Who's a minority in 2009?

[KittenKoder]

So far though, the only laws in effect state that they aren't suppose to be treated differently. The laws in my state and Arizona do not even allow employers to ask those questions until after they are hired. There may be a few states with a "minority quota" but I haven't done the hiring for any businesses in those states. There are however tax breaks they can get for hiring more minorities, though wrong, it would also mean making corporations pay more taxes if you remove those laws.

This is not precisely true. Governmental organizations (such as the Boston Transit Authority) OFTEN use minority quotas in the hiring process, particularly local units of government. They are required to report to the federal government on their percentage of minority hires if they receive federal dollars (such as transportation dollars). They have a strong incentive to hire minorities over qualified white workers.

I'm not saying it to be inflammatory, but it is a matter of fact.

If they are doing it by choice, then what's the problem?

 

[catzmeow]

If they are doing it by choice, then what's the problem?

By whose choice? Their constituents? Are federal dollars impacted by these hiring decisions (they are)?

These are bad practices, business-wise and for governmental entities.

 

[KittenKoder]

If they are doing it by choice, then what's the problem?

By whose choice? Their constituents? Are federal dollars impacted by these hiring decisions (they are)?

These are bad practices, business-wise and for governmental entities.

Transit authorities are often funded by sales more than federal dollars, though sometimes they are supplemented in some areas, their primary funding comes from ridership. That being so, they are a corporation, and are run privately. Forcing them to not be allowed to have their own quotas is just as bad as forcing them to have the quotas. If the company is run well they continue to operate, but if they have too many accidents and ridership falls too low another company will be brought in to run it instead. In Seattle we have three major ones, and some the surrounding cities (like the islands, Olympia, etc.) have smaller ones as well. They are at best subsidized, but normally just supplemented. Metro, Sound/Peirce/Community Transits have a contract with the city to provide a free ride zone in downtown for their supplemental pay, it helps out commerce and they are insured of getting at least enough to stay in business. Many other areas I have heard have similar contracts for their government funding as well. Also they have a federal contract to provide reduced fare passes for disabled and elderly (in Seattle they also offer it to low income) which grants them federal funding. As I said before, it's just not as simple as you are thinking it is. ABC is not a very good news source, it's about as good as Fox or CNN.

 

[MaggieMae]

Get this...the guy who injured 46 people and caused 9.5 million in damages in Boston last week while texting on the job used his transgendered status to qualify as a "minority" for hiring purposes.

Texting Trolley Driver Is Transgendered Male - ABC News

It's a crazy world we live in, y'all.

Well they're certainly not a "majority."

It's a sad situation in any event. Usually this type of preventable accident occurs because of drinking or drugs.

 

[KittenKoder]

Get this...the guy who injured 46 people and caused 9.5 million in damages in Boston last week while texting on the job used his transgendered status to qualify as a "minority" for hiring purposes.

Texting Trolley Driver Is Transgendered Male - ABC News

It's a crazy world we live in, y'all.

Well they're certainly not a "majority."

It's a sad situation in any event. Usually this type of preventable accident occurs because of drinking or drugs.

Texting and cell phones rank right up there now.

 

[MaggieMae]

When being hired, how did he prove that he's female-to-male?

Did he expose his quim?

I have a great deal of curiosity about how the equipment functions after those surgeries.

You never watch "Nip/Tuck" on FX? It's been on for years, and I think returns in the fall. The "equipment" apparently works just fine, but it's a very expensive, painful, and lengthy process taking years. Someone would really need to be serious to go through it.

Transgenders are not homosexual, by the way. However, all HUMANS are bisexual, given the right set of circumstances. [And I shall await all the yelping from the macho men here.]

 

[MaggieMae]

Instead of worrying about who is a minority.. why not just focus on complete equal treatment under the law?

And where might you find that ideal world?

 

[catzmeow]

And where might you find that ideal world?

It's not found, it's created. And it definitely is not created by favoring one group over another with the weight of law behind you. It MIGHT be created by strong enforcement of EXISTING discrimination laws. But then, that would do away with quotas, ey?

 

[MaggieMae]

I agree with Sky...it's a flame story. His transgenderedness has nothing to do with his stupidity in texting while operating the train.

Agreed. But he used his transgendered status to qualify for minority status and receive preferential treatment in hiring. THAT is the issue. Way to miss it, Ravikins. Nice knee-jerk.

Nope. For some reason, you want to link the two issues. What if the driver had been a Mexican homosexual with a speech impediment? Ouch. If he was texting or otherwise distracted and killed 15 people because of it, who cares about anything other than the "person" should be brought up on involuntary manslaughter charges or even vehicular homicide?

 

[MaggieMae]

Who says he was a preferred hire? Prove it. The article states that he disclosed it on his application, in the area of minority status. Transgendered individiauls constitute a minority and they are discriminated against in hiring.

ABC NEws, from the FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THE ARTICLE LINKED IN THE OP, which you quite clearly never bothered to read, as per your usual MO:

The Boston-area transit authority trolley driver who allegedly slammed into another train while text-messaging his girlfriend Friday was hired as a minority because of his transgendered "female-to-male" status and had three speeding tickets on his driving record in recent years, ABC News has learned.

Aiden Quinn, 24, was born Georgia Quinn and boasts on an Internet networking site that he was one of the first transgender hires by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The trolley driver lists his sexual orientation as "FTM" and was hired as a minority using his transgender status, two sources told ABC News.

Bear in mind, we aren't talking about ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION (which I support), but giving someone preferential treatment on the basis of a voluntary surgery (which I do NOT support). Huge difference. I am 100% behind non-discrimination policies, and feel that companies that discriminate should face huge civil penalties. But, that is different than giving people preferential status in hiring because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. I do NOT support that.

Sigh...okay, his huge new dong got in the way of the switching gear. He just SAID he was texting which would sound better for the press.

 

[MaggieMae]

I can't imagine which minority group one would belong to that would make that person most likely to text while driving.

If the issue was about that, you might have a point. You're completely clueless as to what is being discussed.

If the issue is strictly about texting while driving, then why not pull up one of the original reports on the accident where the guy's sex change isn't mentioned and discuss that?

 

[MaggieMae]

And where might you find that ideal world?

It's not found, it's created. And it definitely is not created by favoring one group over another with the weight of law behind you. It MIGHT be created by strong enforcement of EXISTING discrimination laws. But then, that would do away with quotas, ey?

And enforcement breeds resentment and anger. Back to Square One. You can't even "create" such a world except in fictional novels.

 

[catzmeow]

And enforcement breeds resentment and anger. Back to Square One. You can't even "create" such a world except in fictional novels.

Based upon your premise, then, there is no point to quotas. correct?

 

[catzmeow]

If he was texting or otherwise distracted and killed 15 people because of it, who cares about anything other than the "person" should be brought up on involuntary manslaughter charges or even vehicular homicide?

I could care less about the texting while driving issue. It happens here every week. It isn't even news anymore.

I care that a new category has somehow been added to protected minorities, and is being given preferential treatment in hiring, leading to unqualified people in places where they can do harm.

In fact, had you actually READ THE OP, you'd realize what this thread is about. I don't think his gender had anything to do with his actions in this case, but it was used to give him a preference in hiring.

 

[Ravi]

If he was texting or otherwise distracted and killed 15 people because of it, who cares about anything other than the "person" should be brought up on involuntary manslaughter charges or even vehicular homicide?

I could care less about the texting while driving issue. It happens here every week. It isn't even news anymore.

I care that a new category has somehow been added to protected minorities, and is being given preferential treatment in hiring, leading to unqualified people in places where they can do harm.

I can't see any evidence that Quinn was hired because of minority status. It looks to me that the agency hires by lottery...as long as you meet certain qualifications you are put into a pool and hired by lottery.

Quinn, 24, joined the MBTA 22 months ago after attempting for three years to get a job through the transit agency's lottery, a random system designed to prevent bias in hiring.

Once selected, Quinn would have been required to provide a driving history that showed fewer than three moving violations in the past year, proof of age, and a high school degree or its equivalent. He would have also needed to pass a physical exam, a drug test, and a written exam meant to detect qualities such as dependability, drug avoidance, and interpersonal cooperation.

T crash puts spotlight on hiring criteria - The Boston Globe

This original article still appears to be nothing but a FLAME.

 

[Sky Dancer]

If he was texting or otherwise distracted and killed 15 people because of it, who cares about anything other than the "person" should be brought up on involuntary manslaughter charges or even vehicular homicide?

I could care less about the texting while driving issue. It happens here every week. It isn't even news anymore.

I care that a new category has somehow been added to protected minorities, and is being given preferential treatment in hiring, leading to unqualified people in places where they can do harm.

In fact, had you actually READ THE OP, you'd realize what this thread is about. I don't think his gender had anything to do with his actions in this case, but it was used to give him a preference in hiring.

That makes complete sense to me. You don't care about text messaging or the fact of how many people were injured, while this driver was doing so.

You're fixated on some vague notion of unproven preferential treatment of one transgendered employee.

Yep, you got your priorities out there clearly.

 

[del]

If he was texting or otherwise distracted and killed 15 people because of it, who cares about anything other than the "person" should be brought up on involuntary manslaughter charges or even vehicular homicide?

I could care less about the texting while driving issue. It happens here every week. It isn't even news anymore.

I care that a new category has somehow been added to protected minorities, and is being given preferential treatment in hiring, leading to unqualified people in places where they can do harm.

I can't see any evidence that Quinn was hired because of minority status. It looks to me that the agency hires by lottery...as long as you meet certain qualifications you are put into a pool and hired by lottery.

Quinn, 24, joined the MBTA 22 months ago after attempting for three years to get a job through the transit agency's lottery, a random system designed to prevent bias in hiring.

Once selected, Quinn would have been required to provide a driving history that showed fewer than three moving violations in the past year, proof of age, and a high school degree or its equivalent. He would have also needed to pass a physical exam, a drug test, and a written exam meant to detect qualities such as dependability, drug avoidance, and interpersonal cooperation.

T crash puts spotlight on hiring criteria - The Boston Globe

This original article still appears to be nothing but a FLAME.

actually, at the time he applied in 2004, the T was under a court order regarding minority hiring practices. i can't find a lot of detail on what the order specified, however. the order was lifted in 2005. whether transgendered was a specific minority that they were looking for, i have no clue.

 

[xotoxi]

"Who's a minority in 2009?"

A Republican in Congress.

 

[Ravi]

I could care less about the texting while driving issue. It happens here every week. It isn't even news anymore.

I care that a new category has somehow been added to protected minorities, and is being given preferential treatment in hiring, leading to unqualified people in places where they can do harm.

I can't see any evidence that Quinn was hired because of minority status. It looks to me that the agency hires by lottery...as long as you meet certain qualifications you are put into a pool and hired by lottery.

Quinn, 24, joined the MBTA 22 months ago after attempting for three years to get a job through the transit agency's lottery, a random system designed to prevent bias in hiring.

Once selected, Quinn would have been required to provide a driving history that showed fewer than three moving violations in the past year, proof of age, and a high school degree or its equivalent. He would have also needed to pass a physical exam, a drug test, and a written exam meant to detect qualities such as dependability, drug avoidance, and interpersonal cooperation.

T crash puts spotlight on hiring criteria - The Boston Globe

This original article still appears to be nothing but a FLAME.

actually, at the time he applied in 2004, the T was under a court order regarding minority hiring practices. i can't find a lot of detail on what the order specified, however. the order was lifted in 2005. whether transgendered was a specific minority that they were looking for, i have no clue.

But twenty-two months ago was when he got hired. I found a lottery application on line, and it does seem that they go strictly by qualification and not by gender, ethnicity, etc. Though there is a place to mark it for statistical purposes.

It actually sounds like a reasonable attempt to make sure people AREN'T given special treatment...I could be reading it wrong and after all, this is Boston.

 

[Sky Dancer]

We have a very slim story with few facts and a ton of speculation--all in the name of sensationalizing.

What's astounding is no one interested in discussing the circumstances of this accident.