There was two young men in light blue jumpsuits picking up my trash the other day and when I saw this my mouth dropped open.. Just assuming and you may correct me if I'm wrong that they are criminals.. Why on earth do we have criminals picking up our trash? So we're paying for our trash to be picked up by these losers and I would like to know who is watching them why they do this? I know we've had a talk before about seeing them going down the road driving heavy equipment and mowing.. But I think that these jobs are better suited for someone who actually might be struggling and actually needs the money instead of using them for free labor. Give the job to man that has 5 kids and is seeking employment. I know that anyone can commit a crime, But I feel uneasy about letting them out to roam the city- And YES I know that they aren't " harden" criminals... They're criminals and that's the point. Anyone else upset about this?
What you seen were Department of Corrections inmates, these inmates are infact hardened criminals who have done most of their time and are working to fit back into the social network. It is much better to get free labor for our city than it is to worry about some loser who cant find a job, children are starveing all over the world so why not let some Ark city kiddies feel the pain too.
When i was a kid i worked during the summer for the city mowing and weed eating and picking up trash,, i am glad that we do not have jobs for our youth like that anymore because it just keeps them out of trouble and we all know that without a taste of trouble you can not get your children used to jail or prison.. so really what are you thinking?? the city has invested alot of money in a buss to haul them to work and drop them back off in winfield.
Wow. "we're paying for out trash to be picked up by these losers" Real nice of you to talk about a fellow human being who's actually made it through the prison system and trying to intergate themselves back into society in this way. I'm fairly sure that they wouldn't be working these types of jobs unless they had been screened for it.
Who's to say that an ex-con doesn't have a family to support or need money? How do you know that they're not getting paid? How do you know they're not staying in a halfway house and about to be released back into society where they will need a steady job to support themselves? I'm so glad that we can make all these negative assumptions about a person and Ark City just because they're wearing a blue jumpsuit and picking up trash.
Honestly, I'm fairly sure that the city is in need of more people to do these type of jobs because they're becoming less desirable to other people. Also from my work done last summer it would appear that the city jobs (trash collection, mowing, weed eating, etc) were stretched a little thin.
But by all means, if you're so worried about them picking up your trash, then cancel your services and take care of it yourself.
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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" -- Winston Churchill
Wow blah, Defensive much? Hiding something j/k! This was my opinion, Which I'm entitled to, As you are with yours- I respect yours and I don't mean to offend anyone.
My main concern with them picking up my trash is the safety of my family and all those around me... And including my property. I didn't mention in my above post but I do pick up my young child up from school the same time my trash is picked up. Let me guess, I should re-route my walk? I shouldn't have to- I'm not the criminal, I'm a law abiding citizen.. I'm glad the solution is to just " stop having it picked up" how is that at all productive? Why should I have to stop my trash from being picked up because the city is allowing these type of people to pick my trash up? I've done nothing wrong, We pay our payments on time. I would like someone to clarify this- Are they still in prison OR not? Is the city paying them OR not? If they are still in prison and they are doing free labor and the city is pocketing the money then that is messed up! If they are still in prison.. Why are they getting allowed these freedoms and why are they getting OUR money? If they are out then there isn't an issue... I guess I have to open an AC access thing to get an answer.
How do you know that they "made it through the prison system?".. Do you personally know this? I asked to be corrected if I was wrong... I would think that if they had ( even a work release type of thing) been released that they wouldn't be wearing the blue jumpsuits. When your free- Your free! Your going on a stand point that these people ( are you happy I didn't say losers) are ex-cons.. I'm going on the stand point that they are still in prison. Theres a BIG difference! If they have been released then I guess there isn't much else to say, But if they are indeed still serving for whatever they did then they need to go back there!
I don't have sympathy for anyone who goes to prison... I don't. We all make choices and we all choose what we do with our lives and if they do have a family and they have been spending their days in prison instead of with them then that's awfully sad. And lets hope that they decide now to straighten their lives out for themselfs and their family's and stay out of prison. I don't feel for sorry for them, I do feel sorry for their kids. You make your path- You either go the right way or the wrong.
I say "made it through the prison system" because you have to keep a pretty clean record for a quite a while to be able to do any kind of work release. Sort of a missed phrased it, but the general concept I was getting at is that they've kept their nose clean in a tough environment and are generally (although not always) near their time of release when being in the type of program you have described.
I understand your own reasons for worrying about this (children, saftey, etc) but with what I've stated above, I think it may be taken a little out of proportion. If these people were at risk to cause harm to another person or do something terrible, they wouldn't be there. It seems like nowadays people don't have faith in the common good of humankind, and a persons want to better themselves both monetarily and socially. I've met quite a few people who have been in prison and are being allowed to do jobs/programs like the one you described, and they all recognized the mistakes they had made and were determined not to let it happen again.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't worry or that you're bad for worrying, it was more the way it was said that caused my reaction.
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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" -- Winston Churchill
Why are these idiots doing jobs that sould be done by cowley county residents who could vreally use the jobs,and would definently do a better job,this is B.S.!
"What you seen were Department of Corrections inmates, these inmates are in fact -------- criminals who have done most of their time and are working to fit back into the social network."
Reminds me of a "Prairie Home Companion" joke of what kind of criminals the police were looking for after the robbery of a Viagra shipment.
Who's to say that an ex-con doesn't have a family to support or need money? How do you know that they're not getting paid? How do you know they're not staying in a halfway house and about to be released back into society where they will need a steady job to support themselves? I'm so glad that we can make all these negative assumptions about a person and Ark City just because they're wearing a blue jumpsuit and picking up trash.
Honestly, I'm fairly sure that the city is in need of more people to do these type of jobs because they're becoming less desirable to other people. Also from my work done last summer it would appear that the city jobs (trash collection, mowing, weed eating, etc) were stretched a little thin.
But by all means, if you're so worried about them picking up your trash, then cancel your services and take care of it yourself.
That is part of the problem, they are trying to place them back into society on pompers wages. Why would they if these people have families to support pay them less than slave wages. Safety is a concern put paying them what the job is worth is another, and why if they are trying to help them so much to fit back in do they not give those who have worked and kept their nose clean as you say not offered that job after they are released. What should be of great importance to everyone is what is the local leaders doing with the money they save by using these people. A last look we had almost seven full time positions open in street and parks department not being filled by non-convicted citizens
Did those cowley country residents who could really use the job go ahead and apply for it? I mean you can only leave a job open for so long before you fill it.
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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" -- Winston Churchill
Did those Cowley country residents who could really use the job go ahead and apply for it? I mean you can only leave a job open for so long before you fill it.
Sometimes it not who applies but how the department heads want to run the budget for the year. Just remember what happened with the guy who worked for the county and how he got his raise of almost $10,000.00 because of mostly how much money he saved by using the inmates. That was not all but it was a big part of it and it is a big part of what is considered as saving the citizens some cost in local utilities cost. One should check into the pay scale difference to really understand it's more about the money than the person they hire. In this new time of government transparency you can look at the city budget of how this keeps the payroll down for them and they say taxes down for the people.
No it's like pay some of my friends not the good citizens who use the good citizens who pay for the fruits of their labor. Ask your self this question why do we not use anyone from the local county jail to pay off some of the fines they have built up!
First off,those idiots in the blue jump suits are inmates from the Winfield Correctional Faucility,they are currently serving prison sentences,and I`m quite sure that the City did`nt run out of workers and everybody knows this,they just found a much cheaper way to fill those positions,and yes I do have a problem with being charged the same price when they are now doing it cheaper,DUH!
its funny,, it takes three city workers to watch four inmates do one mans work so lets see how these figures add up
3 city workers X $10.00 pr hour = $30.00 pr hr 4 inmates X $ 20.00 pr hour= $80.00 pr hr (funds that are never paid)
They use a higher payscale for inmates because they do not pay workmans comp, or health insurrance, or sick leave, nor do they match social security, or pay any taxs on their wages (( HMMMM this sounds like what big business is doing with illegal immigrants takeing american jobs and degradeing the value of labor))))
so lets assume that we have 4 men working and three with their thumbs up their ARse for a total of $110.00 pr hour, then they work their magical budget adjustments to prove it is cost effective.
they never need to pay the $80.00 pr hour as these guys are free labor, so lets subtract the $80.00 from the total of $110.0 which is the total hourly cost for all the men pr hour.
($110.00-$80.00)= $30.00 divided by the total men working which is 7 ($110.00-$80.00)=$30.00/ 7 men= $4.28 dollars pr man hour WOW!!! look how i just reduced the cost of labor,, with all these men i am still only getting the productivity of one man,,
This is how it is sold to the Commisioners, and its your sons and daughters who will grow up in a city where criminals are rewarded with a job, and those who want to work are sent to a temparary agency to find work which may last a week or two. meanwhile back at the ranch, the tax dollars you pay to incarsarate these individuals are not paid back to you, and if you are lucky to find a job !!you will be paying for welfare for their wives and children of the inmates and taxs to feed and house the inmates while they work the job that could support you and your family!!!!! and they do it for free,,,, chew on that fat albert
You know guy's this is so repetitive, these are the same statements made 15 or so years ago when the city first started using the people from the pre-release center, they did not listen then when it was said it will cost citizens jobs and unless it is addressed again at the city commission like parking onthe grass they won't do anything about it now
Well,I have an idea,why don`t some of these people up there in the city have these cheap labor inmates clean up alot of these side streets,like the trash that, they seem to think they are suited to pick up any way.Why not do something good with these workers,instead of just enough to get by!
Just something to think about.....The correction employees are paid anywhere from .60 cents a day to $1 a day on average. Seems that the city saves a whole lot of money by employing them.
Well.. Two inmates in three days have went on the run. This is what I'm talking about. You give them an inch and they will take a mile. They shouldn't even get the opportunity to be in a work program... Do you honestly think it will stop at this? Hopefully they are caught soon....
. That was not all but it was a big part of it and it is a big part of what is considered as saving the citizens some cost in local utilities cost. One should check into the pay scale difference to really understand it's more about the money than the person they hire.
