Posted on 06/29/2010 10:16:54 AM PDT by BradtotheBone
AUSTIN – It's not exactly Ronald Reagan talking about welfare queens, but Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken has an idea for long-term jobless Texans that some worker advocates seem to think is just as bad.
Put 'em to work, he says — for local governments or non-profits.
"Even in good economic times, there were people in Texas who saw the unemployment system as simply another entitlement program, which it's not. With the explosion in job losses, obviously, there are a tremendous number of people, they've lost their job through no fault of their own. They're doing everything they can to try to find work," Pauken, who served in the Reagan administration, told me. "How do you distinguish between those who are really out trying to find work and those who simply want to draw an unemployment check as long as they can?"
Pauken suggests setting a wage of, say, $10 an hour and having people who get extended federal benefits work enough hours to cover their unemployment payment - "rather than it continue to be a drain on the taxpayer dollars."
The appointee of GOP Gov. Rick Perry said this would weed out people "who may be gaming the system," provide a worthwhile task for those trying their best and possibly open job opportunities.
Worker advocates slammed the idea, saying it's insulting and would be illegal under federal law. Pauken acknowledged it would require federal action,
Pauken "has it all wrong - hard-working Texans should not be required to take a low-paying job that has no relationship to their skills and background using their limited unemployment benefits to subsidize their wages," said Maurice Emsellem of the National Employment Law Project.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
How is it insulting?
Great in theory, but government screws everything up.
/johnny
They can re-open all those parks and highway bathrooms they closed (got to reign in spending you know!)
Scamming the system with a wink and a nod from this administration and congress. Work is work and I took some rotten jobs during strikes but never took unemployment.
Fine. Don't accept the money. Concentrate on your job search. You're not entitled to a free lunch.
The problem with this approach is that the government will use this as a cloak to perpetuate useless make work jobs. Why should only non profits and government agencies be the recipient of “free employees” when it’s the for profit businesses that actually pay the unemployment benefits.
If they voted for Obama then it may be partly their fault.
Bottom line...get a job or ask your family or Church to help you...not the government. Geesh...so many weak people in this country.
More Government Drones.
Lovely.
Nothing is free. Private employers pay the premiums of unemployment by reducing the take-home wages of employees, so employees are actually paying for a benefit that you say they shouldn't use?
/johnny
exactly. Government becomes the employer of "last" resort.
BAD IDEA
/johnny
The problem with this approach is that the government will use this as a cloak to perpetuate useless make work jobs. Why should only non profits and government agencies be the recipient of “free employees” when it’s the for profit businesses that actually pay the unemployment benefits.
Uh, because the government (ie taxpayers) are funding federal extensions. The unemployment provided by states (ie emplyorers) ran out long ago...
your reply is valid. Perhaps after a certain time, say, the first 13 weeks, if no job has been found, they must opt in to a workfare program to continue the benefits. Also require all those on benefits to actually look for a job, like when I was unemployed 13 years ago. I had to list 3 companies each week at which I sought employment, along with the name of person talked to and a number where they could be reached so it could be verified by the unemployment office. I did not have to look outside my field, or accept a job making less than I was previously making, but at the end of 13 weeks, my benefits stopped regardless if I found work. I had to decide if I was going to risk not finding a job by turning down a job for less if I couldn’t find another offer before my benefits ran out. I ended up not going back to work for 16 years while I raised my children. It was a tough struggle to do so, but it was the right choice (not the easy one) for hubby and me.
I do ache for those out of work trying desperately to find some. I count my brother in these numbers for a year and a half now, but the abuse of the system must be ended.Same with welfare and disability. This cannot continue, we cannot afford it. Widows, orphans, and those unable to take care of themselves (mentally retarded, autistic, etc) are the truly needy. The poor we will always have with us, however, we have allowed the lazy to hijack the system.
But, but, but, then the SEIU wouldn’t get its skim off the top to be able to give it to RATS.
I can think of lots of reasons I don't want this idea to come to pass, but the fact is there are millions of people who aren't even bothering to look for a job so long as they can collect their unemployment checks.
“The unemployment provided by states (ie emplyorers) ran out long ago...”
Good. Then does that mean that as a business owner that I will not have to pay unemployment insurance now? Employers are still at least partially funding the unemployment system with ongoing payments.
Shifting the burden to the taxpayer to pay for the deficit in the unemployment fund does not make sense either.
MORE govt workers?
Um...no?
Well, hell, I'm qualified to be president of the United States, but I have to take this low-paying job in the private sector because some Arab imposter is sitting in the white house.
How is that fair?
It upsets me to no end that the folks that really need this help are losing out ot those who are just lazy.
Here’s a real-life example - my husband is hiring, and 3 or 4 times a month he’ll have people that come into his store on unemployment putting applications - they are nasty, unkempt, thug-looking, have a hateful attitude - in short, they obviously do not want a job and make it pretty clear. They fill out the application and then ask him to “sign off” for unemployment that they looked for a job.
He has started writing on the form that yes they applied, but they did not look like they were seriously looking for a job at his store.
The kicker is, right next door is a well known charity that will give folks looking for a job clothes (even a suit and tie if they want), toiletries, a place to clean up and shower. So it’s not like there isn’t something available if these folks really help themselves. But, it’s more than that it’s the attitude.
Having said that, he has been able to hire folks off unemployment who really wanted to work. For example, we’ve had former engineers working menial jobs (my husband does this kind of work right along with them though) So it’s a good situation, we get good employees, they get a “stopgap” job. We usually don’t keep them long (the longest was a biochemical engineer who worked a year before finding a job in his field)
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