Gingrich says to fire janitors, make the kids work

[clockworkgirl21]

www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/newt-gingrich-thinks-school-children-should-work-as-janitors/248837/

Last Friday, during an event at Harvard, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich offered up a modest plan for alleviating poverty in the United States. It was time, he said, to relax our "truly stupid" child labor laws. In particular, schools should fire their unionized janitors, and hire children as young as nine to do the work instead.

Newt, Newt, there is plenty of time for low pay menial work when they grow up.

[sadhuman]

Wow really...get the kiddies to do it? And also to get those little kiddies to do it you need to sack the people already doing it. How can anyone with a brain think this is in any way a good idea?

[danarth]

So....his plan involves firing one group of people, making them unemployed and giving the jobs to children....

I'm not sure how this is going to cure poverty.

[zupper]

Nov 22, 2011 10:24:17 GMT -5 danarth said:

So....his plan involves firing one group of people, making them unemployed and giving the jobs to children....

I'm not sure how this is going to cure poverty.

Obviously you're going to need at least two 9-year olds to operate tracktors and other heavy equipment.

And those janitors can just go and get a job. Duh.

[servo]

Nov 22, 2011 10:01:04 GMT -5 clockworkgirl21 said:

Newt, Newt, there is plenty of time for low pay menial work when they grow up.

Hey... might as well start disappointing them from an early age...

[Alyra]

So there are not enough jobs, and his solution is to lower the minimum working age, thereby creating more workers? Okaay...

[worlder]

It always occurred to me what if there are kids who rather work than go to school?

[starseeker]

Isn't this vaguely similar to what Japan does, with students cleaning their classrooms?

[worlder]

Nov 22, 2011 11:38:59 GMT -5 starseeker said:

Isn't this vaguely similar to what Japan does, with students cleaning their classrooms?

Well that's probably just a rotation of sorts. I'm not sure.

For one thing Gingrich is asking for official employment not some volunteer work.

[N. De Plume]

It’s shit like this that actually kills satire. I mean, how could you possibly come up with a parody for this?

[brendanrizzo]

So... he wants to increase employment... by firing people? *Brain breaks*

[ironbite]

not only that but he wants to expose kids to truly dangerous work. i'm not sure what newt tninks janitors do but its not what he thinks it is

[kzn02]

Nov 22, 2011 11:38:59 GMT -5 starseeker said:

Isn't this vaguely similar to what Japan does, with students cleaning their classrooms?

I was thinking the same thing.

[N. De Plume]

Nov 22, 2011 11:38:59 GMT -5 starseeker said:

Isn't this vaguely similar to what Japan does, with students cleaning their classrooms?

Does this include managing the wiring, HVAC, and handling of various hazardous materials? Do Japanese schools not have any janatorial staff?

There is a difference between keeping a classroom presentable and maintaining an entire facility working.

[murdin]

But... janitors are much too important to be replaced by unqualified, underpaid minors. They are doing a job that actually contributes to society. If we have to make children work, then we should restrict them to mostly parasitic activities, like politics, marketing or stock market speculation.