Cross posted from Abigail's Rebels > Well, this is one way to get rid of the evil of single mother > families, not to mention a large proportion of the Black race. > > > > This article is from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and can be found > at > http://www.jsonline.com/news/0322brown.asp. - Dirk > > Thompson wants poor to clean up toxic land, Firms would get incentives > > By Steven Walters of the Journal Sentinel staff > > March 22, 1999 > > Madison -- Gov. Tommy G. Thompson wants to give businesses, non-profit > groups and government agencies $10 million over the next two years to hire > low-income residents to clean up environmentally contaminated properties > known as brownfields. > > "It would help people get off of welfare . . . get some good-paying jobs > and > get them trained," Thompson said of his proposed expansion of existing > subsidies for businesses and government agencies that clean up sites too > polluted to develop. > > Although the plan has been angrily denounced by political and community > representatives from Milwaukee, the director of the non-profit Milwaukee > Community Service Corps said it could help train W-2 participants for > environmental cleanup jobs that pay $14 per hour. > > State Sen. Gary George (D-Milwaukee) criticized the proposal. He said no > one > "wants this to look like the Tuskegee experiment," in which U.S. officials > withheld treatment for 399 African-American men between 1932 and 1972 to > study how syphilis spread and how it killed. > > George also said Thompson consulted with no Milwaukee-area officials in > developing the proposal, but instead worked it out in "secret." > > It is another example of how Thompson, in his fourth term, is "becoming > less > and less effective," George added. > > Lakesha Gibson, a member of the advocacy group Welfare Warriors, said > Thompson's plan would "exploit mothers in poverty" by providing > "irresponsible companies who dumped toxic waste free money from the > government and slaves to clean up their mess." > > Responding, Thompson called Gibson's comments "absolutely wrong, as > usual," > and said the Welfare Warriors group is "opposed to everything I do" on > welfare reform. > > State officials said Thompson proposed the new subsidies to get businesses > to hire low-income residents who would learn career skills while recycling > polluted, abandoned land so it can be developed and returned to the tax > rolls. > > "It's meant to encourage businesses to locate in central cities and to > hire > W-2 participants," said state Budget Director Rick Chandler. > > Brownfields, usually found in older, urban neighborhoods, are polluted by > solvents, fuel oil and other toxic substances. > > Under Thompson's plan, no one would be forced to work cleaning up > hazardous > waste sites to continue receiving benefits such as child care, health > insurance and job training, officials said. > > "There's no requirement that W-2 recipients must take these jobs," > Chandler > added. > > Welfare Warriors "clearly don't understand the program," said Thompson > aide > Kevin Keane. "They should be supporting the program because it will bring > good-paying jobs to their community. That's the goal we're trying to > achieve." > > Thompson wants to double the current $10 million statewide brownfields > cleanup program, but give the additional $10 million only to businesses, > non-profit groups or governments that hire low-income residents. The > source > of the additional money -- from federal welfare-reform funds -- also is > controversial. > > "I'd like to see another funding source," said state Sen. Brian Burke > (D-Milwaukee), co-chairman of the Legislature's budget committee. "But > land > recycling is inherently valuable; it ought to be able to stand alone." > > According to a summary of Thompson's plan by the Legislature's budget > office, the state Commerce Department grants would work this way: > > Businesses, non-profit organizations or governments could get individual > grants of up to $1.25 million, if they provide matching funds that vary > according to the size of the state grant. > > Four million dollars must be awarded in grants of between $750,000 and > $1.25 > million; $3 million in grants of between $300,000 and $700,000; and $3 > million in grants of up to $300,000. > > To qualify for the grant, most workers hired must be "parents of minor > children . . . whose family income does not exceed 200% of the poverty" > index -- or a wage of about $10.63 for a single parent with one child, > according to the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. > > But requiring that parents with small children be hired is more > confirmation > that Thompson "has declared war on women and children," Gibson said. "Now, > he wants the women to risk their health and possibly their lives at > brownfields." > > There would no requirement on what companies receiving the grants would > have > to pay the cleanup workers. > > Tony Perez, of the non-profit Milwaukee Community Service Corps, said he > welcomed the governor's proposal because there are Milwaukee-area jobs > available for individuals who have completed environmental cleanup > training > and can legally be hired as "field environmental technicians." > > Perez said anyone who has completed high school or has an equivalent > degree > can be trained fairly quickly and earn $14 per hour. > > "You don't need to be a rocket scientist to get these jobs," he added. > "But > obviously, none of that can happen unless proper training can take place." > > Perez, whose group has trained individuals in how to remove lead paint and > rehab homes, said he looks forward to discussing how the governor's > proposal > would work. > > Steve Jacquart, policy director for Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, said > Norquist was afraid that adding more requirements to the brownfields > cleanup > program would mean it would take longer for hazardous, polluted sites to > be > cleaned up. > > "Sometimes, the bureaucracy can make it difficult," Jacquart said. > > Ann Arnesen, director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, > said W-2 participants will not have to take the environmental cleanup > jobs, > but may feel they have to do so because of how the work-based alternative > to > welfare is set up. > > > To post a message to this listserv, send an e-mail to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Welfare Law Center http://www.welfarelaw.org > LincProject http://www.lincproject.org > > > ************************************************************************* > "We are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold > ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation." > > -- From Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March, 1776 > ************************************************************************* > > Visit the ABIGAILS-L homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/8984/ > Irene Stuber's Women's Internet Information Net: http://www.undelete.org/ > > To unsubscribe from ABIGAILS-L, send a a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text SIGNOFF ABIGAILS-L >
