked into a press conference and told assembled journalists that using an algorithm had been the wrong thing to do, that Downing Streets position was untenable and a U-turn inevitable. This has, after all, been a Government of U-turns three of them within Williamsons brief.

Yet he opted to carry on blithely for days, allowing the wrong grades to be issued, resulting in a university admissions nightmare, before he appeared on our television sets saying how sorry he was, but blaming everyone except himself. The decision to dig his heels in wasnt Ofquals judgement and it wasnt a civil servants advice it was him.

Then there was Williamsons claim that the first he knew of the problems with the algorithm was last weekend. Indisputable evidence emerged that he was warned of precisely the risks which materialised six weeks ago by a top civil servant and had a meeting to discuss them.

So the question becomes: what will it take for Boris Johnson to sack someone?

Part of the problem is a complete lack of moral authority at the top. How can an administration installed in part by nefarious donations sack Robert Jenrick for doing favours to a donor? How can Johnson fired twice for lying sack anyone for being less than truthful? How can Dominic Cummings who drove up and down the country during lockdown force anyone to resign for breaking the rules?

These ministers are sandbags of incompetence, keeping at bay a rising tide of moral outrage. Why would those at the top kick them over? The tide will only start lapping at their incompetent ankles. They are a serpentine series of dominoes, each frantically supporting the tile ahead, because they know what happens if it falls.

The other part of the problem is that Johnson cannot sack someone for reasons they werent hired. Integrity and competence were never part of the brief when it comes to Williamson, who was fired by Theresa May for leaking information from the National Security Council. Liz Truss, one of the most perplexingly over-promoted choices, has taken to deleting trade meetings from the register, as personal.

Rishi Sunak is much more likely to be squeezed out for being too good than Gavin Williamson, for being unremittingly awful.

Priti Patel was elevated to one of the great offices of state, after being sacked by May, for having a series of unofficial business meetings with Israeli officials and misleading the then Prime Minister about them. When her most senior civil servant left the department over her alleged bullying, nobody batted an eyelid. Even Liam Fox, who quit David Camerons Cabinet in disgrace, is making a comeback as the UKs preferred candidate to take over as head of the World Trade Organisation.

The only incentive to sack a Cabinet member is a genuine belief that a replacement will improve the overall quality of the decision-making group. In a Cabinet of nincompoops, headed by a shyster, sacking one less-than-ideal minister, simply advances the next less-than-ideal minister into the crosshairs. A minister knows full well that they need only wait a couple of days before another minister does something outrageous and they are off the hook.

Three criteria appear relevant for Cabinet eligibility: blind loyalty to the Brexit cause, complete obedience to Cummings, and not being seen as a potential rival to Johnson.

The only prominent Cabinet member forced to resign was the Chancellor Sajid Javid because he had a high profile and wanted to retain a level of independence. On this calculation, Rishi Sunak is much more likely to be squeezed out for being too good than Gavin Williamson, for being unremittingly awful.

Anger and resistance has been built into the calculation. I must have heard surely, Williamson has to go a hundred times over the past week. There is no more surely with this Government. It is Government by trolling. The angrier we get at it, the more convinced it becomes of its success.

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Boris Johnson's Cabinet of No Talents is Doing the Job it was Hired To Do - Byline Times

The Republicans were supposed to be rallying at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, about now, and Gov. Ron DeSantis was going to ensure that schools across the state reopened in response to President Donald Trumps all-caps tweets.

Instead, Trump is expected to give his acceptance speech for the semi-virtual Republican National Convention from the Oval Office. Some official convention proceedings will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. And DeSantis is battling in court with the Florida teachers union over his reopening mandate.

One thing thats not changing, however, is Trumps steady drumbeat for private school choice a platform that includes his administrations freedom scholarships proposal and a Republican relief bill, the School Choice Now Act, that would provide emergency funding for state-level scholarship organizations. Such policies have proved irresistible to his base, but they havent garnered much support in Congress.

I think they are going to try to really key in on private school scholarships and vouchers and their vision of the choice agenda, said Danny Carlson, the director of policy and advocacy for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Elections are about a lot of things, but theyre really about getting out your base.

School choice is half of the education section in a proposed second-term agenda Trump unveiled Sunday, along with teach American exceptionalism. Carlson predicted that Trump will likely remind people of the win in the Espinoza case, referring to the U.S. Supreme Courts June decision overturning a Montana rule that excluded religious schools from a tax-credit scholarship program.

The inclusion of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., on the RNC agenda could suggest the campaign wants to hammer on Trumps push for tax-credit-funded scholarships. Scott is co-sponsoring the school choice bill with Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander. The organizations would provide scholarships for private schools as well as to families that want to homeschool a segment of voters that could be growing because of frustrations over school reopening.

Trump will make daily appearances. To the extent he addresses education, observers dont expect him to stray from his recent positions on reopening schools and increasing private school choice.

Id like to see the money follow the student, Trump said Aug. 12 at his second White House event urging schools to reopen. Were having a hard time with the Democrats. They want the money to follow the union.

The U.S. Department of Education also followed up last week with a webinar titled School Choice During COVID-19 and the Impact on Families as Schools Reopen, which featured a school choice advocate in Ohio, a family participating in the federally funded D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and the leader of a Christian school in Richmond, Virginia.

Kellyanne Conway, Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump at the Kids First: Getting Americas Children Safely Back to School event. (Official White House Photo by Delano Scott)

State of polarization

There are some signs that pandemic desperation has made some of the administrations core education priorities more palatable to many who would not have embraced them prior to the coronavirus. Families who probably never viewed themselves as potential homeschoolers are among those breaking away from their school districts or teaming up with other families to form homeschool pods.

Recent polling from organizations albeit those that support school choice show increasing interest in homeschooling among Black and Hispanic families. A RealClear Opinion Research survey of more than 600 parents in May showed that almost 41 percent said they would be more likely to homeschool after the lockdowns, with half of Black parents and more than a third of Hispanic parents giving that response. In addition, a June survey from EdChoice and Morning Consult showed that more than 60 percent of 557 parents said they feel somewhat or much more favorable toward homeschooling since the outbreak of the virus.

For families suddenly embracing school choice or homeschooling, his message about funding following students probably resonates, said Rick Hess, an education policy expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. In addition, for those parents eager to get their children back in school, Trumps big megaphone on school reopening has offered a counterargument to the unions position that its not safe to return to in-person classes, he said.

If Trump gains some points among minority voters over school choice issues, he might lose their support over the reopening issue. Only a fifth of Black voters support a return to in-person learning for students and teachers before a vaccine is available, according to new polling data from Education Reform Now Advocacy, a project of Democrats for Education Reform.

Trump is out of step with the desires of Black voters and, more importantly, is jeopardizing the health of students and teachers, said Shavar Jeffries, president of the reform group.

Hess added that Trump might have swayed more voters if he had handled the COVID-19 crisis with some veneer of statesmanship, but that hasnt been the publics general perception.

Ultimately, with the nation in a state of polarization, Hess said, Trump supporters are unlikely to change their vote to Democratic nominee Joe Biden even if they agree with keeping learning remote. Likewise, Biden supporters likely wont turn to Trump just because they want their children back in school.

Small, but passionate

For past Republican presidents, education has been more of a bridge issue. That was initially the case with No Child Left Behind under President George W. Bush and continued during the Obama administration with the Every Student Succeeds Act.

But thats clearly not Trumps style, said David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame. The president uses education to appeal to a small, but very passionate group, he said. He added that although the general population might not be as familiar with tax-credit scholarship programs as they are other types of school choice, like vouchers and charter schools, such policies are well-known to the constituents that care.

One problem for Trump, however, is that some of those voters arent particularly happy with his record on school choice either. DeVos and the administration have been unsuccessful in getting significant congressional support for their $5 billion tax-credit proposal. Its also unclear whether the Senate Republicans plan for emergency tax-credit programs in the states will make it into the next pandemic relief package.

We would like them to actually deliver on their early promises for the tax-credit proposals that they have talked about since the last campaign, said Dale McDonald, the director of public policy for the National Catholic Education Association. NCEA will certainly continue to push for assistance to parents to choose schools, but not seeing any major breakthrough just yet.

A battle-hardened DeVos

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos isnt scheduled to make a convention appearance this week, but whether she would join Trump for another four years if he wins is still up for grabs.

Presidential advisor and Catholic school supporter Kellyanne Conway, who is scheduled to speak Wednesday, frequently communicates the administrations priorities regarding education and led much of the discussion at the April 12 school reopening event.

We, as a nation, can philosophically and politically differ on many issues, Conway said, addressing Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. But Ive never, ever heard a very compelling and persuasive, memorable reason why people oppose the kind of school choice that the two of you are fighting for.

Conway announced Sunday that she is leaving the White House at the end of the month.

Some, such as Fordham Institute President Michael Petrilli, dont expect DeVos to hang around for a second term. Jason Botel, who served in the department until 2018 as an assistant secretary, said she might prefer to return to the philanthropic sector and focus on expanding school choice for children in low-income families that way.

But having outlasted so many other members of Trumps cabinet, DeVos is much more battle-hardened now and plays well with the base, Hess said. The people who give to Republican campaigns feel like she has been unfairly slandered and smeared.

Whether she would remain for a second term might be her call, he added.

If Trump wins a second term and DeVos moves on, Botel suggests the administrations efforts to appeal to the religious right will continue. Trump could also choose someone from the higher education sector who is a champion of the faith community.

A DeVos replacement at the department could also take on other initiatives, Botel said, as long as they dont overshadow Trumps primary goal pushing education-related policies that have the support of faith communities.

Originally posted here:
Trump Expected to Stick to Twin Themes of Reopening and Private School Choice at This Week's Republican National Convention - The 74