Georgia lawmaker wants to force the unemployed to do community service

2011-12-02 05:32:30

#1

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

A Georgia lawmaker wants the unemployed to put in community service hours in exchange for their government-paid jobless benefits.

John Albers, a Republican state senator, has proposed a bill that would require out-of-work Georgians to volunteer at charities at least 24 hours every week, according to MyFoxAtlanta.com. Otherwise, they wouldn't receive unemployment benefits.

"We want to have a society that is responsible and that is accountable," he said.

The lawmaker, who calls his bill the Dignity for the Unemployed Act, brushed off concerns that the volunteerism would cut into valuable job-searching time. And he said the law would provide "flexibility" so that if somebody needs to go to extra interviews one week, he or she could make up the volunteerism hours the following week.

But former State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond told MyFoxAtlanta.com the proposal could create a problem, since it would conflict with federal law.

Furthermore, he said, "The problem is unemployment. It's not people not volunteering."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12 … z1fNqSbD5Z

I made the mistake of clicking on the comments button and it was rant after rant about how these 'lazy people need to be put to work' and 'we should drug test them before they receive their benefits!'.

Nevermind that it would in fact cut into the time they can spend looking for a new job rather dramatically, unemployment is not this pissants business. Unemployment insurance is paid for by businesses into a general fund that then pays out employees if they are fired or laid off. They get half of their previous pay for X number of months. So... why is it this assholes business? Why does he feel he can force people into slavery? I really fucking hate the 'morally righteous' half of the Republican party

So do you agree or disagree with him?

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-12-02 05:37:24

#2

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6762|...

Is there a difference unemployment insurance and what we call 'welfare'? If so the recipients latter should fall into this.

2011-12-02 05:39:30

#3

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7011|PNW

I don't really like this idea. They're supposed to be using this time to search for jobs, not grudgingly dish out soup. Could decrease the quality of volunteer services. It's also too much like indentured servitude to the government.

2011-12-02 05:39:54

#4

Uzique: dasein.; +2,865|6710

sounds a lot like the UK to me.

_{libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual}. _{http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/}

2011-12-02 05:40:13

#5

Chardee MacDennis: Green Man; +130|4793|Always Sunny in Philadelphia

i like this idea.

lol cuts into their time looking for a job.

Last edited by Chardee MacDennis (2011-12-02 05:40:49)

What is your Spaghetti Policy Here?

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

2011-12-02 05:41:06

#6

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

jsnipy wrote:
Is there a difference unemployment insurance and what we call 'welfare'? If so the recipients latter should fall into this.

They aren't the same thing at all. You have to work at least 52 weeks consecutively before you can collect unemployment, and you have to prove that you are actively looking for a new job, it pays half of your previous pay, and it runs out.

Welfare payments are free money for those deemed too useless to hold a job

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-12-02 05:44:09

#7

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6762|...

Yeah I don't think "welfare day 1" = 40 hours of volunteer service. Honestly after x months on welfare the service should equate to a part time job.

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
It's also too much like indentured servitude to the government.

You are being paid to do something, how is it different than a job?

2011-12-02 05:47:23

#8

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

jsnipy wrote:
Yeah I don't think "welfare day 1" = 40 hours of volunteer service. Honestly after x months on welfare the service should equate to a part time job.

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
It's also too much like indentured servitude to the government.
You are being paid to do something, how is it different than a job?

Unemployment is temporary and is simply supposed to be a bridge between jobs. Yes, a few people abuse it and max out their couch potato time, but to force people that just had the emotional shock of being laid off from their job to go straight into volunteer work in order to collect the benefits their former company paid into for this purpose...

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-12-03 03:32:43

#9

Dilbert_X: The X stands for; +1,815|6345|eXtreme to the maX

People shouldn't be 'forced' to do community work.

With certain exceptions* there should be no such thing as welfare.

Companies should be required to pay redundancy, and the state should provide workfare for people to do productive work at a subsistence wage.
Giving people free cash to get stoned and play videogames does not help the people or the nation.

If you need money to buy food then there would be workfare for you. If you want to be able to feed your kids you'd better do more workfare. If you want to do better than a subsistence wage then you're going to have to big yourself up and find a company prepared to pay you more than workfare will.

* The exceptions are people born with a disability or who develop a debilitating condition not of their own fault. Life is a lottery, I'm lucky - I don't mind a small proportion of my taxes going to those who are less lucky. Being lazy is not a medical condition worthy of welfare.

Fuck Israel

2011-12-03 03:46:54

#10

HudsonFalcon: Member; +20|6171|New York

People who are consistently living off the system yet are healthy enough to work should be involved in a program like this.

2011-12-03 06:14:01

#11

Cheeky_Ninja06: Member; +52|6972|Cambridge, England

Dilbert_X wrote:
People shouldn't be 'forced' to do community work.

With certain exceptions* there should be no such thing as welfare.

Companies should be required to pay redundancy, and the state should provide workfare for people to do productive work at a subsistence wage.
Giving people free cash to get stoned and play videogames does not help the people or the nation.

If you need money to buy food then there would be workfare for you. If you want to be able to feed your kids you'd better do more workfare. If you want to do better than a subsistence wage then you're going to have to big yourself up and find a company prepared to pay you more than workfare will.

* The exceptions are people born with a disability or who develop a debilitating condition not of their own fault. Life is a lottery, I'm lucky - I don't mind a small proportion of my taxes going to those who are less lucky. Being lazy is not a medical condition worthy of welfare.

ARGH I pretty much agree. Shockers.

2011-12-03 14:59:00

#12

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7011|PNW

jsnipy wrote:
Yeah I don't think "welfare day 1" = 40 hours of volunteer service. Honestly after x months on welfare the service should equate to a part time job.

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
It's also too much like indentured servitude to the government.
You are being paid to do something, how is it different than a job?

I think it'd create an atmosphere of if you lose your job, big brother can swoop in and tell you what to do. From there, perhaps the government should be allowed to have a say in what kind of job you have to look for in the first place. After all, wouldn't less people lose their jobs that way?

Volunteer work should stay volunteer work.

BF2S Forums Georgia lawmaker wants to force the unemployed to do community service

jsnipy wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

jsnipy wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

jsnipy wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

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