Welfare Recipients to Start Cleaning the Subways

[Intense]

Back to reality, the only real potential problem with the program is the Union's. When this has been done in the past, the Government Union's complain. Cleaning Subway cars, Stations, and whatever else can be a tough job if done properly, they also get pretty hot in the Summertime, it does not look like a fair exchange. Why don't they just hire Applicants, and pay them fairly? Choose from the Welfare Pool.

 

[martybegan]

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.

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

Sounds like a win/win to me.

The unemployed should not have to work for their benefits unless it leads to full-time employment.

These are NOT people on unemployment insurance, These are people on "public assistance, i.e. what used to be called welfare. Big difference.

 

[Ravi]

I have mixed feelings about this. MTA laid off a bunch of people and now they are getting what amounts to indentured servants to replace people that were laid off...for free.

That's an absolutely ridiculous comparison. You don't know what indentured servitude is.

No, it is valid. They will not get paid wages by the MTA.

 

[martybegan]

I have mixed feelings about this. MTA laid off a bunch of people and now they are getting what amounts to indentured servants to replace people that were laid off...for free.

That's an absolutely ridiculous comparison. You don't know what indentured servitude is.

No, it is valid. They will not get paid wages by the MTA.

The crux of indentured servitude is that you cannot get out of it, short of meeting the conditions of the contract, or basically breaking the contract. If a public assitance person doesnt want to work, they can stop recieving public assistance. They are not forced to take the money.

Where the money comes from is irrelavant.

 

[Ravi]

That's an absolutely ridiculous comparison. You don't know what indentured servitude is.

No, it is valid. They will not get paid wages by the MTA.

The crux of indentured servitude is that you cannot get out of it, short of meeting the conditions of the contract, or basically breaking the contract. If a public assitance person doesnt want to work, they can stop recieving public assistance. They are not forced to take the money.

Where the money comes from is irrelavant.

It amounts to indentured servitude, more so if these really are welfare recipients that are working for food stamps.

I can't tell from the four or five articles I've read on this if they are people on unemployment or people on food stamps. All articles seem to use the terms interchangeably.

I don't have a real problem with people on welfare working for their benefits if they are able bodied. I have a problem with an entity laying people off and then using free labor to do their jobs.

 

[FuelRod]

That's not exactly the case. It's contract labor...the MTA will be paying this WEP group for the work. If it's anything it's Union busting.

 

[martybegan]

No, it is valid. They will not get paid wages by the MTA.

The crux of indentured servitude is that you cannot get out of it, short of meeting the conditions of the contract, or basically breaking the contract. If a public assitance person doesnt want to work, they can stop recieving public assistance. They are not forced to take the money.

Where the money comes from is irrelavant.

It amounts to indentured servitude, more so if these really are welfare recipients that are working for food stamps.

I can't tell from the four or five articles I've read on this if they are people on unemployment or people on food stamps. All articles seem to use the terms interchangeably.

I don't have a real problem with people on welfare working for their benefits if they are able bodied. I have a problem with an entity laying people off and then using free labor to do their jobs.

Food stamps are again a seperate program.

The only real difference between slavery and indentured servitude is a time limit. You could call a prisoner an indentured servant. (a legal one at that).

The total reduction in the cleaning force was around 137, and those were probably via attrition.

Barring just having the welfare recipients break rocks, they will always be doing a job that could be done by a full time employee.

 

[xsited1]

Sounds like a win/win to me.

The unemployed should not have to work for their benefits unless it leads to full-time employment.

These are NOT people on unemployment insurance, These are people on "public assistance, i.e. what used to be called welfare. Big difference.

As long as that is true, I have no problem with it.

 

[Sallow]

Wow... very telling that you immediately think I am referring to you and follow up with the gay inferences.

You've been outted ******. Deal.

That's not very tolerant of you. Isn't it ok to be gay?

Sure...it's fine.

It's not fine to ask me for a "swallow". I'm tolerant of gays..but I don't seek them out, I don't like the lifestyle and I find their private behavior, revolting.

They have every right to do what they want or get married. They have every right go anywhere they want, live anywhere they want and work anywhere they want.

But don't expect me to embrace the lifestyle. Ain't happening.

 

[Sallow]

Back to reality, the only real potential problem with the program is the Union's. When this has been done in the past, the Government Union's complain. Cleaning Subway cars, Stations, and whatever else can be a tough job if done properly, they also get pretty hot in the Summertime, it does not look like a fair exchange. Why don't they just hire Applicants, and pay them fairly? Choose from the Welfare Pool.

Um..no.

The MTA have a Union and Union employees were laid off. They should either be put back on the job..or people really hired.

A lot of this "money loss" traces back to the removal of the commuter tax as well. Everyone was forecasting massive deficits if that happened. Well..both things occurred.

And every time the MTA tries to raise it's fares..the whole city freaks out.

Well if there is a deficit it's got to be made up somewhere. And that should not be by undercutting Unions..and wages.

 

[chanel]

No, it is valid. They will not get paid wages by the MTA.

The crux of indentured servitude is that you cannot get out of it, short of meeting the conditions of the contract, or basically breaking the contract. If a public assitance person doesnt want to work, they can stop recieving public assistance. They are not forced to take the money.

Where the money comes from is irrelavant.

It amounts to indentured servitude, more so if these really are welfare recipients that are working for food stamps.

I can't tell from the four or five articles I've read on this if they are people on unemployment or people on food stamps. All articles seem to use the terms interchangeably.

I don't have a real problem with people on welfare working for their benefits if they are able bodied. I have a problem with an entity laying people off and then using free labor to do their jobs.

WEP
The Work Experience Program (WEP) is designed to provide a simulated work experience to individuals receiving cash assistance. Through this program, an employable individual is assigned to work for his/her cash assistance and food stamp benefits at NYC government agencies or private, not-for-profit agencies throughout the five boroughs.

HRA - Employment Services

These are people who receive CASH ASSISTANCE - the traditional term being "welfare". It is not for people receiving unemployment insurance. Welfare also includes food stamps, Medicaid, rental assistance, etc. for some people who are working low wage jobs. This is only for the UNEMPLOYED people getting a PAYCHECK from the govt. for doing nothing.

Believe it or not in some cultures, if you don't work, you don't eat. Hard to fathom eh?

 

[rikules]

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.

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

Sounds like a win/win to me.

I'm all for it.


i oppose lifetime welfare but i support;

temporary welfare with education and training and job placement
or
temporary welfare as long as you DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE for society; cleaning subways, parks, roadsides.....

 

[Ravi]

The crux of indentured servitude is that you cannot get out of it, short of meeting the conditions of the contract, or basically breaking the contract. If a public assitance person doesnt want to work, they can stop recieving public assistance. They are not forced to take the money.

Where the money comes from is irrelavant.

It amounts to indentured servitude, more so if these really are welfare recipients that are working for food stamps.

I can't tell from the four or five articles I've read on this if they are people on unemployment or people on food stamps. All articles seem to use the terms interchangeably.

I don't have a real problem with people on welfare working for their benefits if they are able bodied. I have a problem with an entity laying people off and then using free labor to do their jobs.

WEP
The Work Experience Program (WEP) is designed to provide a simulated work experience to individuals receiving cash assistance. Through this program, an employable individual is assigned to work for his/her cash assistance and food stamp benefits at NYC government agencies or private, not-for-profit agencies throughout the five boroughs.

HRA - Employment Services

These are people who receive CASH ASSISTANCE - the traditional term being "welfare". It is not for people receiving unemployment insurance. Welfare also includes food stamps, Medicaid, rental assistance, etc. for some people who are working low wage jobs. This is only for the UNEMPLOYED people getting a PAYCHECK from the govt. for doing nothing.

Believe it or not in some cultures, if you don't work, you don't eat. Hard to fathom eh?

If that is the case then I don't have a problem with it...unless some of those they "rehire" through this program are people they laid off. I also don't like the fact that they added to the unemployment rolls and can turn around and get free labor.

 

[kaz]

To save me some time here..which publications do you consider "factual"? Because it's a waste of both our times for me to publish links to data you simply aren't going to believe.

I consider data to be factual. Studies that clearly state what they are measuring and how they go about it. I don't consider the unsubstantiated opinion of political talking heads or any publication to be more then an opinion.

Again.

Name the source you consider factual..or stop the nonsense.

It's a very simple task.

Asked and answered. I don't know who if anyone has studied this. But if they did, then I want to know what exactly they measured and how they went about it. I don't trust the "opinion" of anyone as evidence, only an opinion. I don't know what you're looking for here other then an out. I want actual data and a clear definition of what data they collected and how. Did they study people who went through the Clinton "job training" or not?

 

[jillian]

you mean the one written and passed by a repub congress?

yeah, it does. i remember when compromise wasn't a dirty word.

The Republican party can rightly take some credit for that.

both parties can. that was back when govt and politics wasn't treated like a football game, but like, oh, something we all had a stake in-together.

you mean while they spent 70 million dollars to find a blue dress?

oh sure they did...

they just had to do the occasionally decent thing back then.

ah.. the good ole days.

 

[ClosedCaption]

That's not exactly the case. It's contract labor...the MTA will be paying this WEP group for the work. If it's anything it's Union busting.

I have a weird feeling about this whole thing. Let me see if I understand

The MTA laid off workers because they dont have money

The MTA wants to have free labor (I'm not even touching that "job skills" bs arguement)

The Labor will come from people who receive some sort of assistance

The Labor will not be paid for by the MTA

I dunno, the MTA seems like they are trying to keep money (by firing) and make more money paid for by tax dollars? I know the need for the MTA in NY but uh...

This seems weird...

 

[jillian]

I'm kind of hoping that the thread title was in error. It's impossible to confuse unemployment insurance with "welfare".

I have no problem with welfare recipients doing work.

But I have a huge problem with any entity, private or governmental, firing it's workforce to get cheap labor via the feds.

it's a little too arbeit macht frei for my tastes.

i wonder if they need the little kids' hands to polish the insides of the.... .



switching mechanisms.

 

[xsited1]

I'm kind of hoping that the thread title was in error. It's impossible to confuse unemployment insurance with "welfare".

I have no problem with welfare recipients doing work.

But I have a huge problem with any entity, private or governmental, firing it's workforce to get cheap labor via the feds.

it's a little too arbeit macht frei for my tastes.

i wonder if they need the little kids' hands to polish the insides of the.... .



switching mechanisms.

You were hoping the thread title was in error?

 

[syrenn]

I my opinion ALL able bodied people receiving any kind of assistance should have to put in mandatory hours into some type of community service program each week to receive a check.

 

[jillian]

I my opinion ALL able bodied people receiving any kind of assistance should have to put in mandatory hours into some type of community service program each week to receive a check.

that isn't my problem with this.

my problem with this is mta laying off people so they can get cheap labor.