Officials Say "Capes For the Unemployed" Plan Not Super 392
After what must have been an epic marketing meeting, a Florida unemployment agency decided to give 6,000 red capes to the jobless as part of its "Cape-A-Bility Challenge" public relations campaign. The capes cost $14,000 (not a bad price for 6k capes actually) and featured a cartoon character named "Dr. Evil Unemployment." As one might imagine, officials are calling for an investigation to be launched. It's a good thing there are an abundance of caped do-gooders without jobs in the area who should be able to help.
Only.... (Score:4, Informative)
Only in Florida. I can say that cause I live in the crazy-ass state.
Re:Only.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Crazy as that state is, there had to be at least *one* sane person in the room when that was pitched. Surely to god, there had to be one person there who saw the disaster coming. My question is "What kind of environment was so toxic that he wouldn't or couldn't speak up and challenge such an obviously FUCKING INSANE idea?" How beaten down and scared do you have to be before you let something like that slide by without comment? How crazy does a boss have to be before his subordinates are so tired that no one even bothers to say "I think this might be a bad idea."?
They just didn't want to risk losing their jobs... (Score:4, Funny)
Capes are Dangerous! (Score:3)
Re:Only.... (Score:4, Insightful)
You seem to be making an assumption here. I have actually been the only sane person in a room - and, when I walked out, that left no sane people. Now, when you get a group of nutcases together, without any oversight at all - shit just happens. Take a look at both the Republican convention, and the Democratic convention. Go on - tell me that any of that crap makes sense to a sane person. I mean, ANY sane person - male, female, gay, bi, old, young, healthy, decrepit - even a sane retard would barf on anything that comes out of either of those conventions.
So, yes, I can easily imagine a bunch of crazies buying capes for the unemployed just as soon as the last sane person has walked out of the room.
What I'm really wondering is, how many of the unemployed actually wore the capes to fill out an application, or to an interview? And, how many of them got the job? Most likely, those capes were used for wiping rags, unless some Suzy Homemaker type used them to make something for her kids.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
"Dude" There is no "Tea Party".
There are people who loosely organize gatherings under the label of "Tea Party" but there is no organization that can deny anyone from being in the "party". If anything it's analogous to calling yorself a Progressive.
As for Shraia law, there are groups who's stated goal is to institute Sharai in the U.S. They are small fringe groups to be sure, but they exist.
Your view of the people who label themselves as Tea Partiers is derived from incoherent news achors and Democrat party
Re:Only.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sometimes people don't want to hear things or don't put a lot of value on underling opinions.
Was in a meeting when a client wanted a website called "Busted Moms" for a financial thing and just couldn't get the porn reference. The site got designed, published and everything, THEN taken down after all the work got done.
http://www.adrants.com/2009/03/sears-appeals-to-techie-moms-with-new.php
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit in to the wind
You don't pull the mask of the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with your boss and his crazy ideas
Don't like it (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not opposed to the price tag. I think that's reasonable if spent on something motivational. What they did however, was in my opinion, demeaning to the unemployed. It's akin to your boss walking around the office and passing out candy bars for effort. Treating adults like little children is ridiculous. Lift them up, don't hold them down. The last thing these people needed while down on their luck and possibly in dire straits was for some jackass marketing person dressing them up like super heroes and playing fucking games with their self esteem. The people who thought this up should be fired in my opinion.
Re:Don't like it (Score:5, Funny)
Well that will help the unemployment problem for sure.
Re:Don't like it (Score:4, Funny)
It'll open up a job for someone in marketing who isn't a jackass .
That umpossible.
Re:Don't like it (Score:5, Funny)
The people who thought this up should be fired in my opinion.
Do they get one of the capes?
Re: (Score:2)
Do they get one of the capes?
Either that or a well deserved sign [wikipedia.org].
Re:Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd be opposed to it for another totally obvious reason: The cape manufacturer probably is either a committee member's brother-in-law, or bribed the committee to spend public money on their company's stupid product.
Although I guess the cape could help the unemployed stay warm and dry when they're thrown out onto the street.
Re:Don't like it (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Nah. If that was true they'd have cost $200,000 ... plus free lunches for everybody involved.
Re: (Score:3)
... plus free lunches for everybody involved.
Not all government agencies work that way. I work in government myself, and if a vendor or contractor that is displaying a product offers to provide lunch we're specifically instructed to refuse. We can go to lunch with them, but are required to pick up our own tab. The reasoning is simple: we want to avoid any possible accusations that purchasing decisions were based on "wining and dining".
As a matter of fact, I'd say that the free lunches thing is probably way more prevalent in the private sector, whe
Re: (Score:3)
It is illegal in a lot of the private sector as well. There are a lot of regulations on lunches and gifts at least in the DME industry.
Re: (Score:3)
I work for a contractor to a government entity functioning essentially as government staff. I have to adhere to both ethics policies, relying on the stricter of the two if there is overlap or conflict. This means that vendors can take me to lunch and can pay for it, but to a maximum of $5. One can barely get a fast food meal for $5. Since I work for a contractor, I am myself technically a vendor representative, and I cannot pay more than $5 for government employees' lunches. They, however, can buy me l
Re: (Score:2)
Are the capes made in Florida? Either way I much rather see government funds going to infrastructure upgrades and fixes. If you need to take unemployment and you are able to work should be working at least part time. You out of work with a PHD. You are strong enough to hold a shovel. 4 hours out of the 5 day week you should be digging ditches to drop fiber cable, super conductive power-grid etc... The rest of the time you should be free to look for new jobs and take interviews, and other stuff. We can c
Re: (Score:3)
Because when you're on unemployment your full time job is looking for another full time job. Being unemployed, in prison, or on welfare does not make you a slave of the state.
Re: (Score:2)
And I wonder how wearing said cape to your job interview goes...?
Re:Don't like it (Score:4, Funny)
"And what is amazing is that, I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't be willing to pick up that shovel yourself."
Them picking up a shovel would destroy job opportunity. If they pick up a shovel it'd be silly to hire more "people" to do it for them, now wouldn't it? It's not laziness, its a strong desire to stimulate the economy.
Re: (Score:2)
It's akin to your boss walking around the office and passing out candy bars for effort. Treating adults like little children is ridiculous.
Speak for yourself, if you know of a company where the bosses go around giving out Mountain Dew and candy bars sign me the fuck up ;)
Re: (Score:2)
I was thinking I could go for them passing out candy bars. Maybe not gold stars or pats on the head, but I like chocolate. Always assuming this does not impact my salary.
Re: (Score:2)
Nah, the birthday celebrations are enough. Take a small office with 30-40 people in it, and if you celebrate everyone's birthday there's a birthday at least a couple times per month. Cue the cake and ice cream. And the folks I work with have a habit of buying a whole box (or two) of donuts in the morning just to get one, then leaving it on the counter with a "Take one" sign on them.
When I started here I gained 18 lbs within the first 2 years. I've taken off 12 of those gained pounds again, but it gets d
Re: (Score:2)
> passing out candy bars for effort
you meant ice cream sandwiches, right?
Re: (Score:3)
What would YOU do for a Klondike Bar?
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed. I didn't think "motivational" at all when I read this start. Sounded more like a badge of shame. Were they out of giant red A's to sew on their clothes?
In any event, yeah, the people responsible for this should be visiting the unemployment line themselves.
Re:Don't like it (Score:5, Funny)
Watch as UnemployedMan steps into this phone booth, dons his bright red cape and emerges as... UnemployableMan!
Re: (Score:3)
It's calling on its inspector general to expand an investigation launched into Workforce Central Florida last month. WFTV prompted that investigation when it reported the agency spent $250,000 tax dollars on staff cars.
Now there's the overspending for you. Unless you call this motivation for their own staff, in which case never mind.
Re: (Score:2)
Treating adults like little children is ridiculous.
Unfortunately, this has been happening for too long. Too many adults, as defined by the law, are still called 'kids'. Case in point, the politicians who oppose the wars we're fighting where they ask for Congress to 'get our kids out of harm's way and bring them home'. I often get lumped into that phraseology when I'm hanging out with some of my 30-somethings and a person in their 50s (or older) mentions something like, "You kids must be having so much fun... we didn't have that when I was a kid."
Serio
Re: (Score:3)
Eventually the old people will die off or be shipped to retirement homes. Then it will be your turn to call 30 somethings kids.
Re: (Score:3)
Most people now consider 18, 19, 20 year olds as "kids".
Age of majority [jstor.org] has been 21 in many countries for centuries. Your impression that there is a "new" effort to deprive people younger than 21 years of historical rights is not founded in fact.
Re: (Score:3)
Not to mention, goes off to war, or runs for local or state government. Sure, we'll trust you with human lives, public funds, etc. but no, we won't let you have a beer at the end of the day.
I was two months shy when they raised the drinking age in Fla (yeah, I grew up in that screwed up state) and totally sucked that, after joining the military, I was entrusted with the means to blow up a city (gotta' love SAC) but not with a beer.
'Course, a few years later, I got transferred to a base set in a dry county i
Special ed teacher in charge? (Score:2)
Seriously, this is so ridiculous it seems like something a kindergarten SPED teacher dealing with profoundly mentally disabled children might dream-up. I mean, "Cape-a-bility"? Really? That's like something straight out of an SNL sketch.
Treating the unemployed like tards just doesn't seem like it would help the situation at all. If anything, it'd probably just make them feel worse.
Re: (Score:2)
It's akin to your boss walking around the office and passing out candy bars for effort. Treating adults like little children is ridiculous..
But, I like candy bars. You're saying we're not getting any? I'm gonna tell my mommy on you! You're a bad bad man!
Re: (Score:2)
Capes are like, really big. They should have used something less obvious. Like a long time ago there was this guy who made some people wear these yellow stars. I heard it did wonders for reducing the unemployment population.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Don't like it (Score:4, Interesting)
You think it's easier for older people?
Re: (Score:2)
Depends on your definition of "older". It's always hardest at either end of the spectrum. Young people just entering the market have little or no marketable experience, and unless they're graduates from a high prestigious school they aren't likely to be first picks. Older people in their 50-60s are often considered problematical by younger managers who don't see them as marketable up to date candidates (fair or not). "Older" people like me (and probably, but necessarily, you) in their late 20's to earl
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Yes, I do. A hobby is a business is a job. There is no difference. If you market yourself in such a way that an HR drone can tell the difference, you might want to rethink your presentation.
Re: (Score:2)
Have you even tried to get a job lately? Its not easy regardless of your education level. Its particularly hard for us younger people.
You know what works every time? "Pay me under the table and I'll work for minimum wage."
Let's face it--if I have to chose between unemployment and feeding my family, I'll chose to cut out the government every single time.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Have your own motivation, like being able to pay your rent and bills and feed yourself?
Escape from total destruction, otherwise subtitled Arbeit macht frei, is the worst possible motivation for work. Also, work done out of desperation never sets you free.
The only truly productive motivation for work is enjoyment of the work on offer. There are sufficient resources in the Western world to keep everyone fed and sheltered. Work only needs to be done out of enjoyment, becoming a synonym for productive leisure. The initiation of force by hoarders against people who want access to available resourc
Re: (Score:3)
Im educated in the top 8 percent of US citizens since I have a MS in Applied Mathematics, and I have 4 years work experience in IT and scientific research. Why shouldn't I be able to get a job after applying to over 100?
Because you're overqualified and you'd either cost more than a fresh, young graduate, or else you'd shortly move on to greener pastures.
Re: (Score:3)
How about getting a job and earning money so you can take care of yourself?
I believe the US is down to 4 job seekers for every opening from the recession high of 6 or 7, so clearly something is being done.
In the meantime, you can go take remedial kindergarten math, since you apparently can't count.
Yeah, I can tell you what is "being done": The people who are falling off the end of their unemployment benefits are simply "giving up" and going on Food Stamps and Welfare. So, not only do they no longer count as being "unemployed" (a statistic that ONLY counts people who are actually still receiving benefits), but are likely not being counted as "job seekers", because they technically AREN'T.
I know that I, as an unemployed embedded developer with over THIRTY YEARS' of employment in that field, am pretty
Re:I Do like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe but its not Government's job to make you feel empowered. The Government should not be in the business of self esteem you precious little snowflake.
Someones tax dollars however few went to buy what are basically tchotchkes for the unemployed and not even good ones like a paper weight or something most recipients could make use of. Its simply irresponsible. If that tax (read other peoples hard earned money) money was going to be allocated to the unemployed it should been something useful like a card with some interview tips on it in their mailbox, or at the very worst an extra few dollars on their unemployment checks.
Re: (Score:2)
You know what would be fun... (Score:2)
Actually getting one of the case workers to take a look at your resume/CV and telling you: "Hey! According to what's on file with us, you potentially match X jobs. Let me see if I can forward your resume to some of these places and see what happens", instead of handing out a cape and shoving them off on their merry way, possibly with a list of McDonalds to go to.
Hell, we have the tech available to automate the process, even.
Instead, we have a (probably) too huge agency that shuffles pap
Re: (Score:2)
Trust me it's meant to be demeaning, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. The unemployment system is set up to get people off it as quickly as possible, regardless of whether or not the individual is gainfully employed. Bullying is a standard tactic that they use as is humiliation where possible.
It might not be like that where you're from, but around here that's standard practice because obviously if it wasn't degrading nobody would ever find a job.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm curious how this isn't a demeaning act. It sounds very much like a scarlett letter. There's a surprising number of people out ther that assume that the unemployed are picking up a huge check and are able to afford to sit around doing nothing for long periods of time. I don't know about Florida, but around here the checks are a pittance at best, my brother got laid off a while back and the check is barely enough to cover rent, definitely not also pay for food and health insurance.
I remember applying myse
Re: (Score:3)
So, my brother who just got laid off by his employer due to downsizing and has been working his butt off to find a new job, is being childish? Because clearly the money that he's getting which barely pays for health coverage and has a huge number of strings attached is conducive to his finding gainful employment which would allow him to get of government assistance.
News flash, before I went back to school I was making a lot more than minimum wage and I could barely afford to pay my bills. Let alone the smal
Re: (Score:3)
Here's the real kicker: When someone falls off the end of their UI benefits (the so-called "99-ers"), they are no longer counted in the statistics of "unemployed".
That is not even remotely true. Why do people believe this lie?
Educate your dumb ass here [bls.gov].
Missed opportunity (Score:3)
Let’s face it, they missed out on a real opportunity to establish the Green Jobs Lantern Corps.
Did the recipients have to pay cape-ital gains taxes?
Re: (Score:2)
No offense meant to the OP but posts like this are exactly why this whole thing was a bad idea. It's taken human being who are down on their luck and made them objects of ridicule.
Re:Missed opportunity (Score:4, Funny)
I'm surprised they went public with this. Usually, these things are cloaked in secrecy.
Re: (Score:3)
This sort of thing shawl not be allowed to stand!
Targets For Ridicule (Score:5, Insightful)
a Florida unemployment agency decided to give 6,000 red capes to the jobless
To simplify the task of acquiring targets to point and laugh at? This is as brilliant as having children at school that can't afford lunch stand in a line to get lunch tickets/vouchers so the other kids know who the poor ones are to ridicule.
Re:Targets For Ridicule (Score:4, Funny)
This is as brilliant as having children at school that can't afford lunch stand in a line to get lunch tickets/vouchers so the other kids know who the poor ones are to ridicule.
Right, because without explicitly pointing them out, the poor kids might simply be mistaken for very young hipsters.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, many schools have some other method of giving out lunches to avoid pointing out lunch program kids. In my kids' elementary school, each person has an account and punches in a code at the register. kids don't have to handle money (or have it stolen) if they don't want to, parents can send in a check periodically to top off accounts, and kids on the school lunch program do the same thing as everyone else to get their lunch. If I lined all the kids up and asked you to pick out the ones on the school
Re: (Score:3)
That's not exactly a new idea. I'm 29 and even when I was in middle and high school we used a "lunch card" system. EVERYONE used a lunch card with 10 strips on it (so 2 weeks worth of lunches) to get their lunch (there was a machine that shaved a strip off each time the lunch cashier checked you out). You would visit a desk in the lunchroom in the mornings before school started to get your cards. Just tell them your name. If they checked the chart and you were full price, it was $10 for 2 weeks. If yo
Re: (Score:2)
If I lined all the kids up and asked you to pick out the ones on the school lunch program, you'd probably miss 2/3 of them.
Sounds like there's more kids on the school lunch program than there should be. Not that I think it's a big deal.. in fact, they should just include it in the budget and stop charging for school lunch altogether, except then the brown bagging parents would throw a fit about how they shouldn't have to pay for a program they don't use (nevermind the fact that their childless neighbors ar
and debit cards for food stamp users? (Score:2)
I agree, the capes and the idea of making kids stand in a special line are bad. However the debit cards in lieu of food stamps is pushing it in my book. There should be some things people taking from the government where a little "prodding" to get off would be worth while. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, some do things which show it off all too well; think section 8 housing I have volunteered to clean up afterward.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes it does. Many people are reluctant collect money from a system they paid into. On top of that most people dont even know the number of things they can do at unemployment besides unemployment checks.
Re: (Score:2)
At this point, in an economic downturn, sure, there are a LOT of people on unemployment who would happily work (and many who WERE working until they were laid off). That is a development within the last few years though. For a long time unemployment generally was where a lot of lazy people went to get a check for a while. Its hard to shake that stigma that's built up.
It's much like disability. I know at least 10 people on disability. Only one of them actually needs it (he was severely injured to the po
At least Slashdot did it right (Score:5, Funny)
Putting a story about the unemployed on "Idle"...
I know who is behind this... (Score:2)
6,000 Capes for $14,000! This campaign is operational!
Re: (Score:2)
It was obviously Lando Calrissian.
At least it wasn't Darth Vader [adultswim.com].
TF2 (Score:2)
It seemed like a good idea when they were stoned (Score:2)
Even worse? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
I wonder if the capes were made in China.
Probably. It's been years since I've seen a cape factory in this country.
Better than their last idea (Score:5, Informative)
I wish desperately I could say I was making this up, but I am not.
$14,000 for 6,000 capes? (Score:2)
I guess that didn't create any American jobs.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Are we upset at this because having cash reserves is never a good thing for the health of your company?
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
'trickle down' never worked. Companies run as lean as they can, regardless of cash reserves.
" government for being full of incompetent tools who don't try to curb this problem."
The government is not full of incompetent tools. the US government is more efficient and productive them almost every corporation.
Look at the numbers.
What the hell is the government supposed to do about wealth on hand? How a companies chooses to pay t's CEOs?
As far as taxes go, tax people not entities. When a CEO gets a a bonus, tax
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, yes. These companies exist in the form and size they do largely because "the people" (AKA the government who supposedly represent the people) have given them breaks, opportunities and incentives to put people to work and to help improve the economy by spreading their wealth around. That is pretty much the very REASON they get breaks, bonuses and incentives by the government.
Re: (Score:3)
It's just a marketing (Score:2)
campaign. In fact it look like a pretty inexpensive one that is working.
Unemployment agency have a shit ton of services, but they have a hard time getting people to come in and use them. In most state they don't just deal with getting people monetary assistance.
They can help write resumes, fax information, have a computer to check email, interview help, proper attire help. They may ahve JR dept. from varies local companies come in and give talks on what they are looking for.
You don't even need to be getting
Re:It's just a marketing (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Mom's gonna be pissed (Score:2)
And people wonder (Score:2)
... why conservatives think government agencies aren't efficient.
"The campaign which reportedly cost $73,000 includes thousands of red capes"
"Workforce Central Florida spent $250,000 tax dollars on staff cars"
Florida taxpayers' money hard at work creating jobs.
Ulterior motives (Score:2)
Let's not "Jump to Conclusions"! (Score:2)
As least not until I have gotten my "Jump to Conclusions" mat out. Then we can decide if this idea was make by "cape-able" people.
Use or Lose it Budget? (Score:2)
The situation may have come down to the Use it or Lose it Budget practices of the govt. In many instances, Govt. funds are handed out to the various agencies and if at the end of the fiscal year you don't use you're allotted budget, the following happens. 1.) That department must return all unspent funds back to a general govt. pool and 2.) The next fiscal year your budget is cut to more closely reflect your department's spending.
So basically, it was waste it now or we won't be able to get funding when we
This will be as effective as "WIN" buttons! (Score:3)
In the 1970s, Gerald Ford attempted to fix the US inflation problem by handing out "WIN" (Whip Inflation Now) buttons.
Yeah, that'll do it.
Ahem...NOT a government agency, folks (Score:3)
Re:Ahem...NOT a government agency, folks (Score:4, Insightful)
The conservative preference for letting private agencies compete to provide such services is such because that way idiotic contractors like this bunch can get thrown out, and the contracting agency can choose from others that will compete to show they're more serious about how they put taxpayers' money to work. If this had been a government agency, the people in it couldn't be fired, and would have little to no incentive for doing a better job.
Except that in practice, that doesn't happen - governments are consistently really bad at choosing competent private contractors, signing sensible contracts with them, holding them to account when they screw up, and kicking them out to replace them with a more competent contractor when it turns out the original couldn't run a piss-up in a brewery. Conservative governments are if anything slightly worse at this. Meanwhile, actual government employees are often far more competent.
Re: (Score:2)
Why is that?
Re: (Score:2)
If you got fired you aren't eligible for unemployment benefits.
Re: (Score:2)