Thursday, June 17, 2010

Unemployed? Offer Gulf Cleanup Jobs

The government should use left-over Stimulus Act jobs instead of spending it on museums, trails and welfare. Put the private sector in charge with the government using funds from various emergency sources but mainly from the $20 billion BP fund. Or the government will still be organizing this in June, 2012. Pay maybe $20 a hour plus bus fare to the selected hiring sites. Supervisors? Pay them maybe $25 an hour and a weekly bonus of say $300 for excellent performance. For those who work, pay bus fare back from their start point when no longer needed. For those who come and then decided not to work, let them find their own way back.

Strike a special room rate deal with the motel owners who should be glad for help and might offset some costs. Starting points would be local unemployment offices determining how many unemployed the gulf can handle at each selected need arrival points. Those not hired could be asked to stay on stand-by. Government employment offices or the places the unemployed go to file or pick up their checks. They have lists of unemployed and should know who to call.


All unemployed must be U.S. citizens with a letter of recommendation from their last employer.

Lot of details that can be worked out such as accident insurance, etc.

A system similar to this should have been set up years ago and could have been used at Katrina and been in place for this catastrophe. And when we have a massive terrorist attack worse than 9/11.

Don't think this plan as any merit? Do you think the government had much of a plan? Were government regulators doing their job or weren't their enough of them in this crowded drilling area? And on such a risky proposition as drilling in water a couple of miles below sea level??

This whole mess was poorly handled by both big business and big government. Obama is using this disaster to further his agenda of populism and socialism by putting the entire blame on the private sector. He looks more like Chavez every day in every way.

Please don't waste your time criticizing me. Just come up with a better plan to employ the un-employed on an environment saving project. Maybe even consider reviving the CCC of the 1930's?

2 comments:

Billy Dennis said...

Merle, I thought this was what the stimulus package was supposed to be: Paying people to do infrastructure work that otherwise would have gone undone. Instead it was used to bail out politicians and their supporters and let smaller units of government avoid having to make unpopular decisions.

Say what you want about Roosevelt, his WPA and the CCC put people to work.

Merle Widmer said...

Billy, we should have brought the CCC back years ago. Why didn't we? Too much special interests pressures. Has the stimulus money done much to "stimulate" the economy in the private sector? Most of the private sector in the U.S. is still waiting.

When you figure all the short term union jobs and materials to construct all these taxspayer funded projects like the museum, libraries, schools and the hotel, the county nursing home that started out at $29 million and is now $55 million and growing; that is private money. Problem is "short" term and then the taxpayers will pay for 20, 25, or thirty years as all the financing is borrowed even if it come from D.C.

The lenders make money too along with the architects, engineers, consultants plus consultants to consult with consultants, survey takers, etc.

Some believe we can spend our say out of this recession. But then some politicians could care less. They have their pensions and other benefits plus, if they wish, a high paying job in the private sectors they be-friended while spending your tax dollars. I name comes quickly to mind, former Mayor tricky Dickie. And if you pay your cards right, another high paying federal job, think locally.

And will these projects after completion produce high paying long-term jobs after construction. I think not.

Maybe I'll get a federal bureacracy gov. job when I "retire" in December. Great pensions and benefits and little worry about being fired. Afraid one won't be offered. I never had the inclination to get ahead by K-A.