Fishy Source Claiming Guinta Job Fair Placements

The Associated Press confirmed a story we broke a month ago here, that Congressmen Frank Guinta's Job Fairs are really just photo-ops for his reelection campaign.

Until the AP story, the only claim that anyone got a job at one of Rep. Guinta's job fairs was this from his website:

So far [employers] report at least two attendees have been hired.

The AP story includes this interesting passage, containing an excuse from Mr. Guinta as to why no actual names of people hired at these fairs, a nod by AP that the excuse is probably a lie, and a claim of placements from all six jobs fairs:

Less clear is how successful the job fairs were for job seekers. Guinta said the feedback he’s received from businesses has been largely positive, but ‘‘there are rules in terms of what I'm allowed to publicize once these people get a job,’’ he said. ‘‘There are privacy issues there.’’

Several of the participating employers contacted by The Associated Press did not mention any privacy issues, however.  EFI VuTek, which designs and manufacturers large-format printers in Meredith, hired one or two temporary workers at each job fair, said Wendy Lague, manager of talent acquisition. Those have been mostly in shipping, receiving and manufacturing positions lasting six months to a year, she said.

‘‘We've done really well,’’ she said. ‘‘I've been pleased to see someone in public office really putting that effort toward building jobs in New Hampshire.’’

If our representatives are going to lie, they should really learn to do a better job.   But let's focus on the hires.   Let's see, six jobs fairs, each with one or two temps hired, makes at least seven people claimed to have gotten a job.   And one company hiring at all the fairs.   I was suspicious.

Who is Wendy Lague?   Facebook, the source of all knowledge, has

Click to Enlarge

OK, so her profile picture is a Romney poster and she subscribes to Frank Guinta's page.   I'm getting more suspicious.   She commented on the Rep.'s page to come down to the job fair, so at least she was there.

She's a Romney/Ryan bigwig of sorts.  She's on the list below right next to Ovide Lamontagne, Republican candidate for governor hoping for a big day tomorrow.   Erin Lamontagne is involved in some new Newt Gingrich scandal.

How about her job?

It looks like she recruits at a high level.   I don't see much about temps.   Unless you're proficient in Swedish.

Does she know Guinta outside the job fairs?

Here's a union leader article talking about Guinta's "Women’s Business Roundtable."   It's a roundtable with a panel of 3 businesswomen.  Guess who's on the panel:

At EFI Manufacturing in Meredith, where more than 300 are employed, business is good, said EFI’s Wendy Lague, but there are problems trying to develop and train more local talent to meet increasing job opportunities.

“We had a record year last year,” said Lague, attending a Women’s Business Roundtable organized by District 1 Congressman Frank Guinta. Temporary workers are finding permanent employment, and they are skilled.

However, “We’re running out of space,” she said of the print manufacturers’ facilities on both sides of Route 104.

Everything's just peachy when Frank's in charge.   Someone should ask Ms. Lague if any of the temps she hired at the Guinta job fairs found permanent employment.    Watch out, when Frank get's reelected he's going to start teaching job training classes.

This picture from the Friday April 13, 2012 Laconia Daily Sun was hard to find.

So far Rep Guinta is praising the "privatize Medicare" Ryan budget and then ranting about Obamacare.   I'm not sure what this has to do with women's business.  I see, the picture goes with an article on page four.   Odd.  Anyway, here's the rest of the first article.   

The Laconia Daily Sun ran the article about Rep. Guinta meeting with three women and a Union Leader reporter in a closed room in the same issue:

This is more of what you find when you google "Frank Guinta Wendy Lague":

Here is Wendy Lague at a Kelly Ayotte function along with Frank Guinta.

Here Frank Guinta attends a ceremony where Wendy Lague is giving an award.

Here Frank Guinta and Wendy Lague are in the same edition of the High Tech Council Newsletter.

What it looks like to me is, in a very real way, Wendy Sykes-Lague is Frank Guinta's "Getting Granite Staters Back to Work" initiative.   She speaks to the press.  She hires someone at every fair.  (Or she just says she does --- I don't know which.)   She sits on the Women's Business Roundtable.   And she's very active in New Hampshire Republican Politics.  

I personally don't think EFI VuTek actually "hired one or two temporary workers at each job fair," as Ms. Lague stated.   I think she's just doing her fellow Republican buddy Frank Guinta a favor by saying this.  

Hey Holly Ramer, you did a great job on this story that you wrote for AP.  Thank you so much.  I'm now your biggest fan.    But please find out more about Wendy Lague for us, OK?   I can't imagine you like being played by a source.  Thanks.

[Actual date 11/5/12 3:55 AM -- changed to keep list on right up through Tuesday]