They aren't slaves...they can still vote can't they? They still have a social security number and are not listed as chattel of the state. Why not put them to do community service and do the maintenance that needs doing but the state can't afford. All you people having a cry are forgetting two things, 1. These people are IN JAIL for committing crimes so IMO they should be working not sitting on their arse getting a free ride in prison. 2. It is saving you money.
@P4NDOR407 No, they usually can't vote...& that's a problem.
Simplistic people never question the social causes of crime,
nor do they question how a power structure determines what constitutes a crime, nor how such determinations are disseminated through the body politic.
They never understand that the quarantine/punish/exploit model of dealing with "crime" only magnifies & perpetuates the culture & conditions which produce it.
@Kydrah Except that they are NOT paying rent in their cell. NOT paying for their food. That comes out of OUR tax dollars. It's nice to see them trying to get good use out of the people that we are feeding and giving free lodge to. It's like giving chores to teenagers. You wouldn't call that slavery. You wouldn't say I had to pay them.
i see nothing wrong i agree with the governor i did this in new york for my welfare check the unions are the doining same in the private secter too all over america
What the real motive here is that with the free labor force of prisoners, they can cut jobs and cut hours for paid workers. Don't for one second believe that they are going to (as the 'official' said) "use some of the county personnel to do more difficult tasks" etc... They're going to use prisoners as much as possible for free labor, and then since they don't need paid labor, they'll lay off workers. Look for a higher arrest and conviction rate in this county too.
YES put them to work...but maybe if you offered them the work BEFORE they do the time...and you paid them a decent wage with benefits....then maybe...selling drugs might not be the best choice for some of these pp.
But then again..the gov cant really afford to pay a living wage when we're busy bailing out the real criminals on wall street and the real criminals are too greedy to pay decent wages or offer benefits. oh well. the price we pay for freedom.
@burneden Ironically, and unfortunately, in the big picture, this just means Wisconsin will start jailing more people for petty crimes just so they can get free workers.
if i was in jail and i had the choice of siting in my cell all day or going out mowing some grass, i now id rather be out plus these inmates provide a bit of free work
13th amendment of constitution: "1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
Did everyone miss the whole "except as a punishment for crime" part? I think it's better to put (some) criminals to work instead of having them rot in cells.
@jvclark2 yeah how is this any different from community service? I mean, as long as the prisoners aren't abused and civilians aren't harmed, I don't really see a problem with it.
taxpayers are funding these private prisons to make a profit off of selling these prisoner's labor which is used to lobby for stricter laws on minor offenses or create new laws that get more bodies in jail. a lot of people are locked up that don't need to be locked up right now. America has the largest prison population in the world. I mean how did we beat N. Korea?
@jvclark2 Community service was not part of their original sentences, so your point about "except as a punishment for crime" is false, this is not as punishment for a crime. It is total exploitation of the laborer. The free man loses his job and the prisoner does the job for no compensation. Also, the best way to increase crime is by increasing poverty, and taking away union jobs is the best way to create poverty, it is a vicious corrupt cycle.
a lot of them are non-violent drug offenders, and there are many states passing laws for longer sentences for minor offenses. To be honest petty crime doesn't make you a crook for life that needs to be in prison for 10 yrs use dby a private prison that we are all paying for as taxpayers so that these prisons can sell the labor of the prisoners to other companies in which they use money to lobby gov't for stricter laws to get more bodies in. We're paying ourselves into prison
@lordblazer Don't get me wrong, I agree most are in there for BS stuff. But lets say I was arrested for possession, I would rather be outside doing community service as part of the sentence than sit in a cell all day every day.
@lordblazer If community service was originally part of their sentence, that is different, because these prisoners were not sentenced with community service, else they would not be in jail. This is actually exploitation of the labor the prisoner can provide, as well as an assault on free laborers by the ultimate scab a worker with no choice in the matter and one who receives no compensation. Also, think about the effects of having more people in line for unemployment and homeless shelters.
@jvclark2 i think the main issue is that its STILL slavery, no matter what the 13th amendment says, also since roughly half the prison population are there for non violent drug offenses, and in such a courput system what dose "duly convicted" really mean now adays?
@phoboskitty Well part of being in jail is paying for your crimes. What is more valuable the work a man can put forth with his own two hands or just letting him rot in solitude forever.
@A86 honestly, if I was busted for smoking pot I would rather do something productive with my two hands than rot in a cell. Of course this is coming from my own point of view and I do a lot of volunteer work anyway. Others may have a different perspectives and you are free to disagree and offer an alternative if you want. It's just that we have so many people in jail for BS crimes and I'm sure a decent number of them would opt to get some work done outside than spend 24hr/day inside a cell.
@loveofphysics some are able to work outside some are not. Should we have a prisoner who killed 12 children and bombed a school no, but not all are dangerous violent offenders. The people put in jail for jaywalking (it has happened), shop lifting, pot, public intoxication or some other petty crimes are able to be put to work under the supervision of prison guards or the appropriate equivalent.
Ans to your question: We lock them up to punish people for their crimes.
@jvclark2 Do you think it is also good to have ALEC and the private prison industry lobby for more legislation to imprison people for virtually any reason just so they can generate more profits?Do you think corporations literally buying our democracy is constitutional?
@jvclark2 You miss the point. The problem is that these private prison corporations are now lobbying and buying their politicians so they can keep as many things illegal as possible therefore having more slave labor. Not only the private prison corporations like Wackenhut either, its companies that are taking advantage of this labor as well. We need to have people that make people criminals be completely separate from the influence of corporate interests that would create more prisoners.
@iFreeThinker I agree with you on that point. My only point was that is wasn't "slavery" in the sense that most westerners would think of slavery. But you are right, that is an issue that needs to be addressed as well.
@jvclark2 I'm glad you see the problem, but I what you call it is a semantics issue. It's profiting off people's misfortunes in either case and is very corrupt. It is endangering the principles of freedom and liberty that the first amendment promises, and I don't think any other definition of slavery despite its legality excuses what is going on at the current time.
@320iguy The "Tea Bagger" is running his home business that supports the suckling Democrats entitlements. The inmate is a product of that entitlement system. For every tea bagger there is a democrat with their mouth wide open. Open wide, here comes the bag...
hey i have an idea...let's have them do the roads too! that way we save TONS of taxpayer money that Scott Walker is giving to his campaign donors...who happen build roads at a higher price than what public employees would do.
That one guy is a fucking moron. It's not slave labor. You get paid in prison believe it or not. Also, they're getting their three square meals a day. They have their roof and medical care. They're serving their debt to society. Also, they're learning new job skills.
@Waffen9999 Replacing paid workers with prisoners is total exploitation, because there if a total loss of freedom for the prisoners. Hey, the Black Slaves also were paid and given housing and food, but that argument failed to justify that type of slavery, so it's not going to work for this type of slave labor either.
@loveofphysics Hey libtard, in the old days they had to work for their money food & housing, we still got slavery today with free (paid for by tax payers) pay, food, & housing, it's called welfare. You overpaid union slugs a just afraid that for once useing prisoners we might actually get some work done for our tax dollars and youll be out of a job.
@nappychimphunter Hey rethuglican, I cannot figure out how to respond to you. You seem to wax nostalgic for "the old days" of slavery where blacks and the poor were exploited laborers without freedom, that seems utterly repulsive. You also seem to think that welfare, a program that helps those who cannot provide for themselves, is the same as slavery without the labor, that is idiotic. And yes, if they use prison labor to replace my job, a final test tech building lasers, I will be pissed.
@loveofphysics They're prisoners. They're not supposed to have any freedoms. That's what imprisonment is, the deprivation of your freedoms due to your past actions. These people made a choice, resulting in their incarceration. Slavery was entirely different as those people have no choice.
@Waffen9999 If use fire a freeman and replace him with a prisoner to perform the same labor, you are using prison labor. It is about where the labor is coming from from a person with no freedom of choice involved in the labor, and the fact that for every prison laborer there is a new person in line for unemployment, welfare, food stamps, and ultimately the homeless shelter. Also, just because someone broke some law does not mean we have a right to exploit their labor.
I find nothing wrong with this...They need to work esp since our tax paying dollars are going to them to so they can stay in jail. We did it in the past whats wrong with doing it now? Sorry unions
All the inmate work programs I've ever heard of are voluntary participation and they get paid by the hour, my local new actually did an investigation and found that they have learned that they can fill tax returns and get very large refund checks. I don't think they should be paid one dime for the work they do, they are already provided with a means of living. If them volunteering to work for pay bothers you then please feel free to pay my share of taxes that goes to their upkeep.
@AwohaliSagwu You need to read some books by Amartya Sen. Income does not compensate for the lack of freedom that labor within the prison system. The prisoners are subject to total exploitation, unlike union workers, at least until Walker got into office...
I didnt know that when Republicans won elections stating that they would get more jobs for Americans, they actually meant American INMATES! LOL Anyone that votes Republican is an idiot!
I don't think it's slave labor, everytime we pay taxes its used to pay for a roof over their heads, cloths on their backs, and food in their stomachs and all they do is lay around all day (it must be nice), they are already getting paid for nothing. Now I don't want them building my roads or cars but I think picking up trash, planting shrubs, and cutting grass isn't to much to ask in return for my tax dollars, the money saved can then be put to work in other areas.
@AwohaliSagwu It is slave labor if they dont have a choice or they're coerced under some type of threat. That's the definition of a slave labor. Think about it.
We need to quickly expand the prison population so they can mow our lawns, Paint our buildings, Construct our roads; hell let them make our cars too! Arrest as many people as possible and let’s fire all those greedy people who want paid to do our labor. When all the jobless get desperate they will most likely break one law or another, then Bam! More free workers!
Oh My God !! We dont have to pay to keep imates in prison AND pay over inflated union wages for people to do the same jobs? Someone actually had a good idea and now people are complaining sounds like people will complain about damn near anything. I wonder if they got the inmates to clean up the state house after the unions messed it all up with their rallys?
@TheStrazy Actually, in most states they have a thing called pay to stay, which means an inmate in the county jail has to pay around 50 dollars each day that they are imprisoned. Many prisoners had jobs before they got arrested, and like you, some of their tax dollars helped pay for the prison system. Cut the b.s, this is just another revenue raising tactic (police checkpoints) that cities have had to resort to in order to make up for the money stolen through the Bailouts and Bush tax cuts.
@3MARSAURELIUS We have pay to stay here also, The chain gang wasnt invented last year this has been around for hundreds of years just now they call it "slavery". Yes it saves money and thats a good thing seeing most in prison are repeat criminals with no gainful employment in which to pay anything (even pay to stay). Either way it is doing its job and saving money for the tax payers of the area and thats a good thing.
I'm a liberal but I honestly see no reason to be upset about this. I mean I am from Detroit and the roads are messed up and there are many of lots neglected. Maybe if we used some of the inmates to fix up the city we'd be good. We can't depend on union workers all the time because they have too many rules and standards that don't put them to as much work as they should be doing. Unions were great in the beginning when employers were actually abusing their workers.
Unions where great in the beginning just like this country now it's all about show me the Money! Me me instead doing better for you and your fellow man. Unions have become a Joke, but using ppl that have no option, and work for nothing from the prison system is wrong, they should get a fair wage, for the work they do, now that would be something i would love to see unions fight for... but we all know Prison Guards are one of the biggest unions among the state, this story is a JOKE!
Maybe this will rehabilitate a few prisoners. Many of them are already unemployed and totally disconnected from the labor market prior to prison.
As usual, the unions don't want anyone doing any kind of labor without their approval. Even if it means parks and public property isn't maintained. If we are going to agree that there should be public space and parks that we have an absolute right to use, lets at least let local governments decide the most efficient way of maintaining them.
@Vamavid Landscaping and trash pick up? That's not slave labor that's productivity. Would you rather them sit around on tax payer dollar? Furthermore, people who are on court ordered community service do services like that all the time. You can call it slave labor when they are being forced to pick produce in the fields or do back room textiles. But landscaping and trash pick up are already services inmates perform throughout the U.S.
@Georgiapeach770 instead of making prisoners work like this, they should let them watch tv and smoke weed and bang prostitutes; that way the are pacified and rehabilitated : )
@Lobos222 jobs like landscaping and picking up trash on the side of the road isn't too big of a deal. You have people who do that on court ordered community service all the time.
This work should belong to Labor Ready Employees,you know the poor people who stand outside the Labor ready a 5 A.M. who spend their time in Plasma Clinics so they can have gas money to get to work and eat.Wisconsin is AssBackwards.
@130hc you do know labor ready and other work today- paid today places charge the place the send people twice per hour what they pay the people they send.
@vada2000 I can see murderers and rapists mowing the grass,not some person who is doing 3 days in jail over an expired inspection sticker,twice the pay yes,but worth it,Law abiding citizens should come first when it comes to our jobs,This is Slavery of the Poor and that is wrong and no American should be forced to work against their will,especially if they are doing small time for small crimes.
@130hc in the intrest of honesty in ky i was arrested and spent 2 weeks. i was given a choice of paying $250 in fines and fees or cleaning roads. i found cleaning easier on my wallet. if you think law abiding citizens deserve the job. go to your city works dept and tell them you want to be paid to pick up garbage on the side of the road and/or you want on a landscaping crew.
@vada2000 When I was Homeless living in my Isuzu truck at the Labor Ready parking lot in Lexington,Ky for two weeks as well,but I'm glad they gave me the landscaping and a factory job ay Sylvania lights.There were many of us that needed jobs.and I don't want to jail to for work experience,doesn't look good on a resume and many more law abiding citizens need the jobs,but if it cuts your sentence to work do it.But I would rather work outside of jail free to chose what kind of job I do not a slave.
@130hc you know except the truck i was in the same situation in amazingly the same place doing the same thing for the same company but i digress. they are not sending prisoners all over the place doing this kind of work. just guarding them would be a headache. in Lexington for example they just have them cleaning the roads in one group. after one guy ran they don't even let them mow grass at the jail anymore. your jobs are safe unless they hire more guards.
If you enjoy weekends, overtime, minimum wage, work breaks, paid vacations, etc, then you should be thanking unions. If we get rid of unions it won't be long before capitalistic greed recreates the conditions of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire.
pretty soon they ll just throw us in jail for they want u wont even have to comitt a crime they ll just call u a terrorist make millions from the goverment and millions from free labor they ve been doing this for years this isnt new then they bitch about the cost of houseing them is to high typical fat cat behavior
I'm very very left wing...but I see no problem with this. The people are sitting on their asses in jail, why shouldn't they get some work to do? I fee like they should have the option of doing this, and in return get a slightly reduced sentence. But if parts of the county are being neglected, i see nothing wrong with having prisoners, people who broke the law, mow the grass. It's nothing that severe and it saves taxpayers money, saves the state money, and gives the jailers something to do
@DurwardMatt a few problems with this argument.. if this gets popular, then what's to stop cops getting out of hand and simply arresting people because they want more free labor?? .. and who ever said those prisoners would get reduced sentences? if anything the local govt would be incentivized to keep them there longer.. & it's not better for the taxpayer because we pay for prisons AND cops.. i'm not 100% with public sector unions, but the alternative's disgusting
I agree....Plus we are paying for them to be in jail. They get three free hots and a cot every single night...they should be working in my opinion! Now at least they are earning their keep!
They should chain some of those loud fatass public sector union members to the lawnmowers and use THEM as slave labour! They're just scared that their overpayment for menial work is under threat.
Been sitting down with unions for decades. The results are obvious to all non left progressive fanatics. That is why NO ONE is joining your useless coalition unless they are in your camp of progressive takeover of working America. We don't need or want your subjugation. All non union workers who are there to make their company successful are far better off than failing union intruded companies. Union workers don't care about the company only their 10 minute break at the top of the hour.
No one is ENTITLED to a job. Period... These prisoners do get a HUGE benefit for helping out the community plus usually they get a little money for the job. This is just whiny cry baby bull shit from the unions. I am glad that an elected politician is SAVING the Working Tax Payers money! That is his JOB...
@Joell5678 - Yeah, de-unionization has done wonders in creating domestic jobs for Americans and increasing wages since the 1980s.....That's why most people's income hasn't risen since then despite increasing worker productivity and increasing weekly hours...
Worse than 1980's?!? Serious? We are filthy rich compared to the 1980's! We have BUMS, Freaking Homeless people who can afford to keep Cell Phones! When was the last time you heard about someone getting their Car Radio stolen? We are RICH compared to the 80's. The Unions have not been a factor since the 1940's
@Joell5678 - Who the hell is "we"? Adjusted for inflation and PPP the bottom 90% of workers have not seen any significant rise in income since 1983. Most people's income has stayed flat or even dropped:
money (.) cnn (.) com / 2011 / 02 / 16 / news / economy / middle _ class / index (.) htm
The rich have certainly gotten richer but if you think the average person is richer now than in 1980 you're dreaming.
@Joell5678 - "Freaking Homeless people who can afford to keep Cell Phones!"
That's your entire problem. You think wealth is measured by how many widgets are in your home. That's NOT how you measure wealth. Wealth is measured in how much disposable income you have for discretionary spending after taxes and expenses (bills, utilities, etc.), how much savings you have, your dividends, and how much equity you have in your home and/or assets.
Having an Escalade doesn't mean shit if you're in debt.
We are so filthy rich and "Wealthy" now that someone working at Mc Donalds making minimum wage making $1,200 a month is well enough to keep a household and still have extra money for luxuries as Cellphones, Cable TV, expensive food, Vehicles, and New Clothes Shopping. Hell ya We are Rich compared to the 80's!
Does this now make sense? You understand wealth now? It is all about "Buying Power" We have a lot more Buying Power now
@Joell5678 - Most people working at Mickey Ds don't own a house, bruh. Most of them are either still living with mommy and daddy, living with a roommate, living in an apartment, or are living in Section 8 housing. At most they're maybe renting a cheap townhouse (not owning). That's not wealth if you're living on public or private assistance.
Back in the 70s and 80s people could afford to move out on a McDonald's salary. In the 50s a man could support a household of 4 on a blue-collar job.
Blue Collar Job now usually equals around $15 an hour. (With very few skills you can easily get a job $15 - $20 an hour) So... Lets do the numbers... $15 X 40 Hours X 4 Weeks = $2,400 Per MONTH! That is more than enough to run a house and Feed and Army... If someone can not run a house on $2,400 PER MONTH... Then they are just a financial idiot with money.
@Joell5678 - You're letting me know that you probably don't live on your own. People who live on their own have to pay taxes. After taxes we have BILLS to pay. The taxes eat up 18-27% of that. Now that you have less than $2,000/month after taxes you've got bills to pay. The average rent for an apartment is between $800 to $2000/month depending on where you live (the latter being prices in cities such as Washington DC or New York City).
@Joell5678 - So who is wealthier? The guy who can feed himself and 3 other mouths on a single 40-hour/week job and have money to pass down to his children or the guy working 55 hours a week and barely breaking even, needing his wife to work to bring in extra income and leaving very little to pass down to their kids due to savings being eaten up with credit debt and paying off their trucks they can't truly afford?
If you guessed the latter you probably have room temperature IQ.
Again, you are trying at twisting the topic. People who are bad at Financial Management have nothing to do with the General Populace Wages or Power of the Dollar. . . Again... It is just Financial Darwinism.
@Joell5678 - You're twisting reality by pretending rent, taxes and utilities don't exist.
Just give up. You weren't even aware that rent/mortgage exists and now you're trying to lecture an economist on depreciation and purchasing power? Please. I'm quite sure you don't even know how to calculate how much 2010 Dollars are worth compared to 1980 dollars.
"I am an Economist" HA! Sure you are. Let me guess you are also a Hot Blonde Bombshell who loves Beach Volley Ball?
Anyone who does not know what "Purchasing Power" or the "Value of the Dollar" is can not even come close to being an Economist. Well with Colleges today, you can really call yourself anything. If you have a job is the real key... You are just talking out you ass about fake figures, and twisting the topic.
@Joell5678 - Anyone here who knows me knows I'm an economist. A few people that remember me back from 2006 probably remember me finishing up my degree.
You did know know what purchasing power meant. You thought it meant how much you actually buy in a year's time. Lol I'm leaving your error out there so anyone with a whit of Econ classes can point out your obvious error and you can feel even more silly.
And FYI I work at Brookings. That's what you call a "job". Something you need to get.
@ScissorHand26 - That was his main problem - he measures wealth in widgets. That's not how any good economist measures wealth. There are plenty of poor people in urban areas walking around with $400 pairs of Nikes, $500 cell phones and $200 designer clothes who have to apply for welfare every few years because they can't afford to keep the lights on or feed their kids every day without it. Do their expensive widgets make them wealthy?
Any economist who measures wealth in widgets has an agenda.
@Joell5678 - The average American household is over $14,000 in credit card debt. I don't know if you know this but debt decreases wealth/net worth. Do you know why so many Americans are in such deep credit debt? Because our income has not risen since the 80s and we've been trying to continue the upward social mobility trend of the 1930s to 1980s by charging it to credit.
People who have No clue about being good with money has nothing to do with how horrible Unions are. That is a totally different topic. If people are BAD with Money then that is their own fault. . . Not My Problem, not societies problem either. It is financial Darwinism plain and simple!
@Joell5678 - So if you're only making $2,400/month you're not going to be able to afford to live anywhere other than an apartment with $650-$1100/month (if you luck out to find a cheap-cost area) after taxes whittle that $15/hour down to ~$1800-$1900/month. That's not counting food, transportation, electricity, water, TV, air condition, heating, car notice....
Unionized public and private jobs make significantly more, hence why they're able to have a middle class life.
You just proved my point... Even at $650 for the cost to run a house it STILL leaves you with WELL OVER $1,000 PER Month for food and transportation! Not to mention if you are poor you get damn near all your taxes back at the end of the year.
The problem with most Americans is the always want MORE MORE MORE. They want the best House, The Biggest Rims, The Awesomest Boat, The Best Shoes, The Newest Phone... When they can not afford it. Again Financial Darwin.
@Joell5678 - Lol I said "renting an apartment". That's not "running a household". You'll be hard-pressed to find many houses that you can buy for $650/month. You can possibly rent a rat apartment for $800/month. Electricity bills alone can be $200/month. Transportation can be up to $400/month and heating/A/C can be over $400/month. That's another $1000 of the $1000 you had left over after taxes and rent. Not counting food, extras, health insurance, car insurance and pocket money.
Awwwww... Are you Mad? Don't get mad just because I kicked a hole through everything that you feebly tried to throw at me. Even when you kept flip flopping around on different topics I still smashed them to bits. Get a grip, this is real life. $2,400 per month is plenty of money to live on. Ha!
You could make pedophiles, rapists and murderers be full-blown SLAVES, and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, because I utterly despise all of the aforementioned. Especially pedophiles and rapists... There is NOTHING they could ever go through that will make me feel even the slightest sympathy for them. They had no sympathy for their victims, so FUCK them.
@vada2000 I guess you're blind then...... even you said you can't see the problem..... that means you're blind and you better figure out the problem so you can see again or else you won't be prepared when they come for you.
@adrahaxxen so taking people that break the laws and using them to better a community while freeing up others that can be better used fixing roads or bridges makes me blind? its better to let them just sit in a cell watching cable that we pay for btw. what is wrong with them contributing to society?
@vada2000 - As long as they're getting paid for it I don't really see the problem. If they're not getting paid then it is a problem because it basically is slave labor. There are already many jobs in prison where inmates get paid, so I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for landscaping and picking up trash.
@A86 ok pay them. it would just go towards their fees and fines. it could also take some of the cost off of tax payers by putting it towards feeding them and housing them.
@vada2000 - Yeah, but there has to be a delicate balance. Stuff like this also provides a great potential for corporations to replace public and some private workers. Imagine the profits they could reap using cheap prison labor over unionized or even non-union labor out in the non-prison world. It would be like a phenomenon similar to how they use illegal immigrant labor now.
@A86 well if by some odd ball decision they did that it would open up many jobs for guards. the only jobs they could give them would be menial labor jobs. nothing with money or interaction with citizens. most jobs are hard to do with a chain around your ankle. dont let your fears of a "nwo" get in the way of reason and common sense
@vada2000 - A lot of Americans still work "menial jobs". Millions. And we have 2.4 million inmates in the US. This isn't about the "NWO" it's just a realization of how unfettered capitalism works. Capitalists want to minimize costs and maximize profits. Large corporations can easily use their profits to lobby state and local governments for lawmakers to manipulate existing laws to arrest people easier or keep them in prison longer so these inmates can be used for cheap labor. Simple.
@A86 This is the taxpayer funded state that is making legitimate efforts to cut cost to the taxpayer. Your lame interjection of Capitalist demonstrates 1) Your inability to accurately assess what is being reported here and 2) You absolute inability to resist the need to falsely tie in your prejudice even when it doesn't make a damn bit of sense like have done here today. If a corporation discovered a cure for cancer your reply would be "See how Capitalism has caused a population boom?"
@Crucible0Patriot - Prejudice? This is common economic sense. According to your logic illegal immigrants being hired over citizens should be a rare occurrence. *eyeroll*
Comparing this to a corporation finding a cure for cancer shows a complete lack of critical thinking on your part and an unflinching, unthinking loyalty to whatever is good for business or whatever appears to possibly lower taxes in the short-run (even if it can cause something that outweighs the benefits in the long-run).
@Crucible0Patriot - If this is something that stays at a small scale it's fine but if the prison population continues to balloon at the rate it has for the past 25 years (or the rate increases) and the demand for prison labor outpaces the demand for non-prison labor it could easily create a problem of putting millions more out of work. IF the latter happens that would definitely outweigh the benefits from tax savings.
@A86 I'm confused. This is prison labor maintaining public grounds. It is supremely cost effective. Nuff said. Less money out of the pockets of the working class is a win win scenario.
@Crucible0Patriot - BTW, if you consider my "interjection" to be "lame" it shows you don't even know what the prime impetus of capitalism is. That's something you learn in Econ 101. The prime motive is indeed to increase profits and decrease costs (salaries for employees is a cost). That's what's being referred to when people talking about business "bottom line".
@Crucible0Patriot - Uh, we live in a capitalist system. Of course it has to do with capitalism since we have to figure out how to work this sensibly in a capitalist economy.
This is only a win-win scenario so long as the demand for prison labor doesn't outpace the demand for non-prison labor. Otherwise you end up with a situation similar to illegal immigrants being preferred over citizens (which is already the case in some industries).
@A86 well there is a way to keep corporations from doing just what you say here but if i jump on that track i am labeled a nut. now i agree with your statement on capitalist but as far as people in prison taking all the work it cant happen for the simple fact the rich wont have it. would you want a felon working in places you go or on your house? they will just get to clean streets and plant flowers.there is nothing else they could do.
@vada2000 - I didn't say they shouldn't be given jobs like these at all, I said there needs to be a "delicate balance". Particularly in this environment where the Supreme Court decided in 2010 that corporations can virtually buy politicians (which includes judges since they have to be elected).
@DeepSouth16 the problem is that there's millions of unemployed Americans who are looking for any kind of work they can get. that type of work used to be for normal citizens, but they took those jobs away and gave them to inmates, who are already guaranteed a bed to sleep in and 3 meals a day. the same people who are taking jobs away from the unemployed are the same ones who are telling them to stop leeching off of the gov and go get a job.
@rabidabbey so why are we paying inmates to do work when there's millions of law-abiding citizens who need those jobs? because the inmates get paid a lot less (which you would fail to mention, while criticizing others for leaving out inconvenient information), and if a normal person got paid that same amount they'd be considered a wage slave.
I live in Wisconsin and I don't see an issue with this......this is not uncommon around here and has dated back decades. A great number of times i have seen inmates (mostly around highways) picking up trash. The only reason this is getting any airtime on TYT is because it is under some fallicy that this is new to the Walker governancy. This has been going on for decades....i think that maybe under Walker it can be exploited more but its just not uncommon around here
Give the ultra rich tax breaks, give ceo's and corporations tax breaks, tax the worker, cut their pay, take away pensions, take away medical, take away rights, bring back slavery, have big taxes on workers for police/military state and debt, bail out the rich, layoff the workers, this is NOT american anymore, your time to take your family out of here is running out.
Unions shouldn't be able to tell others what they can and can't do... its bad enough that they tell their workers what not to do with their spare time. Also Unions are so unfair to employers who take all the risk. What if the rolls were reversed, you cannot quit or ask for a raise cause the employers have union power... unions create slaves of business owners... there is a reason why businesses with unions fail 30% more frequently.
@l1xx3r i think you're a fascinating person. it's amazing that there are people like you who care so little for others and your own well-being that you'd rather be turned into a slave worker than receive decent pay and benefits for the work you do, all because of blind ideological allegiance. it's a very peculiar psychological phenomena that is unique to humans (as far as i know), and it'd be great if there was more research done about it.
@Cuddlebunzzzz I think you care so little about others. Wages are based on productivity, so to force wages higher (thats been proven to make businesses fail more), you remove more jobs from the system, therefore lowering quality of life for everyone and the amount of jobs out there. Some people work in horrible conditions in other countries, stop your whining and be happy with everyone having a job... oh wait you guys already fucked that up. Good job! Just cause you can't see the big picture.
@l1xx3r i wasn't being sarcastic or trying to make a point. i honestly think it's fascinating that people can be blindly loyal to an ideology that actively screws themselves over in order to benefit someone else (in this case rich people). it's amazing how certain people can be so influential that they can convince a massive amount of people that it's a good thing to be a wage slave, while at the same time convincing them that, as an American, you have the right to earn a lot of money.
@l1xx3r (cont) btw if wages are based on productivity, then why do many of the hardest working people in this country have to work 2-3 jobs just to barely get by? you'd think someone who works multiple jobs is very productive, right? so why are they so poor while CEOs, who hardly do anything and take a lot of time off, earn more in a day than most people earn in a lifetime?
@Cuddlebunzzzz The reason people need so many jobs now as compared to before is because of taxes. Yes some CEOs get paid way too much, but that has only been recently (btw I research this stuff a lot). Usually those CEO are working for a company with heavy government influence. If you really want everyone to get a good job and people to get paid proportional to what they should, remove all government force from the equation. More force will not solve anything.
They aren't slaves...they can still vote can't they? They still have a social security number and are not listed as chattel of the state. Why not put them to do community service and do the maintenance that needs doing but the state can't afford. All you people having a cry are forgetting two things, 1. These people are IN JAIL for committing crimes so IMO they should be working not sitting on their arse getting a free ride in prison. 2. It is saving you money.
P4NDOR407 3 months ago
@P4NDOR407 No, they usually can't vote...& that's a problem.
Simplistic people never question the social causes of crime,
nor do they question how a power structure determines what constitutes a crime, nor how such determinations are disseminated through the body politic.
They never understand that the quarantine/punish/exploit model of dealing with "crime" only magnifies & perpetuates the culture & conditions which produce it.
The greatest crimes are ignored or exonerated.
musicalidea 1 week ago
Hitler did this to the Jews in concentration camps to "increase profits".
Dean0000007 6 months ago
They can't make you work.
drumheadcircle 6 months ago
There's Chain Gang labor in Alabama and Tennessee too :D
Laughingblades 6 months ago
If inmate's are to do that, they they should be given a salary because it's a job.
Kydrah 6 months ago
@Kydrah Except that they are NOT paying rent in their cell. NOT paying for their food. That comes out of OUR tax dollars. It's nice to see them trying to get good use out of the people that we are feeding and giving free lodge to. It's like giving chores to teenagers. You wouldn't call that slavery. You wouldn't say I had to pay them.
collaredslaveja 6 months ago 3
Now we know why prohibition of marijuana is still in force since a huge bulk of their labor force are just kids with an ounce weed
mohhamza 6 months ago
i see nothing wrong i agree with the governor i did this in new york for my welfare check the unions are the doining same in the private secter too all over america
PS108 6 months ago
Jayar FTW.
Tuuliska 7 months ago
Gerrymander is the wrong word
leyubar 7 months ago
As long as prisoners remain a source of profit, expect to see an ongoing increase in the prison population.
Johngalt43 7 months ago
What the real motive here is that with the free labor force of prisoners, they can cut jobs and cut hours for paid workers. Don't for one second believe that they are going to (as the 'official' said) "use some of the county personnel to do more difficult tasks" etc... They're going to use prisoners as much as possible for free labor, and then since they don't need paid labor, they'll lay off workers. Look for a higher arrest and conviction rate in this county too.
Hanamorichan 7 months ago
wow what a great country.. they even have slaves... are any for sale?
phoboskitty 7 months ago
Scott Walker=(ALEC) American Legislative Exchange Council, funded largely in part by the Koch Brothers.
melvin6767 7 months ago
YES put them to work...but maybe if you offered them the work BEFORE they do the time...and you paid them a decent wage with benefits....then maybe...selling drugs might not be the best choice for some of these pp.
But then again..the gov cant really afford to pay a living wage when we're busy bailing out the real criminals on wall street and the real criminals are too greedy to pay decent wages or offer benefits. oh well. the price we pay for freedom.
barbcinque 7 months ago
I don't see what is wrong with this clip. The prisoners love to get outside and see this as a benefit.
JCiznum1 7 months ago
bahahahahahahaahahahah thats a good idea i think.
JcKramer1991 7 months ago
hopefully this will help get people in jail for drug charges get out quicker
burneden 7 months ago
@burneden Ironically, and unfortunately, in the big picture, this just means Wisconsin will start jailing more people for petty crimes just so they can get free workers.
burneden 7 months ago
if i was in jail and i had the choice of siting in my cell all day or going out mowing some grass, i now id rather be out plus these inmates provide a bit of free work
jamie123ginge 7 months ago
you know what? fuck this!
let someone try this if i went to jail i'll have
to be shot.
theHedgex1 7 months ago
13th amendment of constitution: "1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
Did everyone miss the whole "except as a punishment for crime" part? I think it's better to put (some) criminals to work instead of having them rot in cells.
jvclark2 7 months ago 28
@jvclark2 yeah how is this any different from community service? I mean, as long as the prisoners aren't abused and civilians aren't harmed, I don't really see a problem with it.
SuperScarface83 7 months ago
@SuperScarface83
taxpayers are funding these private prisons to make a profit off of selling these prisoner's labor which is used to lobby for stricter laws on minor offenses or create new laws that get more bodies in jail. a lot of people are locked up that don't need to be locked up right now. America has the largest prison population in the world. I mean how did we beat N. Korea?
lordblazer 7 months ago
@lordblazer fair point.
SuperScarface83 7 months ago
@jvclark2 Community service was not part of their original sentences, so your point about "except as a punishment for crime" is false, this is not as punishment for a crime. It is total exploitation of the laborer. The free man loses his job and the prisoner does the job for no compensation. Also, the best way to increase crime is by increasing poverty, and taking away union jobs is the best way to create poverty, it is a vicious corrupt cycle.
loveofphysics 7 months ago
@jvclark2
a lot of them are non-violent drug offenders, and there are many states passing laws for longer sentences for minor offenses. To be honest petty crime doesn't make you a crook for life that needs to be in prison for 10 yrs use dby a private prison that we are all paying for as taxpayers so that these prisons can sell the labor of the prisoners to other companies in which they use money to lobby gov't for stricter laws to get more bodies in. We're paying ourselves into prison
lordblazer 7 months ago 2
@lordblazer Don't get me wrong, I agree most are in there for BS stuff. But lets say I was arrested for possession, I would rather be outside doing community service as part of the sentence than sit in a cell all day every day.
jvclark2 7 months ago
@jvclark2
I think community service would be better than being hired out to private companies. maybe this should be considered.
lordblazer 7 months ago 2
@lordblazer If community service was originally part of their sentence, that is different, because these prisoners were not sentenced with community service, else they would not be in jail. This is actually exploitation of the labor the prisoner can provide, as well as an assault on free laborers by the ultimate scab a worker with no choice in the matter and one who receives no compensation. Also, think about the effects of having more people in line for unemployment and homeless shelters.
loveofphysics 7 months ago
@jvclark2 i think the main issue is that its STILL slavery, no matter what the 13th amendment says, also since roughly half the prison population are there for non violent drug offenses, and in such a courput system what dose "duly convicted" really mean now adays?
phoboskitty 7 months ago
@phoboskitty Well part of being in jail is paying for your crimes. What is more valuable the work a man can put forth with his own two hands or just letting him rot in solitude forever.
jvclark2 7 months ago
@jvclark2 - So people deserve to be "put to work" because they got busted for smoking pot?
A86 7 months ago
@A86 honestly, if I was busted for smoking pot I would rather do something productive with my two hands than rot in a cell. Of course this is coming from my own point of view and I do a lot of volunteer work anyway. Others may have a different perspectives and you are free to disagree and offer an alternative if you want. It's just that we have so many people in jail for BS crimes and I'm sure a decent number of them would opt to get some work done outside than spend 24hr/day inside a cell.
jvclark2 7 months ago
@jvclark2 If those prisoners are capable of working jobs out in civil society, why are we even bothering to lock them up?
loveofphysics 7 months ago
@loveofphysics some are able to work outside some are not. Should we have a prisoner who killed 12 children and bombed a school no, but not all are dangerous violent offenders. The people put in jail for jaywalking (it has happened), shop lifting, pot, public intoxication or some other petty crimes are able to be put to work under the supervision of prison guards or the appropriate equivalent.
Ans to your question: We lock them up to punish people for their crimes.
jvclark2 7 months ago
@jvclark2 Do you think it is also good to have ALEC and the private prison industry lobby for more legislation to imprison people for virtually any reason just so they can generate more profits?Do you think corporations literally buying our democracy is constitutional?
Loltochapel 6 months ago
@jvclark2 You miss the point. The problem is that these private prison corporations are now lobbying and buying their politicians so they can keep as many things illegal as possible therefore having more slave labor. Not only the private prison corporations like Wackenhut either, its companies that are taking advantage of this labor as well. We need to have people that make people criminals be completely separate from the influence of corporate interests that would create more prisoners.
iFreeThinker 6 months ago
@iFreeThinker I agree with you on that point. My only point was that is wasn't "slavery" in the sense that most westerners would think of slavery. But you are right, that is an issue that needs to be addressed as well.
jvclark2 6 months ago
@jvclark2 I'm glad you see the problem, but I what you call it is a semantics issue. It's profiting off people's misfortunes in either case and is very corrupt. It is endangering the principles of freedom and liberty that the first amendment promises, and I don't think any other definition of slavery despite its legality excuses what is going on at the current time.
iFreeThinker 6 months ago 2
@jvclark2 the biggest problem isn't abuse of prisoners it's about reducing the value of the work of employees
BushidoBrownSama 5 months ago
Ahh, slave labour. Nice.
Repigs everywhere can be proud. The tea bagger cunts you voted for would have us all locked up and working for next to nothing.
geffel 7 months ago
I lov how hte black inmate is mowing the grass across the street from the Tea baggers house xD LMMMFAO!!!!! Oh, IT IS EPIC.
320iguy 7 months ago 9
@320iguy The "Tea Bagger" is running his home business that supports the suckling Democrats entitlements. The inmate is a product of that entitlement system. For every tea bagger there is a democrat with their mouth wide open. Open wide, here comes the bag...
aybesee123 6 months ago
hey i have an idea...let's have them do the roads too! that way we save TONS of taxpayer money that Scott Walker is giving to his campaign donors...who happen build roads at a higher price than what public employees would do.
iamjsmith83 7 months ago
ummm in Phoenix yuo hve to go out in the 100 degree whether cahined to 5 people with 4 guards and pick up trash, and do yard work ..
ukpkmkk 7 months ago
That one guy is a fucking moron. It's not slave labor. You get paid in prison believe it or not. Also, they're getting their three square meals a day. They have their roof and medical care. They're serving their debt to society. Also, they're learning new job skills.
Waffen9999 7 months ago
@Waffen9999 Replacing paid workers with prisoners is total exploitation, because there if a total loss of freedom for the prisoners. Hey, the Black Slaves also were paid and given housing and food, but that argument failed to justify that type of slavery, so it's not going to work for this type of slave labor either.
loveofphysics 7 months ago
@loveofphysics Hey libtard, in the old days they had to work for their money food & housing, we still got slavery today with free (paid for by tax payers) pay, food, & housing, it's called welfare. You overpaid union slugs a just afraid that for once useing prisoners we might actually get some work done for our tax dollars and youll be out of a job.
nappychimphunter 7 months ago
@nappychimphunter Hey rethuglican, I cannot figure out how to respond to you. You seem to wax nostalgic for "the old days" of slavery where blacks and the poor were exploited laborers without freedom, that seems utterly repulsive. You also seem to think that welfare, a program that helps those who cannot provide for themselves, is the same as slavery without the labor, that is idiotic. And yes, if they use prison labor to replace my job, a final test tech building lasers, I will be pissed.
loveofphysics 7 months ago
@loveofphysics They're prisoners. They're not supposed to have any freedoms. That's what imprisonment is, the deprivation of your freedoms due to your past actions. These people made a choice, resulting in their incarceration. Slavery was entirely different as those people have no choice.
Waffen9999 7 months ago
@Waffen9999 If use fire a freeman and replace him with a prisoner to perform the same labor, you are using prison labor. It is about where the labor is coming from from a person with no freedom of choice involved in the labor, and the fact that for every prison laborer there is a new person in line for unemployment, welfare, food stamps, and ultimately the homeless shelter. Also, just because someone broke some law does not mean we have a right to exploit their labor.
loveofphysics 7 months ago
Inmates picking up trash on the sides of roads!? Say it ain't so! This has never happened in America before!
S1aptasticSquadalah 7 months ago
I find nothing wrong with this...They need to work esp since our tax paying dollars are going to them to so they can stay in jail. We did it in the past whats wrong with doing it now? Sorry unions
jtw549 7 months ago
I watched Shawshank Redemption, I know what's up Republicans
comerbp82 7 months ago
This video need about 300,000,000 more views, America is getting very scary very fast if we don't all unite and fight back these psychos
loveofphysics 7 months ago
All the inmate work programs I've ever heard of are voluntary participation and they get paid by the hour, my local new actually did an investigation and found that they have learned that they can fill tax returns and get very large refund checks. I don't think they should be paid one dime for the work they do, they are already provided with a means of living. If them volunteering to work for pay bothers you then please feel free to pay my share of taxes that goes to their upkeep.
AwohaliSagwu 7 months ago
@AwohaliSagwu You need to read some books by Amartya Sen. Income does not compensate for the lack of freedom that labor within the prison system. The prisoners are subject to total exploitation, unlike union workers, at least until Walker got into office...
loveofphysics 7 months ago
I didnt know that when Republicans won elections stating that they would get more jobs for Americans, they actually meant American INMATES! LOL Anyone that votes Republican is an idiot!
ViciousOneWon 7 months ago
I don't think it's slave labor, everytime we pay taxes its used to pay for a roof over their heads, cloths on their backs, and food in their stomachs and all they do is lay around all day (it must be nice), they are already getting paid for nothing. Now I don't want them building my roads or cars but I think picking up trash, planting shrubs, and cutting grass isn't to much to ask in return for my tax dollars, the money saved can then be put to work in other areas.
AwohaliSagwu 7 months ago 2
@AwohaliSagwu It is slave labor if they dont have a choice or they're coerced under some type of threat. That's the definition of a slave labor. Think about it.
ViciousOneWon 7 months ago
@AwohaliSagwu Then golive in Jail if you think it would be nice. They are real people in jail with real lives
AstroReyRey 7 months ago
We need to quickly expand the prison population so they can mow our lawns, Paint our buildings, Construct our roads; hell let them make our cars too! Arrest as many people as possible and let’s fire all those greedy people who want paid to do our labor. When all the jobless get desperate they will most likely break one law or another, then Bam! More free workers!
creamsykle 7 months ago
I'm not opposed to prison labor.
But let's understand what's going on here.
The Koch Brothers have held secret meetings w/ Republican Governors on plans on how to destroy unions.
What I foresee is someone who might be placed on probation now being given a six-month pay-free job instead & a criminal record
DillonDee1 7 months ago
Oh My God !! We dont have to pay to keep imates in prison AND pay over inflated union wages for people to do the same jobs? Someone actually had a good idea and now people are complaining sounds like people will complain about damn near anything. I wonder if they got the inmates to clean up the state house after the unions messed it all up with their rallys?
TheStrazy 7 months ago
@TheStrazy Actually, in most states they have a thing called pay to stay, which means an inmate in the county jail has to pay around 50 dollars each day that they are imprisoned. Many prisoners had jobs before they got arrested, and like you, some of their tax dollars helped pay for the prison system. Cut the b.s, this is just another revenue raising tactic (police checkpoints) that cities have had to resort to in order to make up for the money stolen through the Bailouts and Bush tax cuts.
3MARSAURELIUS 7 months ago
@3MARSAURELIUS We have pay to stay here also, The chain gang wasnt invented last year this has been around for hundreds of years just now they call it "slavery". Yes it saves money and thats a good thing seeing most in prison are repeat criminals with no gainful employment in which to pay anything (even pay to stay). Either way it is doing its job and saving money for the tax payers of the area and thats a good thing.
TheStrazy 7 months ago
I'm a liberal but I honestly see no reason to be upset about this. I mean I am from Detroit and the roads are messed up and there are many of lots neglected. Maybe if we used some of the inmates to fix up the city we'd be good. We can't depend on union workers all the time because they have too many rules and standards that don't put them to as much work as they should be doing. Unions were great in the beginning when employers were actually abusing their workers.
Candiecane908 7 months ago 2
@Candiecane908 well said
szelle63 7 months ago
wow crime really does not pay lol.
ridimwave 7 months ago
Unions where great in the beginning just like this country now it's all about show me the Money! Me me instead doing better for you and your fellow man. Unions have become a Joke, but using ppl that have no option, and work for nothing from the prison system is wrong, they should get a fair wage, for the work they do, now that would be something i would love to see unions fight for... but we all know Prison Guards are one of the biggest unions among the state, this story is a JOKE!
Budvb 7 months ago
Maybe this will rehabilitate a few prisoners. Many of them are already unemployed and totally disconnected from the labor market prior to prison.
As usual, the unions don't want anyone doing any kind of labor without their approval. Even if it means parks and public property isn't maintained. If we are going to agree that there should be public space and parks that we have an absolute right to use, lets at least let local governments decide the most efficient way of maintaining them.
VictoryCough 7 months ago
@Vamavid Landscaping and trash pick up? That's not slave labor that's productivity. Would you rather them sit around on tax payer dollar? Furthermore, people who are on court ordered community service do services like that all the time. You can call it slave labor when they are being forced to pick produce in the fields or do back room textiles. But landscaping and trash pick up are already services inmates perform throughout the U.S.
Georgiapeach770 7 months ago
@Georgiapeach770 instead of making prisoners work like this, they should let them watch tv and smoke weed and bang prostitutes; that way the are pacified and rehabilitated : )
NickRica2 7 months ago
@Lobos222 jobs like landscaping and picking up trash on the side of the road isn't too big of a deal. You have people who do that on court ordered community service all the time.
Georgiapeach770 7 months ago
@Houshalter you have no life. you commented on like everyones.
o0moreau0o 7 months ago
This work should belong to Labor Ready Employees,you know the poor people who stand outside the Labor ready a 5 A.M. who spend their time in Plasma Clinics so they can have gas money to get to work and eat.Wisconsin is AssBackwards.
130hc 7 months ago
@130hc you do know labor ready and other work today- paid today places charge the place the send people twice per hour what they pay the people they send.
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 I can see murderers and rapists mowing the grass,not some person who is doing 3 days in jail over an expired inspection sticker,twice the pay yes,but worth it,Law abiding citizens should come first when it comes to our jobs,This is Slavery of the Poor and that is wrong and no American should be forced to work against their will,especially if they are doing small time for small crimes.
130hc 7 months ago
@130hc in the intrest of honesty in ky i was arrested and spent 2 weeks. i was given a choice of paying $250 in fines and fees or cleaning roads. i found cleaning easier on my wallet. if you think law abiding citizens deserve the job. go to your city works dept and tell them you want to be paid to pick up garbage on the side of the road and/or you want on a landscaping crew.
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 When I was Homeless living in my Isuzu truck at the Labor Ready parking lot in Lexington,Ky for two weeks as well,but I'm glad they gave me the landscaping and a factory job ay Sylvania lights.There were many of us that needed jobs.and I don't want to jail to for work experience,doesn't look good on a resume and many more law abiding citizens need the jobs,but if it cuts your sentence to work do it.But I would rather work outside of jail free to chose what kind of job I do not a slave.
130hc 7 months ago
@130hc you know except the truck i was in the same situation in amazingly the same place doing the same thing for the same company but i digress. they are not sending prisoners all over the place doing this kind of work. just guarding them would be a headache. in Lexington for example they just have them cleaning the roads in one group. after one guy ran they don't even let them mow grass at the jail anymore. your jobs are safe unless they hire more guards.
vada2000 7 months ago
the American prison system gets more money than the education system... so they BETTER be doing some of the fucking work.
sf49ersrule 7 months ago
youngturks fail at news, weather, sports just stop
WORSTEVERR 7 months ago
NOT SLAVE LABOR! Dumb ass ...we are paying for this shit! foo
TWINSTARXTREME 7 months ago
If you enjoy weekends, overtime, minimum wage, work breaks, paid vacations, etc, then you should be thanking unions. If we get rid of unions it won't be long before capitalistic greed recreates the conditions of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire.
GrowMasterGeneral 7 months ago
what! you mean prisoners will actually have to contribute to society rather than be a menace to it. how dare they!
extrapressure 7 months ago
@extrapressure yeah and then hard working citizens lose their jobs. It's a good trade-off.
GrowMasterGeneral 7 months ago
@GrowMasterGeneral yeah because the only jobs available right now is mowing grass. not like there's more of that elsewhere in america.
extrapressure 7 months ago
pretty soon they ll just throw us in jail for they want u wont even have to comitt a crime they ll just call u a terrorist make millions from the goverment and millions from free labor they ve been doing this for years this isnt new then they bitch about the cost of houseing them is to high typical fat cat behavior
MrMrbobblehead 7 months ago
I'm very very left wing...but I see no problem with this. The people are sitting on their asses in jail, why shouldn't they get some work to do? I fee like they should have the option of doing this, and in return get a slightly reduced sentence. But if parts of the county are being neglected, i see nothing wrong with having prisoners, people who broke the law, mow the grass. It's nothing that severe and it saves taxpayers money, saves the state money, and gives the jailers something to do
DurwardMatt 7 months ago 2
@DurwardMatt a few problems with this argument.. if this gets popular, then what's to stop cops getting out of hand and simply arresting people because they want more free labor?? .. and who ever said those prisoners would get reduced sentences? if anything the local govt would be incentivized to keep them there longer.. & it's not better for the taxpayer because we pay for prisons AND cops.. i'm not 100% with public sector unions, but the alternative's disgusting
CocoaLuv22 7 months ago
@DurwardMatt
I agree....Plus we are paying for them to be in jail. They get three free hots and a cot every single night...they should be working in my opinion! Now at least they are earning their keep!
kathleenmkrause 7 months ago
@kathleenmkrause prison life isn't so cozy as u might think; thankfully I only did 2 weeks in jail, but it's not a hotel by any means.
NickRica2 7 months ago
They should chain some of those loud fatass public sector union members to the lawnmowers and use THEM as slave labour! They're just scared that their overpayment for menial work is under threat.
ProfessorxVile 7 months ago
@ProfessorxVile What public sector union members? They're gone in Wisconsin.
xxcrysad3000xx 7 months ago
I bealive this is a good thing give them something constructive to do but reward thenm in the end
djanusia1 7 months ago
Been sitting down with unions for decades. The results are obvious to all non left progressive fanatics. That is why NO ONE is joining your useless coalition unless they are in your camp of progressive takeover of working America. We don't need or want your subjugation. All non union workers who are there to make their company successful are far better off than failing union intruded companies. Union workers don't care about the company only their 10 minute break at the top of the hour.
Crucible0Patriot 7 months ago
US is the new North Korea.
hookah604 7 months ago
oh the poor babies, fuck them and the corrupt blood sucking unions
100crawma 7 months ago
The Unions are Bad For America...
No one is ENTITLED to a job. Period... These prisoners do get a HUGE benefit for helping out the community plus usually they get a little money for the job. This is just whiny cry baby bull shit from the unions. I am glad that an elected politician is SAVING the Working Tax Payers money! That is his JOB...
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - Yeah, de-unionization has done wonders in creating domestic jobs for Americans and increasing wages since the 1980s.....That's why most people's income hasn't risen since then despite increasing worker productivity and increasing weekly hours...
A86 7 months ago
@A86 The Unions are Bad for America...
Worse than 1980's?!? Serious? We are filthy rich compared to the 1980's! We have BUMS, Freaking Homeless people who can afford to keep Cell Phones! When was the last time you heard about someone getting their Car Radio stolen? We are RICH compared to the 80's. The Unions have not been a factor since the 1940's
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - Who the hell is "we"? Adjusted for inflation and PPP the bottom 90% of workers have not seen any significant rise in income since 1983. Most people's income has stayed flat or even dropped:
money (.) cnn (.) com / 2011 / 02 / 16 / news / economy / middle _ class / index (.) htm
The rich have certainly gotten richer but if you think the average person is richer now than in 1980 you're dreaming.
GDP =/= Individual salaries
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - "Freaking Homeless people who can afford to keep Cell Phones!"
That's your entire problem. You think wealth is measured by how many widgets are in your home. That's NOT how you measure wealth. Wealth is measured in how much disposable income you have for discretionary spending after taxes and expenses (bills, utilities, etc.), how much savings you have, your dividends, and how much equity you have in your home and/or assets.
Having an Escalade doesn't mean shit if you're in debt.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 The Unions are Bad for America
Now you are on track! "WEALTH"
We are so filthy rich and "Wealthy" now that someone working at Mc Donalds making minimum wage making $1,200 a month is well enough to keep a household and still have extra money for luxuries as Cellphones, Cable TV, expensive food, Vehicles, and New Clothes Shopping. Hell ya We are Rich compared to the 80's!
Does this now make sense? You understand wealth now? It is all about "Buying Power" We have a lot more Buying Power now
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - Most people working at Mickey Ds don't own a house, bruh. Most of them are either still living with mommy and daddy, living with a roommate, living in an apartment, or are living in Section 8 housing. At most they're maybe renting a cheap townhouse (not owning). That's not wealth if you're living on public or private assistance.
Back in the 70s and 80s people could afford to move out on a McDonald's salary. In the 50s a man could support a household of 4 on a blue-collar job.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad for America...
Blue Collar Job now usually equals around $15 an hour. (With very few skills you can easily get a job $15 - $20 an hour) So... Lets do the numbers... $15 X 40 Hours X 4 Weeks = $2,400 Per MONTH! That is more than enough to run a house and Feed and Army... If someone can not run a house on $2,400 PER MONTH... Then they are just a financial idiot with money.
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - You're letting me know that you probably don't live on your own. People who live on their own have to pay taxes. After taxes we have BILLS to pay. The taxes eat up 18-27% of that. Now that you have less than $2,000/month after taxes you've got bills to pay. The average rent for an apartment is between $800 to $2000/month depending on where you live (the latter being prices in cities such as Washington DC or New York City).
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - So who is wealthier? The guy who can feed himself and 3 other mouths on a single 40-hour/week job and have money to pass down to his children or the guy working 55 hours a week and barely breaking even, needing his wife to work to bring in extra income and leaving very little to pass down to their kids due to savings being eaten up with credit debt and paying off their trucks they can't truly afford?
If you guessed the latter you probably have room temperature IQ.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad for America
Again, you are trying at twisting the topic. People who are bad at Financial Management have nothing to do with the General Populace Wages or Power of the Dollar. . . Again... It is just Financial Darwinism.
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - You're twisting reality by pretending rent, taxes and utilities don't exist.
Just give up. You weren't even aware that rent/mortgage exists and now you're trying to lecture an economist on depreciation and purchasing power? Please. I'm quite sure you don't even know how to calculate how much 2010 Dollars are worth compared to 1980 dollars.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad For America...
"I am an Economist" HA! Sure you are. Let me guess you are also a Hot Blonde Bombshell who loves Beach Volley Ball?
Anyone who does not know what "Purchasing Power" or the "Value of the Dollar" is can not even come close to being an Economist. Well with Colleges today, you can really call yourself anything. If you have a job is the real key... You are just talking out you ass about fake figures, and twisting the topic.
"Economist" Ha! Ya right!
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - Anyone here who knows me knows I'm an economist. A few people that remember me back from 2006 probably remember me finishing up my degree.
You did know know what purchasing power meant. You thought it meant how much you actually buy in a year's time. Lol I'm leaving your error out there so anyone with a whit of Econ classes can point out your obvious error and you can feel even more silly.
And FYI I work at Brookings. That's what you call a "job". Something you need to get.
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - "twisting the topic"
Subtracting taxes, rent, utilities and bills from monthly income is twisting the topic of how to derive monthly disposable income? LMAO
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - "It is all about "Buying Power""
US buying power is down. Don't know if you know this but American PPP is down.
Buying power =/= How much you buy
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678
You realize that the reason more poor people have technology is because technology is getting really cheap right?
ScissorHand26 7 months ago 2
@ScissorHand26 - That was his main problem - he measures wealth in widgets. That's not how any good economist measures wealth. There are plenty of poor people in urban areas walking around with $400 pairs of Nikes, $500 cell phones and $200 designer clothes who have to apply for welfare every few years because they can't afford to keep the lights on or feed their kids every day without it. Do their expensive widgets make them wealthy?
Any economist who measures wealth in widgets has an agenda.
A86 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - The average American household is over $14,000 in credit card debt. I don't know if you know this but debt decreases wealth/net worth. Do you know why so many Americans are in such deep credit debt? Because our income has not risen since the 80s and we've been trying to continue the upward social mobility trend of the 1930s to 1980s by charging it to credit.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad for America...
People who have No clue about being good with money has nothing to do with how horrible Unions are. That is a totally different topic. If people are BAD with Money then that is their own fault. . . Not My Problem, not societies problem either. It is financial Darwinism plain and simple!
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - So if you're only making $2,400/month you're not going to be able to afford to live anywhere other than an apartment with $650-$1100/month (if you luck out to find a cheap-cost area) after taxes whittle that $15/hour down to ~$1800-$1900/month. That's not counting food, transportation, electricity, water, TV, air condition, heating, car notice....
Unionized public and private jobs make significantly more, hence why they're able to have a middle class life.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad For America...
You just proved my point... Even at $650 for the cost to run a house it STILL leaves you with WELL OVER $1,000 PER Month for food and transportation! Not to mention if you are poor you get damn near all your taxes back at the end of the year.
The problem with most Americans is the always want MORE MORE MORE. They want the best House, The Biggest Rims, The Awesomest Boat, The Best Shoes, The Newest Phone... When they can not afford it. Again Financial Darwin.
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - Lol I said "renting an apartment". That's not "running a household". You'll be hard-pressed to find many houses that you can buy for $650/month. You can possibly rent a rat apartment for $800/month. Electricity bills alone can be $200/month. Transportation can be up to $400/month and heating/A/C can be over $400/month. That's another $1000 of the $1000 you had left over after taxes and rent. Not counting food, extras, health insurance, car insurance and pocket money.
Go to sleep.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 Unions are Bad For America
"Go to sleep"
Awwwww... Are you Mad? Don't get mad just because I kicked a hole through everything that you feebly tried to throw at me. Even when you kept flip flopping around on different topics I still smashed them to bits. Get a grip, this is real life. $2,400 per month is plenty of money to live on. Ha!
Joell5678 7 months ago
@Joell5678 - "kicked a hole"
When was this? I'm waiting to hear how with $15/hour you would have almost $2000 of spending change. You know what "spending change" is, right?
Mathematically show me how you derived "well over $1000" of available monthly discretionary funds from a $15/hour salary.
A86 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
You could make pedophiles, rapists and murderers be full-blown SLAVES, and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, because I utterly despise all of the aforementioned. Especially pedophiles and rapists... There is NOTHING they could ever go through that will make me feel even the slightest sympathy for them. They had no sympathy for their victims, so FUCK them.
PsychoBurgundy10 7 months ago
Comment removed
PsychoBurgundy10 7 months ago
Dang unions trying to get people jobs.
porterwake 7 months ago
i dont see whats wrong with making them pick up trash and landscaping?
vada2000 7 months ago 2
@vada2000 I guess you're blind then...... even you said you can't see the problem..... that means you're blind and you better figure out the problem so you can see again or else you won't be prepared when they come for you.
adrahaxxen 7 months ago
@adrahaxxen so taking people that break the laws and using them to better a community while freeing up others that can be better used fixing roads or bridges makes me blind? its better to let them just sit in a cell watching cable that we pay for btw. what is wrong with them contributing to society?
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 - As long as they're getting paid for it I don't really see the problem. If they're not getting paid then it is a problem because it basically is slave labor. There are already many jobs in prison where inmates get paid, so I don't see why they shouldn't get paid for landscaping and picking up trash.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 ok pay them. it would just go towards their fees and fines. it could also take some of the cost off of tax payers by putting it towards feeding them and housing them.
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 - Yeah, but there has to be a delicate balance. Stuff like this also provides a great potential for corporations to replace public and some private workers. Imagine the profits they could reap using cheap prison labor over unionized or even non-union labor out in the non-prison world. It would be like a phenomenon similar to how they use illegal immigrant labor now.
A86 7 months ago 2
@A86 well if by some odd ball decision they did that it would open up many jobs for guards. the only jobs they could give them would be menial labor jobs. nothing with money or interaction with citizens. most jobs are hard to do with a chain around your ankle. dont let your fears of a "nwo" get in the way of reason and common sense
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 - A lot of Americans still work "menial jobs". Millions. And we have 2.4 million inmates in the US. This isn't about the "NWO" it's just a realization of how unfettered capitalism works. Capitalists want to minimize costs and maximize profits. Large corporations can easily use their profits to lobby state and local governments for lawmakers to manipulate existing laws to arrest people easier or keep them in prison longer so these inmates can be used for cheap labor. Simple.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 This is the taxpayer funded state that is making legitimate efforts to cut cost to the taxpayer. Your lame interjection of Capitalist demonstrates 1) Your inability to accurately assess what is being reported here and 2) You absolute inability to resist the need to falsely tie in your prejudice even when it doesn't make a damn bit of sense like have done here today. If a corporation discovered a cure for cancer your reply would be "See how Capitalism has caused a population boom?"
Crucible0Patriot 7 months ago
@Crucible0Patriot - Prejudice? This is common economic sense. According to your logic illegal immigrants being hired over citizens should be a rare occurrence. *eyeroll*
Comparing this to a corporation finding a cure for cancer shows a complete lack of critical thinking on your part and an unflinching, unthinking loyalty to whatever is good for business or whatever appears to possibly lower taxes in the short-run (even if it can cause something that outweighs the benefits in the long-run).
A86 7 months ago
@Crucible0Patriot - If this is something that stays at a small scale it's fine but if the prison population continues to balloon at the rate it has for the past 25 years (or the rate increases) and the demand for prison labor outpaces the demand for non-prison labor it could easily create a problem of putting millions more out of work. IF the latter happens that would definitely outweigh the benefits from tax savings.
A86 7 months ago
@A86 I'm confused. This is prison labor maintaining public grounds. It is supremely cost effective. Nuff said. Less money out of the pockets of the working class is a win win scenario.
Crucible0Patriot 7 months ago
@Crucible0Patriot - BTW, if you consider my "interjection" to be "lame" it shows you don't even know what the prime impetus of capitalism is. That's something you learn in Econ 101. The prime motive is indeed to increase profits and decrease costs (salaries for employees is a cost). That's what's being referred to when people talking about business "bottom line".
A86 7 months ago
@A86 This report has nothting to do with Capitalism. Again you are blind to the report being discussed here.
Crucible0Patriot 7 months ago
@Crucible0Patriot - Uh, we live in a capitalist system. Of course it has to do with capitalism since we have to figure out how to work this sensibly in a capitalist economy.
This is only a win-win scenario so long as the demand for prison labor doesn't outpace the demand for non-prison labor. Otherwise you end up with a situation similar to illegal immigrants being preferred over citizens (which is already the case in some industries).
A86 7 months ago
@A86 agreed...by I still don't connect the entire realm of Capitalism to this scenario.
Crucible0Patriot 7 months ago
@A86 well there is a way to keep corporations from doing just what you say here but if i jump on that track i am labeled a nut. now i agree with your statement on capitalist but as far as people in prison taking all the work it cant happen for the simple fact the rich wont have it. would you want a felon working in places you go or on your house? they will just get to clean streets and plant flowers.there is nothing else they could do.
vada2000 7 months ago
@vada2000 - I didn't say they shouldn't be given jobs like these at all, I said there needs to be a "delicate balance". Particularly in this environment where the Supreme Court decided in 2010 that corporations can virtually buy politicians (which includes judges since they have to be elected).
A86 7 months ago
This reminds of when Stalin made prison camps to perform various tasks
ArseneIncubus3 7 months ago
@DeepSouth16 the problem is that there's millions of unemployed Americans who are looking for any kind of work they can get. that type of work used to be for normal citizens, but they took those jobs away and gave them to inmates, who are already guaranteed a bed to sleep in and 3 meals a day. the same people who are taking jobs away from the unemployed are the same ones who are telling them to stop leeching off of the gov and go get a job.
Cuddlebunzzzz 7 months ago
Did anyone mention that the inmates get paid? Of course not. And yes, this is America.
rabidabbey 7 months ago
@rabidabbey so why are we paying inmates to do work when there's millions of law-abiding citizens who need those jobs? because the inmates get paid a lot less (which you would fail to mention, while criticizing others for leaving out inconvenient information), and if a normal person got paid that same amount they'd be considered a wage slave.
Cuddlebunzzzz 7 months ago
The Koch Brothers have turned their Governor Whores into suicide bombers against unions - teachers, fire fighters, police officers, etc
DillonDee1 7 months ago
Once you accept that the state can initiate force against a citizen, it's a pretty slippery slope from there
CheekyMonkey888 7 months ago
I live in Wisconsin and I don't see an issue with this......this is not uncommon around here and has dated back decades. A great number of times i have seen inmates (mostly around highways) picking up trash. The only reason this is getting any airtime on TYT is because it is under some fallicy that this is new to the Walker governancy. This has been going on for decades....i think that maybe under Walker it can be exploited more but its just not uncommon around here
copr017 7 months ago
prisoners should unionize!
Broken6790 7 months ago
I'm glad I don't live in Wisconsin,what a Fucked Up State.
130hc 7 months ago
Give the ultra rich tax breaks, give ceo's and corporations tax breaks, tax the worker, cut their pay, take away pensions, take away medical, take away rights, bring back slavery, have big taxes on workers for police/military state and debt, bail out the rich, layoff the workers, this is NOT american anymore, your time to take your family out of here is running out.
chuck3377 7 months ago
Unions shouldn't be able to tell others what they can and can't do... its bad enough that they tell their workers what not to do with their spare time. Also Unions are so unfair to employers who take all the risk. What if the rolls were reversed, you cannot quit or ask for a raise cause the employers have union power... unions create slaves of business owners... there is a reason why businesses with unions fail 30% more frequently.
l1xx3r 7 months ago
@l1xx3r i think you're a fascinating person. it's amazing that there are people like you who care so little for others and your own well-being that you'd rather be turned into a slave worker than receive decent pay and benefits for the work you do, all because of blind ideological allegiance. it's a very peculiar psychological phenomena that is unique to humans (as far as i know), and it'd be great if there was more research done about it.
Cuddlebunzzzz 7 months ago
@Cuddlebunzzzz I think you care so little about others. Wages are based on productivity, so to force wages higher (thats been proven to make businesses fail more), you remove more jobs from the system, therefore lowering quality of life for everyone and the amount of jobs out there. Some people work in horrible conditions in other countries, stop your whining and be happy with everyone having a job... oh wait you guys already fucked that up. Good job! Just cause you can't see the big picture.
l1xx3r 7 months ago
@l1xx3r i wasn't being sarcastic or trying to make a point. i honestly think it's fascinating that people can be blindly loyal to an ideology that actively screws themselves over in order to benefit someone else (in this case rich people). it's amazing how certain people can be so influential that they can convince a massive amount of people that it's a good thing to be a wage slave, while at the same time convincing them that, as an American, you have the right to earn a lot of money.
Cuddlebunzzzz 7 months ago
@l1xx3r (cont) btw if wages are based on productivity, then why do many of the hardest working people in this country have to work 2-3 jobs just to barely get by? you'd think someone who works multiple jobs is very productive, right? so why are they so poor while CEOs, who hardly do anything and take a lot of time off, earn more in a day than most people earn in a lifetime?
Cuddlebunzzzz 7 months ago
@Cuddlebunzzzz The reason people need so many jobs now as compared to before is because of taxes. Yes some CEOs get paid way too much, but that has only been recently (btw I research this stuff a lot). Usually those CEO are working for a company with heavy government influence. If you really want everyone to get a good job and people to get paid proportional to what they should, remove all government force from the equation. More force will not solve anything.
l1xx3r 7 months ago