Welfare Reform Bill 2009 (On the President's Desk)

[MasterJedi]

Welfare Reform Bill 2009

Section 1

Atlasians receiving public assistance will be allotted a two year maximum with the following exceptions:
• a. Disability
• b. Perpetual care of dependent
• c. Those undertaking vocational training, who shall be allowed a three year maximum

Section 2

Section 8 housing vouchers:
• a. Maximum two years unrestricted with the following exceptions:
§ i. Disability
§ ii. Over the age of 65
§ iii. Veteran permanently disabled on military duty
• b. Housing shall be rented at the average market value for rent given a two-block radius and the same accommodations.
• c. Anyone convicted of a felony shall be removed from the program.
• d. Any minor problems such as noise violations, unkempt property that is the fault of the tenant, or generally disruptive needing a police presence shall be given one warning.

Section 3

Any able-bodied Atlasian on public assistance and not currently working shall be required to do 20 hours of community service plus 20 hours of job searching and/or interviews; or they shall be eligible to undertake a vocational training course (either college or work-based or a combination of the two) of 30 hours per week. For any shortfall below 30 hours per week, they shall be required to do community service depending on the total time spent in vocational training.

Section 4

Any able-bodied Atlasian on public assistance and not currently working, who express an interest in a vocational training course, must specify the occupation or skill in which they wish to train which will be permitted providing the course does not exceed three years maximum in duration

Section 5

a. Any person who is unemployed has a right to seek employment through private and voluntary third sector organisations involved in organising and running 'back to work' programmes.

b. Job seekers can choose to register with a third sector employment provider if government services have been unsuccessful in helping them find work after six weeks of registered unemployment.

c. Government employment providers may contract third sector employment providers by competitive tender to provide skills training, assistance and work placements.

d. The rights of individuals to seek government assistance or intervention at any stage of 'back to work' programmes shall be upheld.

Section 6

An initial amount of $1.5bn shall be appropriated from the Department of the Treasury (Labor Sub-Department) in the Fiscal Year 2009 to provide funding for such vocational training, as specified in Clause Three. The Senate will review this funding on an annual basis and set it at an amount at which it may deem appropriate.
Spon: Sen. Afleitch

[Marokai Backbeat]

I have never been a fan of Section 3, nor will I ever be voting for this bill so long as it includes it as it presently stands.

[tmthforu94]

I strongly support this bill, although the hours on section 3 are a lot. I mean, 20 hours a week requirements job searching is a lot.  I don't know how someone could search for jobs and interview 20 hours each week. Maybe it could be lowered to 10, possibly?

[Purple State]

I'm not a fan of Section 3, but I'm willing to work with you on it.

Also, amendment offered as friendly to change Dept. of Treasury (Labor Sub-Dept.) to the Office of Atlasia Labor (OAL). It was created by previous legislation.

[afleitch]

Some background for this bill.

From the 4th Senate to the 28th Atlasia had a Welfare Reform Act which was modified in the 12th Senate by Senator DaveHawk (and introduced by the current PPT who was also then PPT ) It essentially outlined welfare qualifications.

Although wiki was not updated, the Dependent Child and Income Tax Credit Act repealed the act and replaced it with a bill that replaced welfare provisions with with a simple flat tax credit. It offered no incentive to work or conditions under which welfare could be claimed and removed funding for training, learning and development - the basics of helping people find work. I believe given the current climate and given the funding we may make avaliable through the stimulus bill, we should re-instate the previous legislation and it's conditions. I have also added a role for the third sector in helping people find work.

I am more than willing to support amendments.

[Marokai Backbeat]

How would 20 hours of job searching and interviews possibly be enforced, anywho?

[afleitch]

How would 20 hours of job searching and interviews possibly be enforced, anywho?

That's for the Senate to consider I had considered tweaking this myself but opted to retain the level last agreed by the Senate as a starting point.

[tmthforu94]

I would like to propose an amendment on Section 3...

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[Marokai Backbeat]

I'd like the community service provision removed entirely, to be honest.

[afleitch]

I'd like the community service provision removed entirely, to be honest.

I assume that would still retain the requirement to essentially look for a job and/or undertake vocational training?

[Marokai Backbeat]

I'd like the community service provision removed entirely, to be honest.

I assume that would still retain the requirement to essentially look for a job and/or undertake vocational training?

Well we'd have to find some way to ensure those requirements are being upheld, and I'm not quite sure how we could enforce that, but sure I have no problem with making sure that people are looking for a job as a requirement to unemployment compensation or public assistance in general if unemployed.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Ah.. What type of benefits are talking here and how much would those benefits be?

I support Tmth's amendment. 20 hrs of searching for work is nearly impossible and you forget that it costs money to go out and physically search for a job. Five hours is much more reasonable but I think it a Quantitative measure of how many places you apply to would be more enforcable then a Time requirement.

[afleitch]

Ah.. What type of benefits are talking here and how much would those benefits be?

I support Tmth's amendment. 20 hrs of searching for work is nearly impossible and you forget that it costs money to go out and physically search for a job. Five hours is much more reasonable but I think it a Quantitative measure of how many places you apply to would be more enforcable then a Time requirement.

You're quite right. IIRC the debate around the issue of 'how long' treated time as 'bankable' so that if you did go down the vocational route you got x hours of training. This of course would assume that 1 hour of job hunting = 1 hour of vocational training, which it does not. Perhaps the high number of hours was to encourage more people to take up vocational training (?) but if you're miles away from the centre and you've got kids or dependents that will eat up your time.

[Hash]

Amendment offered to Section 3:

Section 3

Any able-bodied Atlasian on public assistance and not currently working shall be required to do 20 hours of community service plus 15 hours of job searching and/or interviews; or they shall be eligible to undertake a vocational training course (either college or work-based or a combination of the two) of 25 hours per week. For any shortfall below 25 hours per week, they shall be required to do job searching and/or interviews depending on the total time spent in vocational training.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I understand that we need to have strings attached to public assistance money, but we need to be realistic and fair in these restrictions, and not make people to sit in a class all week or pick up trash just to get a check. We need to take care that we don't set up ridiculous standards that force people to go through an obstacle course just to get some relief.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I understand that we need to have strings attached to public assistance money, but we need to be realistic and fair in these restrictions, and not make people to sit in a class all week or pick up trash just to get a check. We need to take care that we don't set up ridiculous standards that force people to go through an obstacle course just to get some relief.

On the other hand, we can't just give people checks and let them sit around watching soap operas and Dr. Phil all day.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I understand that we need to have strings attached to public assistance money, but we need to be realistic and fair in these restrictions, and not make people to sit in a class all week or pick up trash just to get a check. We need to take care that we don't set up ridiculous standards that force people to go through an obstacle course just to get some relief.

On the other hand, we can't just give people checks and let them sit around watching soap operas and Dr. Phil all day.

Well true, but with all due respect, we can't assume that's the norm and that's why we need to make people jump through hoops to get the assistance. Time limits and making the welfare payments a very basic amount encourage actually getting a job, not just arbitrarily increasing requirements.

[Purple State]

So what is the middle ground?

[Franzl]

I like the content of this proposal, and I also believe that Section 3 is fair in principle, although 20 hours are probably a little too much.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The most I would be willing to swallow on the Job Search req is 5 hrs. It would be literally impossible to do 20 hrs of Job searching each week.

As I asked before, how much aide are we talking. Vocational Classes are not free you know and are they going to be given enough to support themselves and a Family, at least $1200 a month or more in this area most people have rent twice what ours is or more so thats not even enough. Its a wonder half the frickin country isn't homeless and or living without Electricity. And I know how Sanitation, Cleanliness, and general Health status of people decline when there without electricity. I know, I lived two years like that in upstate NY. Is the aide going to be enough to prevent those sitautions from happening. Its not like you can give them $400 a month or something in cash assisstance, plus a few hundred in Food Stamps and expect them to be able to live above the level of third world paupers. People need at least $1000 in Cash assisstance per month to afford Housing, Electricity, phone(hard to get an interview without a phone, and increasly Internet. As well Gas, and Essentials not covered by Food STamps. Then you get to food Stamps, $300 can buy groceries for a month for one or two but definately not four people. Again I know from experience. It takes $500 -$600 in Food Stamps to provide a family of four with groceries for a month. Yea I know I am talking giving $1600 in aide to people with a family of four, more then you can make working for some. Well to tell you the truth, you can't live on less. Again, I know from experience. Why do you think I support aggresively raising the Minimum wage, the EITC, and the Child tax credit?

I guess I better go to bed or else the moon will change me to a Communist by Midnight.

[Lief 🗽]

How exactly does the Senate imagine the government will enforce the job search section of section 3?

[MasterJedi]

Ok, this is the first amendment in this set to change this part. I hereby open up the vote on this amendment. Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

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[Marokai Backbeat]

Yuck, nay.

[MaxQue]

I don't agree with that, but Aye since the law will be less awful if the bill passes.

[Purple State]

Nay. We need to do better at amending this.