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welfare

cipher6

Android Enthusiast
Dec 8, 2010
700
80
South Texas
Two interesting stories, that make me think, why are we not doing more of this?

The cash-strapped MTA may soon put welfare recipients to work scrubbing and cleaning the subways.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to revive its participation in the city's Work Experience Program - which makes the unemployed toil for their benefit checks.

"This is a program that has a proven track record of doing three things: providing low-cost cleaning help for the subway; providing job training to people who need it, and leading directly to full-time employment for many of the people who participate in the program," MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said.

The MTA eliminated 173 cleaner positions last year in a series of budget cuts that slashed a total of about 3,500 jobs.

Subway riders told about the plan Monday largely gave it a thumbs up.

"I think it's a fair way to get the subways clean," Joanna Kielbiowski, 32, of New Hyde Park, L.I., said at a midtown subway station. "Sometimes when I take the subway, it's disgusting."

Adam Salah, 21, of the Bronx said the program would be "a good way to get people on their feet ... and get the subway cleaner."

Michael Pollack, 29, of Long Beach, L.I., was on the fence.

"I feel like saying yes and no," Pollack said. "On some level, it's exploitation of people in a bad position. On the other hand, a lot of people wait around looking for a handout, and this is a way for them to earn it."

WEP participants were assigned to subway cleaning tasks for about nine years ending in 2008, when the previous MTA administration nixed the free labor.

In budget documents, the prior MTA administration claimed operations would be cheaper without the workers.

About 150 union-represented cleaners who trained and helped supervise WEP workers received an additional $1.70 an hour under a 1996 pact between Transport Workers Union Local100 and the MTA.


Cash-poor MTA may put recipients of unemployment benefits to work again cleaning subways






SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM) – A state lawmaker wants welfare recipients to submit to drug tests in order to receive aid, but he admits the proposal isn’t ready for a full debate – and probably won’t make it into law this year.
This isn’t the first time State Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica) has introduced such a measure. He first introduced it three years ago when a constituent asked him why welfare applicants don’t submit to drug tests, but many job applicants do.

This year’s bill would create a pilot program to administer the drug tests in three counties for three years.
Sacia cautions his bill will not fix all welfare problems. But he says lawmakers must create a way to foster a change in recipients’ attitudes, and this is a good start.
“We have to come up with a way, and this is a Panacea I recognize that, where we’re creating a motivational factor for people to want to get off the welfare rolls, to get back to legitimate employment,” explains Sacia.
Sacia says House Bill 11 is imperfect, but is getting better. He says one of the bills’ amendments will eventually address how to pay for the drug tests, but the specifics have yet to be hammered out.
The proposal has received significant push back in its first three years, namely from the House Human Services Committee.
“I will not move the bill until I get a bill that I can get those who are adamantly opposed to it, maybe not to necessarily say they’re in support of the bill, but to go neutral on [it],” says Sacia.

State Lawmaker Wants Drug Tests For Welfare Recipients CBS Chicago




What do you guys think about requiring more out of welfare recipients?
 
why not more of it?
Unions get pissed off

Who cares?

May cost more than it saves

How exactly?

Too long hours deprive kids of parents

Uhh... why aren't they in school? How do they expect to get jobs to take care of their kids?


Unemployment is high

How would the unemployment rate factor in this? I think this might help lower unemployment. If you suddenly have to work for you unemployment check, you might be a little bit more motivated to find a job and regular paycheck.
 
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Unions get pissed off

Wah... why are we even thinking about how unions feel when discussing this topic.

May cost more than it saves

It's apparently cost more over the past few years, than it did when they were using free labor before.

Too long hours deprive kids of parents

Same situation as everyone else who actually has a job.

Unemployment is high

all the more reason to get our money's worth out of these freeloaders.
 
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Who cares?
uhm maybe the union funded Dems?
How exactly?
supervision, transport etc
Uhh... why aren't they in school? How do they expect to get jobs to take care of their kids?
that's just an example - to get the money the states may make the people work into the night.. would be more of an issue for single parent families really
How would the unemployment rate factor in this? I think this might help lower unemployment. If you suddenly have to work for you unemployment check, you might be a little bit more motivated to find a job and regular paycheck.
because it would likely take jobs off others .. do bare in mind that almost no one wants to be unemployed - unless minimum wage + benefits are as crap or worse

__________

As i said, not against this - just pointing out its not a perfect solution
 
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are you implying the unemployed never contributed to Social Security? :p

What does SS have to do with unemployment? They are two different things.


On drug testing welfare recipients:
I don't think I have an issue with that - but again, may cost more than it saves

I don't think its a money saving issue, but a public health issue. If more people with drug problems can be identified and persuaded into getting help by with holding welfare checks, thats an improvement for public health, is it not?

Not everything in this world is about money :D
 
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On drug testing welfare recipients:


I don't think its a money saving issue, but a public health issue. If more people with drug problems can be identified and persuaded into getting help by with holding welfare checks, thats an improvement for public health, is it not?
yeah, it may be a bit embarrassing to be singled out to piss in a bottle tho :eek:

Not everything in this world is about money :D
really? :p
news to me
 
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is the whole point of social insurance that you get benefits if you have the misfortune of losing your job

Social Security is basically a government retirement plan. SS taxes are taken out of every paycheck, and after you work so many years and then retire you get SS checks from the Government.


Unemployment is a State/Federal joint system, funded, in part, by a tax on employers.
 
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yeah, it may be a bit embarrassing to be singled out to piss in a bottle tho :eek:

Many don't seem embarrassed using their food stamps to purchase candy, chips, soda pop, etc at the store, then spending their cash on beer. I see that ALL the time where I live.


If your not too embarrassed to collect welfare, I don't think you can use that as an excuse not to submit to reasonable requests.
 
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Many don't seem embarrassed using their food stamps to purchase candy, chips, soda pop, etc at the store, then spending their cash on beer. I see that ALL the time where I live.
.. and then they will complain when they are cut off and have no savings...
or could it be too much of their benefits are in food stamps?
If your not too embarrassed to collect welfare, I don't think you can use that as an excuse not to submit to reasonable requests.
perhaps, but welfare in itself is quite demeaning.. I'd rather it done in a discreet way
 
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my mistake
same principle tho, right?

Not quite.... in theory, you pay into SS then get that money returned to you when you retire. Its kinda like their just holding it for you, but in realty, they use current SS tax collections to fund payouts for people getting checks. When the baby boomers retire, and there are more people getting checks than paying into the system, the whole system will explode like a giant ponzi scheme. But its in theory more of a savings account type system than a tax to fund payments to less fortunate. If you have 50 billion in the bank and retire, you still qualify for social security payments.

Unemployment is paid for, partly, by an employer and governments (so indirectly income tax payers as well) If you never go unemployed you never see any of that money again.
 
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You cut out welfare and I bet you those people will find a job quick. Why should they find a job when the Govenment provides them with food, money, either free or subsidized housing. Its like they are still living with their parents. THey have no motivation. If you feed a lion everyday for years. He will grow fat and lazy and will no longer hunt for his food. He will rely on others to feed him.

Its sad that I work 40hrs a week and a person on welfare has nicer things than me. Get rid of the crutches and make them learn how to walk.
 
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