Provide Federal Rebuilding Jobs for The Survivors Now.

[bluedawg12]

When Pres. G.H.W. Bush called for 1,000 points of light volunteerism it signaled a shift of responsibility for managing social well being from the federal government to the private sector, by the conservative right wing think tank elite.

Many have since vocally, and fashionably, decried welfare and welfare programs.

In keeping with the propaganda that has shifted responsibility away from government to private agencies I heard a highly paid Red Cross Executive say today that they will need 40,000 volunteers, whom they will train, and who will be deployed for three week stints to aid in the recovery from this national emergency.

How about paying jobs for the survivors, instead?

I suggest a plan to combine the best of both worlds.Hire, train, house, and pay the survivors of Katrina who are scattered all over the nation in this true diaspora.
Rather than warehousing people in many states and shelters give them jobs!

Jobs and work restore a sense of dignity and self worth, is the anti-thesis of welfare, and elevates self worth at a time when being with out a home and work is devastating.


Here is how it could go:

1.) Military erects tent cities, in La. And Miss.
2.) Strict separation of male/female quarters.
3.) Hire able bodied men and women survivors of the disaster.
4.) Bring them back to La. And Miss.
5.) Train them- via the Red Cross Training program in place now.
6.) Put them to work, give them jobs, provide fair wages and let them take the place of volunteers from all over the world and the nation.
7.) Provide the dignity of work and a pay check.
8.) Provide the opportunity to rebuild their own communities.
9.) Federally funded payroll.

Feed back?

[ultraist]

1. Why should Haliburton get no bid contracts while locals go w/out work?

Have you read Senator Edwards' proposal?

http://blog.oneamericacommittee.com/

"We ought to give them the chance to help through a New America Initiative, modeled after the Works Progress administration, to rebuild a devastated region and offer good-paying jobs and hope to the displaced. Join me and say no to President Bush's failed leadership in a growing call to take this tragedy and turn it into an opportunity. It is not enough to talk about it; we will have to show this Administration that the real leadership means visionary action. You, one by one, can increase the power of the call to action by signing my New America petition here:

Join me as I call for President Bush to create this initiative.

Every single signature increases the power of the call and the chance for real hope for our brothers and sisters. If anything good can come from this terrible tragedy, it can be a New Orleans and a Gulf Coast that represent the one America we all believe in, not the two Americas we've seen on television for the last ten days. And the way to build that one America is to help the victims of Katrina take control of their own destiny, with good jobs that contribute to the cause.

[bluedawg12]

4. I based in on the military model

of seperate housing for unmarrieds.

Look, I am not hung up on how they house, I am interested in safe housing and jobs, and could include married housing.

I am thinking about the families that are de facto seperated, poor, and unemployed now.

So, yupper, this would be fine tuned. keep the suggestions coming.

[AlienGirl]

2. This could go horribly wrong

There are just way too many ways it could go wrong, even if it were begun with the best of intentions. First off, the strict separation of men and women gives me the willies; it means married couples would be separated, thereby removing the main source of emotional support for many people. Second, there would doubtless be pressure put on the survivors to participate, and many of them wouldn't be "able-bodied" enough to do hard manual labor in sub-optimum conditions without collapsing.

This plan makes my spine twitch and sets me into panic mode, actually.

Tucker

[bluedawg12]

3. Shifting responsibility to private sector goes hand in hand

with the rise of no bid contracts.

It's part of laissez-faire capitalism.

Ya'know, out sourcing of jobs, cheap foreign labor, destruction of the unions, rise of corporate rule in the world.

Read the blue print for a one world government, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism

"Anarcho-capitalism can be considered a radical development of classical liberalism. Its grounding in liberalism is demonstrated by the assertion of many anarcho-capitalists that the first anarcho-capitalist was Gustave de Molinari, who argued for a free market, and against a state monopoly on force, as early as 1849."

Someone ought to clue in the far right and their fears of a new world order--they ushered it in!

[bluedawg12]

5. I am worried that dispersed survivors will be forgotten.

The nation will lose interest and the survivors, homeless, and jobless will just continue to suffer.

The good people of the gulf coast need jobs and federal money must not flow only to mega corporations cronies of Darthbypass.

I hope to hear progressive leaders address this with one strong voice.

[Stinky Bushes]

6. EXCELLENT EXCELLENT IDEA

hope the Bushie idiots in charge are not so dumb as to ignore this call.

SOMEONE PLEASE NOMINATE THIS POST FOR THE FRONT PAGE....I can't do it becasue I don't have enough posts yet.

KICKED and WOULD BE NOMINATED if I could!!

Fantastic idea! To add, this would provide displaced persons with immediate jobs and would increase morale tremendously. They could be part and parcel of rebuilding their own communities. I say YES!

[Stinky Bushes]

7. Hey man!

I think this is a great idea! What do you guys think? I'm surprised it got bumped to page 2 so quickly.

I do ask in all sincerity that we keep this topic kicked...and please if you feel so led...NOMINATE THIS THREAD!

I just strongly feel it would boost morale as these people can finally find dignity in starting new jobs and new lives...they really need this and it would totally solve the problem of sheltering them in so many U.S. cities...would save money...would reward those displaced in that they would have pride in the new towns they helped build...

Please consider this!!

[Stinky Bushes]

8. kicking in desperate hopes of a response....

:kick: until others voice their opinions on the matter...

[bluedawg12]

9. Why would we bring in 40,000 outsiders when

the good people of New Orleans, many, many, young, healthy and willing...are out work.

Many of these Americans worked in construction, in the tourist business, nurses aides, jobs big and little.

If you have ever been unemployed you know how insecure it feels.

If you have family and ever been unemployed you know it eats at your gut.

Start the healing and give these American survivors work. Work and dignity.