Missouri call center for welfare recipients moved to the US from India

[UpInArms]

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0258_BC_MissouriOutsourcing&&news&newsflash-financial

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A toll-free call center for Missouri welfare and food stamp recipients that was outsourced to cheaper labor in India has been moved back to the United States.

It will cost an extra $1.2 million to have Scottsdale, Ariz.-based eFunds Corp. operate the center in the United States instead of India, budget director Linda Luebbering said.

Thom Brodeur, an eFunds spokesman, said "nine or fewer" people work at the call center.

Gov. Bob Holden's office said Wednesday that the calls are being answered in Wisconsin. An eFunds spokesman said the jobs may eventually be switched to Kansas City.

The announcement came a week before the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Holden's challenger, State Auditor Claire McCaskill, has criticized the outsourcing of the jobs.

...more...

[geek tragedy]

1. Here's an idea: Why not

open it in Missouri and give some of these people jobs?

[progressivebydesign]

2. How about they move things back locally, too..

.. I remember when food stamps, and other programs like that were actually administered locally.. with real, live social workers. Now it seems to be all telephone based. 9 people to handle the entire food stamp program for the State? How much money do you think the State wastes in toll-free charges while people are kept on hold indefinitely, waiting to be helped?

[lapfog_1]

3. That's a start...

Thats nine more jobs in the U.S.

Now, let's create 2.5 Million more.

As for the $1.2 million (first off that sounds like a lot for 9
people... I'll take one of those jobs), then increase taxes
on people earning or receiving passive income of more than $150,000
by 5 percent...