« So, I Made the Smaller of P-cola's Two Tea Parties | Main | I Have to Admit There Are Times When I Love "Motivational" Posters »

April 16, 2009

How Is This Not Just a Convoluted

...kick-back scheme?

...Under its terms, local companies can receive tax breaks of $10,000 a year - for three years - for each ex-offender working at least six months as of Jan. 1, 2008.

...To receive the credit, companies must provide $2,000 worth of tuition support and vow to remain in Philadelphia for at least five years. As for the ex-offenders, they must turn over 5 percent of their paychecks to the city.

...Some companies, in addition to not wanting to be publicly named, object that the program requires them to pay ex-offenders more that their current unionized workforce. For a company to get the tax credit, it must pay ex-offenders 150 percent of the federal minimum hourly wage - which currently adds up to about $10 an hour.

"Employers don't want to set up a situation where their union employees are paid less," Gillison said. He added that the administration planned to introduce legislation before June to address this issue and others.

Ray Jones, a director at Impact Services Corp., which helps find ex-offenders jobs, pointed to another possible impediment, saying some ex-offenders opposed giving up 5 percent of their paychecks. Given that many have restitution and child-support payments on top of rent and food bills, he said, "it just does not make a whole lot of sense for them to buy into it."


What a deal. Surprisingly, no one's applied for it. And I'm a smidge befuddled by the whole "someone else pays you more so we can take some back" approach. I can't see much difference between this and the situation a certain local sheriff is parked in the hoosegow for...
...The federal complaint alleges that Morris and Adams created phony performance bonuses for sheriff's department employees involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Employees were directed to return all or a portion of the bonuses as cash and cashier's checks under the pretense that the money would be used for charity.

It doesn't strike me as a good thing for anyone.


Posted by tree hugging sister at April 16, 2009 07:11 AM

Comments

It's a good thing for the corrupt politicians and officials that get the kickbacks.

Everyone else, no way.

Posted by: JeffS at April 16, 2009 10:38 AM

This corruption is pretty much common practice in
the government.They usually just bill the county for fake overtime.Another scam is any auto accident involving a sheriff or cop;this is free money from
private and public sources, with disability payments
up the 'kasooh' for everyone involved.That scam was
revealed in San Diego, but no one ever bit the bullet for it.

Posted by: greg newson at April 20, 2009 09:28 PM