Posted on 06/29/2005 7:02:03 AM PDT by Turbopilot
It is always easy to do favors for people with other peoples' money and look like a self-sacrificing hero.
At 15 years per generation, it's more like 5 generations on welfare.
I teach Computer Science classes at a local community college. The college has in place a program to get those on public assistance into school and, eventually I assume, into the work force. So every semester that I teach the core requirement computer intro class (I have NEVER seen on of these students in an upper level class), I have at least one of these students. I know beacuse I have to fill out special forms so those in charge of the program can track these students' preformance.
I have as yet to have any of these students actually complete my class. Most of them have children and cannot make it to class because the child is sick, or the baby sitter did't so up or _______ (you can fill in the blank). Most rarely make it to more than 10% of the classes and those who do either come in late, or for some reason unknown to me, feel that after 45 minutes, they can get up and walk out, even when I'm in the middle of the lecture!!
Many, though not all, of them have the ability to do the coursework, but none have the maturity and/or motivation to actually complete my class. Now, I do not dumb down my classes. I also teach at a local university and I teach all my classes in the same way. Students have to work for points which translate into their final grade. And everything the students do, ie attendance, homework, quizzes, exam, must be done to get enough points for a passing grade. My classes are tough, but I feel that they are fair, you work, you earn.
A perfect example form this last semester. One young lady in this program came to class for a total of 3 weeks. I did not see her after March 1st and class ended May 9th!!! The only reason why I even gave her a grade at all, an Incomplete - not really even a grade, for the class was beacuse she dropped off the majority of the course homework, in my mailbox, on the last day of class. Never took any tests or exams, but I figured that I would leave the door open and if she wanted to, she could contact me and I would let her take the test (yes, I tend to be way too generous)
What I got from her was a scathing e-mail ranting about how dare I not give her a real grade, she had done the homework and felt that that was enough for a grade, and all her other teachers had given her a grade and it was going to be my fault if she lost her financial aid and didn't I know she was a single parent!!
I don't know what got me more upset, the fact that she actually expected me to give her a grade, or the fact that the other instructors had!!!
The "I want something for nothing mentality" floors me, even after teaching for years!
How about work farms - dormitories or similar housing, and farm work, so they can grow their own food? It could even be private charities that do this. Of course, no drugs or alcohol.
***
I don't remember them, but my parents told me that during the Great Depression, there was some government program in place -- I forget the name now, but if you were unemployed, you could do things like pick up trash, sweep the streets, etc. etc. Nowadays, it's like pulling teeth to get a lot of people on assistance to work -- in fact, trying to do so could result in lawsuits -- violation of their rights to lie around and make babies at your expense, I guess.
At the private agency I worked for, we had a placement department that attempted to put folks into jobs. Getting the interviews lined up was easy. The difficult part was getting folks to show up for the interview, accept the job, and then show up for work regularly. They really had no clue.
I worked with the seriously disabled prior to that. What I found was that you can train most people to do something. The real issue is always attitude.
However, some folks are so disabled that they cannot work a full time job, or even a part-time job because of physical and mental limitations (as opposed to behavioral limitations). These folks are usually the most heartbreaking to work with. They want to work so bad, but it is just not in them.
Then there are those who work the system, going from one 'program' to the next. Those folks just piss you off.
I had to get out of the Vocational Rehab field. Too frustrating for me.
You are walking the walk, for sure.
I have 5 acres out in the boondocks with a second cabin (other than the one I live in) and a couple of trailers - I help out friends who need a hand, let them stay for cheap (or would for free for a while) while they get on their feet. Had two sets of people staying so far, a third family will be here in a while.
Obviously no drugs or alcohol allowed!
If more people did whatever each could do - large or small - the world would be a very different place.
Golden rule applies to everyone, whether they know it or not.
Yep; there's no specific requirement about the TYPE of job. As for the job market, I'm sure there are plenty of minimum wage jobs to be had. And, if they don't like that type of work, they can work themselves up into something more desireable (like the rest of us have done).
"At the private agency I worked for, we had a placement department that attempted to put folks into jobs. Getting the interviews lined up was easy. The difficult part was getting folks to show up for the interview, accept the job, and then show up for work regularly. They really had no clue.
"I worked with the seriously disabled prior to that. What I found was that you can train most people to do something. The real issue is always attitude."
***
A friend of a friend had the responsibility of finding work for people on public assistance. She once had the task of getting something like 25 or 50 or so applicants to interview for jobs with a company that made and assembled drapery rods and other such hardware. She contacted the applicants, made appointments for them, even offered transportation and child care. Still out of all the prospective applicants, only three actually showed up for the interviews.
As for the disabled -- I had a friend, Bill(now deceased) who was born with cystic fibrosis...terribly debilitating disease. Yet, he graduated from college and worked in the payroll department of a local company. Bill could have stayed home and collected a check, and no one would have faulted him for doing so, but he refused to be dependent on anyone. When he could not longer go into the office, Bill's employer arranged for a computer and modem to be installed in his home so he could work when he was able. He worked until about a week before he died.
When I see these moochers not making any effort to be responsible for themselves, I think of Bill...and I get really mad (at the lowlifes, not Bill).
I like Ms. Mobley-over 70 and she has a job! She comes home and patrols the laundry room. I pity anyone that bothers her! LOL she is great.
Oh I wish they would do this here in Philadelphia...
Please Please Please
I'm astounded that this is happening in Atlanta. I was under the impression that Atlanta's municipal government resembled that of Philadelphia or Detroit. This is awesome. It rocks. I'm also gobsmacked that such a favorable article appeared in the knee-jerk liberal Journal-Constitution -- and this is for sure a sympathetic article, one that mentions Atlanta's 3 percent unemployment rate (wow, another thing I didn't know) and features that mini-interview with the still-working 76-year-old Verna Mobley.
What I want to know is, who gets credit for this? Is it a federal initiative pushed by HUD, as the inclusion of Section 8 housing might indicate? Does the Georgia state government control the Atlanta Housing Authority? I want to know, because this is awesome.
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