A Plan to Put More Americans to Work

Published on April 16, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Current Events

I was perusing some of my old blogs, and I found an article from our recent financial crisis. In the article, I had asked for help with getting hooked up with the hurricane cleanup efforts. While I received no responses, it did get me to thinking.

While the majority of Americans who are unemployed may not appreciate such an offer, I believe that emergency aid programs such as FEMA should link up with state workforce centers and labor temp agencies. In the event of a major catastrophe, such as a hurricane or an earthquake, solicit temp labor for the unskilled labor positions from all across the country. Pay their bus fare both ways, room and board in a barracks style living quarters, and a reasonable wage for the day's work. Something to the order of $50/day (remember, room, board and transportation has already been paid).

This would reduce the cost of cleanup efforts by reducing overtime demands, and would provide work for many Americans who could desperately use the labor. It could also, properly poromoted, provide a good sense of civic pride. Work not welfare recipients could volunteer to be on standby for such an organization and possibly it could be engineered in such a way that they could count the time spent on such a labor force towards their work credit while they complete schooling.

Whattya think, folks? I think it needs to be fine tuned, but is an idea worth exploring.

Comments

bakerstreet

on Apr 16, 2005

Makes sense, we do it with the big forest fires out West already. I had several freinds who were basically untrained that were shipped out there, and given the opportunity you describe.

Dr Guy

on Apr 16, 2005

Sounds like FDR's alphabet soup.

Gideon MacLeish

on Apr 16, 2005

Dr. Guy,

Not far off. Personally, I think FDR got a bad rap (it was Johnson's "Great Society", NOT FDR's "New Deal" that started the practice of entitlements). FDR's depression era programs built roads that we travel without a second thought and hydroelectric dams that we don't even consider when we switch on a light. Honestly, they helped to create e better America.

While I am a major advocate for reduction of government and reduction of taxes, I DO feel that money already spent can be spent in ways that are in the best interests of our society. A disaster cleanup plan would mobilize labor from where it was available to where it is needed, and as the laborers are "temp" laborers, they could be considered independent contractors, reducing the tax burden further.

Furthermore, if this program idea worked, you could eventually produce a full time "on call" work force, providing them with benefits. I, for one, would sign up in a heartbeat.

bakerstreet

on Apr 16, 2005

FDR did some really good things with the WPA, and some really silly things. Building national infrastructure that was used was of great benefit. Building roads that went nowhere just to employ people was idiotic.

That's the problem with social programs now. Some seek to accomplish something, others are just empty excuses to hand out money.

Gene Nash

on Apr 16, 2005

I like the idea. It would be a cool paid adventure.

FDR did some really good things with the WPA, and some really silly things.

Personally, I'm a fan of the Federal Theater Project. But I digress....

Champas Socialist

on Apr 17, 2005

As long as the people are capable of doing the work (skill wise and disbality wise), it sounds like an excellent idea.

Dr Guy

on Apr 17, 2005

I do not disagree with this, but I do disagree with where the entitlement mentatily started. it was FDR. no, they were not entitiled, but all of a sudden, the Government was the provider of last resort and from that came Johnson's entitlement mentatility.

Dr Guy

on Apr 17, 2005

As long as the people are capable of doing the work (skill wise and disbality wise), it sounds like an excellent idea.

The issue is if there is any work to do. Do you still pay them to do non-work?

ParaTed2k

on Apr 17, 2005

Actually this has been brought up in Disaster Relief circles many times. The answers to why we can't seemed to get more than any others are (in not particular order):

1: Liability: When volunteers respond to "press=participation" type news stories, they are either acting on their own behalf, or with a private organization. Either way, if the voluteers get injured while working on the recovery, the liability either falls to the individual or the private organization which they represent. If any government entity were to put them to work, or pay them in any way, the liability falls on the government.

2: Political. Plain and simply, you can't make Americans work for their government benefits. Any attempt to even breath of people on government assistance having to actually earn their benefit, sends up red flags of law suits and bad press. And you know we can't have that.

3: The cost of housing and feeding. Believe me when I tell you, one of the major differences between a disaster recovery that gets lots of press and one that doesn't is how much more it takes to support the volunteers. The private and government orgs are all great at showing up with their own food and equipment. On the other hand, when a disaster gets a lot of press, people come out of the wood work to help, but they show up empty handed. As much as 1/4 to 1/2 of the relief infrastructure is often dedicated to supporting the support. If you bring in all those unemployed and welfare recipients, the number just gets bigger.

4: Security. Ok, so we figure out a way around the above 3 problems, and now we have a group of people from all over the country, ready, willing and able to help out. We house them in "Barracks style" housing (which is head and shoulders above how we house volunteers now) and all should be well with the world. Except. Except what do we do if one volunteer decides to relieve others of what little personal property they chose to bring with them? It seems like a nit picky thing, but becomes a reality the second you implement such a plan.

There are others, but these are the ones that readily come to mind.

On paper it seems like a great idea, and if the major concerns could be addressed, it probably would be a good idea.

Here are a few of my own articles that cover the problem:

Link

Link

Link

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