Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
In the fall of 1994, the Harry Singer Foundation invited a limited number, of mostly small-town schools, to take part in a pilot program. Students were required to find ways to stretch the resources of local government and make services more responsive to the desires of citizens. The Foundation hopes to gradually add larger communities, and offer categories for innovative state and national projects.
Volunteers at the Foundation narrowed the entries to 22. They were then edited and sent to the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco, California, where they were reduced to five. These five were then forwarded to a consultant and former-public official in Minnesota who has been in the forefront of the reinventing government movement; the innovative mayors of Indianapolis and Houston, 12 governors, two former-governors and two members of the United States Congress. Many had the help of staff, but all read the proposals and expressed an interest in what these young people had to say.
The final entries are reproduced on the following pages, just as they were seen by the reviewers at the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco. Across from each paper we reveal the school and participants, information that was kept from judges.
This project was a logical extension of our continuing Responsibility and White Hat programs. Over the years, through student submissions and other sources, we have collected stories of good-things going on around the country, in both the public and private sectors. These inspirational examples have been accessible to anyone with a computer and a modem since the fall of 1993.
Teacher
Susan Long
Students
Alicia Dothager
Justin Worley
Katie Pyle
Sarah Stamm
Nicki Scales
Laura Vaught
Brian Woodard
Matthew Sexton
Jonathan Behrns
C.J. Coffman
Jobs For
Self-Esteem
Due to the new legislation, which will eliminate welfare within three years, and the opinions of the people who were interviewed, we believe that it is necessary to train welfare recipients in job skills. Our alternative would require work in return for welfare money and for residing in a jail or prison facility. This paper will prove that both welfare recipients and jailed individuals would benefit from a job skills program. By being trained in necessary job skills, it would be possible for these individuals to assume jobs previously done by volunteers.
The Activity
Our class created a poll which asked questions about what services should be available to the community and how it would be possible to provide services without increasing taxes. Each member of the group surveyed different people with a total of sixty. Each member interviewed in depth, two of the people they polled. From the results of the polls and interviews, we chose our alternative.
The Project
We could move experienced workers to new jobs which would open their old job to a released convict or former welfare recipient. By providing job skills and an entry-level job, government costs will be reduced over time. Society will benefit as a whole since, hopefully, people will not repeat their crime and welfare recipients will continue to work in a paying job.
Although this program might increase government spending at the beginning, in the long run it would reduce cost to government. When a person is removed from the welfare rolls, or is released from jail, never to return, this reduces expenses. A person who is earning a salary would return part of the salary to the government in the form of taxes.
There are many successful volunteer programs in Macon County which could be adapted as job training work sites. The first of these is the Adopt-A-Highway Program. Various groups and individuals adopt one mile of highway and pledge to keep it clean. It would be possible to have criminals from the county jail do this work and at the same time cut weeds, remove poison ivy and do other horticultural work. This would provide a needed service and train the criminals in skills dealing with horticulture. The township road commissioners could use these individuals and also welfare recipients to improve the county and township roads. This again would teach a skillÑthe use of heavy equipmentÑplus provide a needed service. Another volunteer program is the food program at Good Samaritan Inn. The people who prepare the food and serve it are volunteers. If either the welfare recipients or criminals could take over these duties, training would be provided in food service jobs. This would also improve self-esteem.
Another idea: Many items of donated clothing are unusable because they need repairs. Training people to make repairs would help them in their daily lives and also providing a skill in a service area.
Incentives and Disincentives
There are many advantages connected with this alternative. The first advantage is providing the welfare recipient, as well as the criminal, with a sense of self-worth. When one is contributing, rather than just taking, one has a higher self-esteem. It would provide the criminal with an opportunity to be away from other criminals. The criminal would be able to leave the jail or prison and perhaps for the first time in his/her life would be contributing to society. The criminal should be learning skills which would enable him/her to gain employment upon release.
The second advantage is providing welfare recipients with a sense of independence. By teaching job skills and providing entry level jobs, the government also provides the opportunity for independence. For some individuals, this lack of dependence on the government for their income is a new concept. Many families have been part of the welfare system for generations.
There are, however, disadvantages. It is possible that criminals will use the job site as an opportunity to continue criminal ways. They may attempt to escape.
It is possible that some welfare recipients are physically unable to work. They may have health problems which would interfere with employment. They might be too old or young or might not be able to hold a job due to emotional or intellectual handicaps.
People may initially oppose this idea for fear of losing their own jobs.
And finally, perhaps the insurmountable disadvantage: It would be necessary for the government to create jobs which do not already exist or are filled by volunteer efforts.
Conclusion
Welfare recipients need a system which does not merely hand out money, but also provides job training and experience. Individuals convicted of certain non-violent crimes should also be allowed to participate unless they are habitual criminals. We believe a job training program would save government money over the long term. It would hopefully remove people from the welfare rolls and keep criminals from becoming repeat offenders. It would allow these people to return money to the government in the form of taxes. In order to have a successful and productive community and country, it is necessary for each member to contribute to the degree he/she is able. Back