Did Gingrich accidentally have a good idea?

[thesquanderer]

In talking about unemployment in last night's debate, and speaking against the extension of unemployment benefits for up to 99 weeks, Gingrich is quoted as having said:

"All unemployment compensation should be tied to a job training requirement" leading to, "the fact is, 99 weeks is an associate degree."

The missing piece is that a degree costs money.

What if, after 26 weeks of unemployment, if a person was still unemployed, the government actually *increased* the benefit to cover educational programs, community college tuition and the like? It could be a kind of hybrid version of a student loan program. The additional government funds could be paid directly to the specified educational institution, and considered a government loan, for which 10 or 15% of future earnings would be deducted until it were paid back. This would keep the cost down (since, most if the time, it would eventually be repaid), but also, by tying repayment *specifically* to employment and a fixed percentage of earnings, it would not weigh the person down with unmanageable debt (i.e. no repayment would be due while not working, and payments would never exceed a reasonable percentage of income).

I doubt Gingrich would go for it, though it addresses the good point he was making, that we should do more to help unemployed people actually find jobs.

[rocktivity]

1. It still amounts for training for jobs that don't exist

Plus, there has to be as built-in incentive for employers to hire these workers.


rocktivity

[Autumn Colors]

3. Exactly & factor age-ism in there....

Fine, pay for me to retrain in a field where there are some jobs. I'm over 50 years old. Put me with my new Associate Degree and no experience in this field against some 20-something with the same degree, also with no experience in said field. Who do you think is going to get the job? Probably the one who will be cheaper to provide health insurance for...

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, you hit the main points I was thinking as he said it ... I know people

with several degrees that can't find work ... what's his plan, retrain them for minimum wage jobs ... and where are the jobs, who's going to hire them ...

As usual, these people talk out of their butts, saying rhetoric to appease their flocks.

And many high paying jobs have been shipped out of the country, outsourced.

These guys NEVER get asked hard questions in these debates and there's no follow-up when they make idiotic statements ... as to exactly what does this mean ... than throwing out some red meat to the audience to chew on and applaud.

[peacebird]

2. Didn't i hear that repukes want unemployment benefits only paid to people with HS diplomas

Are working towards their GED?

[stockholmer]

5. yes "GOP plan: No HS diploma? No unemployment check"

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/09/10075106-gop-plan-no-hs-diploma-no-unemployment-check

[izquierdista]

4. You can educate and train all you want...

...but if the capitalist finds a more exploitable worker (i.e., third world salary, working conditions, environment), that's who will get the job!

[RKP5637]

11. Exactly!!! The praised capitalistic model, the way it's implemented, is

going to sink this country into oblivion. It's all about exploitation ... there is no interest in creating jobs in this country if cost of business is cheaper in the third world.

Damn I get pissed that these guys blab out this nonsense and don't get called on it for fact checks.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. SO... is he planning to bring jobs back from China so there will be jobs here?

Gingrich is talking out of his ass. Where are all these jobs he keeps wanting to TRAIN people for, if mega-millions of jobs were moved to China??

[Autumn Colors]

7. Even if they do, 20-something vs. a 50+ year-old...

competing for the same job. The one that's cheaper to insure will probably get the job.

[liberal N proud]

9. It is a great idea in and by its self

But it does not create jobs.

Secondly, once Newt realizes what he said, he will deny it and find a way to counter it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Too many stupid pills

The problem is that there aren't enough jobs. It doesn't matter that you make the candidates better equipped to compete for those nonexistent jobs. Providing additional training for job candidate "A" only gives her a competitive advantage over incumbent worker "B".

Shorten the work week. Provide paid maternity/paternity leave. Lengthen vacations. Stop work visas. Nothing will help unless we get more money in the hands of workers and constrain the supply of labor.

[harmonicon]

12. No. nt.

[spanone]

13. what jobs?

[RC]

14. Not "Just Jobs" Living-Wage-Jobs

Jobs you can raise a family on. Jobs that can get us out of this recession that really has not gotten any better.
What say? A jobless recovery? Basically that is what "Just Jobs" is.
A Brazilian "Just Jobs" is not going to get us out of this recession. Living Wage Jobs will.

[EC]

15. Democrats have been trying for years to add job training programs

it's his party that absolutely refuse. Back during Clinton I took advantage of a program for displaced homemakers getting back into the workforce or needing retraining in a different field. As soon as Bush took office, that program went bye-bye.

So I'd be surprised if the rest of the repubs would go for it.

[treestar]

16. May not be a good idea

We keep spending money making ourselves more attractive to employers, who should be the ones to pay for the training.

If they really needed the worker, they'd train him/her.

Gingrich is such an ass. People can't find jobs. He pretends they just aren't qualified or won't work.

[d_r]

17. I'm surprised more people aren't doing it

many are.

Run out of the 99 weeks, start up in community college living off pell grants and student loans. That's assuming you aren't planning on paying them back. They can't take social security to pay them back. If I was a victim of age-ism in getting a job and was approaching the age to get social security I'd dink around in college a few years.