Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #1 Posted March 30, 2011 "The cash-strapped Metropolitan Transit Agency may soon begin hiring welfare recipients for cleaning jobs in line with the city's Work Experience Program, which encourages employable individuals to work for the cash assistance and benefits they receive. Nearly 200 MTA cleaners lost their jobs as part of the agency's series of doomsday budget cuts that required MTA chiefs to slash about 3,500 positions. Should the MTA hire workers in partnership with the city's WEP, the benefits would be two-fold: The move would lower cleaning costs for the MTA as well as endow unemployment benefit recipients with skills to make them more marketable in the workplace and help them get off welfare." Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42322194/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #2 Posted March 30, 2011 So, the city is paying for this, rather than the MTA, correct? Are these people being compensated in some way (in addition to the welfare benefits they receive)? Is it something like a minimum wage job, or is it something that you do voluntarily to make yourself less of a burden to taxpayers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messino Posted March 30, 2011 Share #3 Posted March 30, 2011 Good, put these leaches to work! If they dont want to pick up the garbage and clean up the subways get rid of their welfare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted March 30, 2011 So, the city is paying for this, rather than the MTA, correct? Are these people being compensated in some way (in addition to the welfare benefits they receive)? Is it something like a minimum wage job, or is it something that you do voluntarily to make yourself less of a burden to taxpayers? No, this is part of a program that the took part in for some time a few years back. The idea is that these welfare recipients are put to work to actually earn the welfare check that they get courtesy of us taxpayers, so yeah like Messino said, put them to work! I don't see why they should be at home relaxing on my dime when they're perfectly abled to go and work for a living. That was the best thing that Giuliani did when he got those welfare folks to start working and made them earn their welfare check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTimer Posted March 30, 2011 Share #5 Posted March 30, 2011 And some of them want to work just have no idea where to start or have no skills or varied experience employers want these days. They rather sit at home and pick up a check then being mentally beat up being a cashier someplace making minimum wage. A handful of them I know made it to CTA and made themself a decent living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #6 Posted March 30, 2011 We need to take care about who we call "leaches." Stereotypes reduce real social issues into cliches. While the workfare plan seems sound, it has unseen repercussions. As one small example, I know of a single mother on welfare who was studying nursing and had to drop out of her community college to satisfy her workfare assignment. Instead of having a taxpaying employee, we have someone who is still struggling in poverty. The Reagan vision of the "welfare queen" is so exaggerated and out of touch with reality. The truth is that 50% of NYC households have yearly incomes of less than $30,000 which is below the federal standard. Contrast this with the 90,000 NYC households with incomes in excess of $3.5 million. Moreover, it will take years before we have an economy that can support full employment. With layoffs and hiring freezes pending in the public sector, we can expect a lot more hard-working citizens to need public assistance in the coming weeks and months ahead. The City and the State should be looking at creating living wage jobs rather than unloading thousands of public employees into an economy that cannot absorb them. The MTA may very well be using the very workers they're putting out into the street! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak7 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #7 Posted March 30, 2011 Yes! If they can't find a job, we should give them work, not just pay them from nowhere. Clean subways, sweep sidewalks, shovel snow, whatever labor we need. Even if we increase their welfare payments it isn't as costly as hiring workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdi919 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #8 Posted March 30, 2011 i cant believe they are bringing this back. let me give you a few facts about having wep workers as cleaners. 1. the mta cleaner that has to watch them gets a extra dollar a hour. 2. most of them dont do anything but stand there. 3. most of the women try to hook up with a mta guy because all they see is atm. 4. they steal. many lunch's and food from crew room concession stands were stolen by wep workers. 5. there was a few of them trying to live in the locker rooms at the terminals. they were more of a headache then benefit. it got so bad we had them banned from the crew room at pelham. i hope they dont bring this back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak7 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #9 Posted March 30, 2011 i cant believe they are bringing this back. let me give you a few facts about having wep workers as cleaners. 1. the mta cleaner that has to watch them gets a extra dollar a hour. 2. most of them dont do anything but stand there. 3. most of the women try to hook up with a mta guy because all they see is atm. 4. they steal. many lunch's and food from crew room concession stands were stolen by wep workers. 5. there was a few of them trying to live in the locker rooms at the terminals. they were more of a headache then benefit. it got so bad we had them banned from the crew room at pelham. i hope they dont bring this back. Bringing them back doesn't mean bringing back the same old policies. They shouldn't be train cleaners, but station cleaners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted March 30, 2011 Share #10 Posted March 30, 2011 And take away union jobs, f*ck'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGerald Posted March 30, 2011 Share #11 Posted March 30, 2011 Before anyone starts saying that this is a "good thing" they should reflect upon the idea that REAL JOBS with REAL WAGES and BENEFITS held by REAL MTA WORKERS are being eliminated, as WEP workers who are paid in real terms about $2 per hour can replace them. The real MTA workers who are laid off or let go by the MTA, have to go on unemployment, etc. depending upon whatever severance package offered. Is it really a good thing to layoff such workers? Is it possible that many of such workers and their families may after a period of not finding work, will have to seek out public assistance - the rent has to be paid after all. WEP workers who are single individuals get "paid" $166 dollars per month, plus weekly transit benefits for the honor of working these kinds of WEP jobs. That's about $40 a week to "work" with. So no this is not some scheme to benefit by persons getting assistance. Out of that $166 one has to pay for utilities, phones, and any other expenses. Single individuals can only "get" two years of "assistance" within their entire lives, while folks with families with children can get at most five years of "assistance". After those time periods have run out - no more help, that is the law in this state, and in other states. The WEP workers do not get to claim that they "worked" for the MTA or whatever agency that they are assigned. They get the "experience" of working but it is not a "job", just a step up from "day laborers". So please stop the stereotyping, labeling and other nasty names about folks who are down on their luck. Just pray and hope that you never ever have to sign up for assistance. Things can look a lot different when you don't get to be smug and on a high horse. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoSpectacular Posted March 30, 2011 Share #12 Posted March 30, 2011 ^^ You speak the truth, sir, I hope I never have to deal with this sort of thing in the future as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theaveragejoe Posted March 30, 2011 Share #13 Posted March 30, 2011 wow this is a new low for the MTA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexington Av Local Posted March 30, 2011 Share #14 Posted March 30, 2011 Good, put these leaches to work! If they dont want to pick up the garbage and clean up the subways get rid of their welfare! How quick are people like you to generalize people as how you did. Some people actually need that help. No, I'm not talking about people in the projects with BMWs in the parking lot, I'm talking about people that are really struggling out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messino Posted March 30, 2011 Share #15 Posted March 30, 2011 How quick are people like you to generalize people as how you did. Some people actually need that help. No, I'm not talking about people in the projects with BMWs in the parking lot, I'm talking about people that are really struggling out there. Yeah right. The people IN NYC use the welfare system to sit on their fat asses and stay at home instead of work. The majority of people on welfare in NYC are on it because they are lazy or just dont want to work or are scamming the system for extra money. Its only a minority of the welfare receipients that actully NEED it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
553 Bridgeton Posted March 31, 2011 Share #16 Posted March 31, 2011 Put these scumbags to work and stop feeding these lazy asses free money. If they dont work, cut em from welfare and dont think twice about it either. These idiots have the nerve to go get hair done with that money. Why should they get to sit down all freaking day and have kids and sit on there asses and sob about how the system fails them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGerald Posted March 31, 2011 Share #17 Posted March 31, 2011 Messino: a) there is no way that you could know the situation of every person getting assistance, there is no way that you could know the work histories or attitudes of every person getting assistance, c) there is no way that you can provide any statistics, polls or other factual sources to back up any of your statements. d) there is no way that the direction that this topic has taken will lead to a discussion about transit or transportation issues which is the major point of these forums. Under the new rules of welfare assistance, now workfare that has been enacted during President Clinton's time in office -- public assistance clients have to attend "Back To Work" programs and/or WEP assignments. Unless one is elderly or infirm, or who have children too young for day-care -- ALL other public assistance clients have to attend a daily 9 to 5 Monday through Friday program consisting of either, or both Back To Work Job Skill - Job Search program, and their WEP assignment. Any instance of not following the rules leads to an "FTC" and cessation of benefits. Translating that into English - they are not on their "butts sitting at home" - anyone who had any understanding of public assistance these days would know that simple fact. This will be my last entry on this subject, since I detect that I'm dealing with a person that is very un-informed. It is not my job in life to inform you of the basics - that would take more time than I have. I'm done. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
553 Bridgeton Posted March 31, 2011 Share #18 Posted March 31, 2011 Messino: a) there is no way that you could know the situation of every person getting assistance, there is no way that you could know the work histories or attitudes of every person getting assistance, c) there is no way that you can provide any statistics, polls or other factual sources to back up any of your statements. d) there is no way that the direction that this topic has taken will lead to a discussion about transit or transportation issues which is the major point of these forums. Under the new rules of welfare assistance, now workfare that has been enacted during President Clinton's time in office -- public assistance clients have to attend "Back To Work" programs and/or WEP assignments. Unless one is elderly or infirm, or who have children too young for day-care -- ALL other public assistance clients have to attend a daily 9 to 5 Monday through Friday program consisting of either, or both Back To Work Job Skill - Job Search program, and their WEP assignment. Any instance of not following the rules leads to an "FTC" and cessation of benefits. Translating that into English - they are not on their "butts sitting at home" - anyone who had any understanding of public assistance these days would know that simple fact. This will be my last entry on this subject, since I detect that I'm dealing with a person that is very un-informed. It is not my job in life to inform you of the basics - that would take more time than I have. I'm done. Mike Sure there are some good people out there that are on welfare who are trying hard and mean well, but the MAJORITY of them are scumbags who sit and live for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salaamallah Posted March 31, 2011 Share #19 Posted March 31, 2011 all you will do is fire union paid workers and replace them with unqualified less trained workers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted March 31, 2011 Share #20 Posted March 31, 2011 How many of these workers are going to be laid off mta employees doing the same job for a hell of a lot less money?? Its like when they recently laid off station agents just to hire some of them back as station cleaners at a lower pay grade. It's a great way to get around unions and seniority rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted March 31, 2011 The ones that get out of their Mercedes Benz with a mink coat on and walk into the supermarket with food stamps without even a second though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted March 31, 2011 Share #22 Posted March 31, 2011 The ones that get out of their Mercedes Benz with a mink coat on and walk into the supermarket with food stamps without even a second though... Same said for a man who drives to his building in the projects passing through wits a Rolls Royce or Bentley. The fact that there are people who are abusing the system sickens me, but that else is new, it's been happening for years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted March 31, 2011 Share #23 Posted March 31, 2011 The ones that get out of their Mercedes Benz with a mink coat on and walk into the supermarket with food stamps without even a second though... Like the Russians in Brighton Beach.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarbageTruckJuice Posted March 31, 2011 Share #24 Posted March 31, 2011 i cant believe they are bringing this back. let me give you a few facts about having wep workers as cleaners. 3. most of the women try to hook up with a mta guy because all they see is atm. Haha that's awesome. Coming up next on Maury... I don't know his name but 7:20 B out of Brighton Beach is my babydaddy. (sadly I'm paraphrasing an actual Maury show title) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share #25 Posted March 31, 2011 Like the Russians in Brighton Beach.... You were reading my mind! Sheepshead Bay too... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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