It's your Friendly Neighborhood Unemployed-Man!
April 20, 2011 9:45 AM Subscribe
Conceptual art collective, and part-time unemployment agency, Workforce Central Florida recently began the "Cape-a-bility Challenge" that has been taking some flack for spending $73,000 giving 6000 red capes (costing $14,000 for the capes alone) to the unemployed in their battle against the verbosely named existential super-villian Dr. Evil Unemployment.
Previously Workforce Central Florida has been investigated for spending $250,000 tax dollars on staff cars and in 2006 it had to repay almost $3.5 million to the federal government to settle claims that it misused public money.
Previously Workforce Central Florida has been investigated for spending $250,000 tax dollars on staff cars and in 2006 it had to repay almost $3.5 million to the federal government to settle claims that it misused public money.
Let them have capes!
posted by saulgoodman at 10:02 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by saulgoodman at 10:02 AM on April 20, 2011
Thanks for giving the Teabaggers talking points, guys.
I'm a big liberal and all that, but in some cases the Right is right about too-big government.
posted by orthogonality at 10:06 AM on April 20, 2011
I'm a big liberal and all that, but in some cases the Right is right about too-big government.
posted by orthogonality at 10:06 AM on April 20, 2011
Why does it always have to be Florida?
It's never, "Latest Nobel Peace Prize recipient a proud Floridian!" Or, "Floridian discovers cure for cancer!" either.
No, we get all teh crazy down here.
*sigh*
posted by misha at 10:06 AM on April 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
It's never, "Latest Nobel Peace Prize recipient a proud Floridian!" Or, "Floridian discovers cure for cancer!" either.
No, we get all teh crazy down here.
*sigh*
posted by misha at 10:06 AM on April 20, 2011 [4 favorites]
Wunderbar. This is not just my state, but my region of the state. Job creation in Central Florida is a joke. We desperately need industries that can give people living wages and what we get are Mc Donalds jobs fairs and low-paid service work.
I am not at all surprised. After all, we just narrowly averted turning state parks into Jack Nicklaus-themed golf courses.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 10:07 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am not at all surprised. After all, we just narrowly averted turning state parks into Jack Nicklaus-themed golf courses.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 10:07 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Please tell me the capes were at least made in Florida.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:11 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:11 AM on April 20, 2011
Is Rick Scott owner of a cape manufacturer?
posted by Xoebe at 10:13 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Xoebe at 10:13 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thanks for giving the Teabaggers talking points, guys.
I'm a big liberal and all that, but in some cases the Right is right about too-big government.
orthogonality: True, but that's more often due to the political appointee system at the state levels. The municipal level is even worse--because they're so relatively cash-poor, they're extraordinarily corruption-prone. Big Government (meaning, the Feds) isn't even the half of it. People should focus more on the other levels of government, and discriminate between political issues effecting one level or another. It's not so much Big Government to blame as it is petty and incompetent local and regional governments--Small Government, if you will.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:25 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm a big liberal and all that, but in some cases the Right is right about too-big government.
orthogonality: True, but that's more often due to the political appointee system at the state levels. The municipal level is even worse--because they're so relatively cash-poor, they're extraordinarily corruption-prone. Big Government (meaning, the Feds) isn't even the half of it. People should focus more on the other levels of government, and discriminate between political issues effecting one level or another. It's not so much Big Government to blame as it is petty and incompetent local and regional governments--Small Government, if you will.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:25 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
You lost me at "Conceptual art collective, and part-time unemployment agency."
posted by tommasz at 10:26 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by tommasz at 10:26 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm a big liberal and all that, but in some cases the Right is right about too-big government.
I'm looking all over the Workforce Central Florida website and can't find any hard mention of them being a government agency.
I'm not even sure what they are, really.
But if public funds were used to purchase 6000 capes to give to unemployed people... someone needs to be fired.
posted by hippybear at 10:27 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm looking all over the Workforce Central Florida website and can't find any hard mention of them being a government agency.
I'm not even sure what they are, really.
But if public funds were used to purchase 6000 capes to give to unemployed people... someone needs to be fired.
posted by hippybear at 10:27 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm so embarrassed that these things were probably shilled by someone in my general industry (promotional products).
And so bummed that I didn't get the order.
Seriously, I can't imagine how it must feel to be unemployed and to get this stupid cape in the mail or by UPS. Like, can I have the 5-10 bucks it cost to make this thing and send it? Or a pizza coupon in the same amount?
How did we get from "interesting idea for a TV spot" to "hey, let's send everyone one of these babies?"
and trust me, BrotherCaine, the capes were not made any place you can pronounce.
posted by randomkeystrike at 10:28 AM on April 20, 2011
And so bummed that I didn't get the order.
Seriously, I can't imagine how it must feel to be unemployed and to get this stupid cape in the mail or by UPS. Like, can I have the 5-10 bucks it cost to make this thing and send it? Or a pizza coupon in the same amount?
How did we get from "interesting idea for a TV spot" to "hey, let's send everyone one of these babies?"
and trust me, BrotherCaine, the capes were not made any place you can pronounce.
posted by randomkeystrike at 10:28 AM on April 20, 2011
I'm not even sure what they are, really.
Practically every agency in Florida is part of some weird quasi-private-public partnership nonsense these days, hippybear.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:29 AM on April 20, 2011
Practically every agency in Florida is part of some weird quasi-private-public partnership nonsense these days, hippybear.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:29 AM on April 20, 2011
Practically every agency in Florida is part of some weird quasi-private-public partnership nonsense these days
Ah yes. The Tea Party dream -- a nation of private enterprises which are receiving public funds to do things within a system which requires a profit to be made rather than funds being spent to achieve the designated task.
This is the invisible hand of the market... picking your wallet on behalf of novelty cape makers worldwide.
posted by hippybear at 10:33 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Ah yes. The Tea Party dream -- a nation of private enterprises which are receiving public funds to do things within a system which requires a profit to be made rather than funds being spent to achieve the designated task.
This is the invisible hand of the market... picking your wallet on behalf of novelty cape makers worldwide.
posted by hippybear at 10:33 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Still might pay off. If somebody showed up to an interview rocking a cape I would hire them on the spot.
posted by Ad hominem at 10:35 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by Ad hominem at 10:35 AM on April 20, 2011
And the oppositions response...
"Mr.Marx, what do you make of this program."
"Think: Howard Beale"
posted by clavdivs at 10:46 AM on April 20, 2011
"Mr.Marx, what do you make of this program."
"Think: Howard Beale"
posted by clavdivs at 10:46 AM on April 20, 2011
Alternate headline: OUTRAGE ERUPTS OVER SINGLE-PAYER CAPE BUYING, SOCIALISM
posted by milkrate at 10:46 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by milkrate at 10:46 AM on April 20, 2011
Workforce Florida is not actually "government:" it is a "public-private partnership" where a corporate entity receives public funds to carry out what would otherwise be a government function. The creation of this functionally unaccountable enterprise was a Jeb Bush initiative; Jeb believed that pushing public funds to private entities without accountability was a feature, not a bug.
Welcome to the brave new world of smaller government and more freedom--to squander taxpayers' money via privatization. Isn't this the sort of thing the TP set is in favor of?
posted by rdone at 10:48 AM on April 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
Welcome to the brave new world of smaller government and more freedom--to squander taxpayers' money via privatization. Isn't this the sort of thing the TP set is in favor of?
posted by rdone at 10:48 AM on April 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
The photo gallery of Workforce Florida employees beating up a cartoon with cartoon gloves is pretty funny.
posted by wcfields at 10:51 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by wcfields at 10:51 AM on April 20, 2011
realistic headline: 'Idiot public sector Floridians insult poor by ordering capes, buddies enriched, nice laugh had by fat white people.
posted by clavdivs at 10:52 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by clavdivs at 10:52 AM on April 20, 2011
You had me at "Conceptual art collective, and part-time unemployment agency."
posted by delegeferenda at 11:00 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by delegeferenda at 11:00 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
WCF. More like WTF.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 11:04 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 11:04 AM on April 20, 2011
Okay everybody. Look, nobody's leaving this meeting until we come up with some solid, actionable ideas. Something has to be done, it's our job to do it, so we are all going to sit RIGHT HERE until we come up with a plan. Brainstorming, to use an old buzzword.
What we need is something that demeans and infantilizes the unemployed, while ALSO wasting a bunch of money and bringing a whole lot of bad press to our cause. Ideas?
posted by penduluum at 11:14 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
What we need is something that demeans and infantilizes the unemployed, while ALSO wasting a bunch of money and bringing a whole lot of bad press to our cause. Ideas?
posted by penduluum at 11:14 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Now this is an example of private sector innovation at it's finest, people!
No, really. No irony intended. That's really the best the private sector's got to offer. Well, that and stuff like this.
posted by saulgoodman at 12:17 PM on April 20, 2011
No, really. No irony intended. That's really the best the private sector's got to offer. Well, that and stuff like this.
posted by saulgoodman at 12:17 PM on April 20, 2011
awww damn they removed the pic and retracted the campaign already!
posted by Theta States at 12:43 PM on April 20, 2011
posted by Theta States at 12:43 PM on April 20, 2011
Misha,
Well there is this: Researchers at Scripps Florida say they've found a way to stop multiple sclerosis in mice.
posted by Hypnotic Chick at 1:01 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well there is this: Researchers at Scripps Florida say they've found a way to stop multiple sclerosis in mice.
posted by Hypnotic Chick at 1:01 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hate to say this, but WCF is really just a waste of money, whether they're competent or not, whether they're corrupt or not. There are no jobs in central Florida, and no government agency or public-private partnership can create them from whole cloth. No sensible employer is going to relocate there.
At least these poor saps got a nice cape out of it. That's probably as good an outcome as possible her.
posted by me & my monkey at 1:27 PM on April 20, 2011
At least these poor saps got a nice cape out of it. That's probably as good an outcome as possible her.
posted by me & my monkey at 1:27 PM on April 20, 2011
capes: something that can be created from whole cloth
posted by miyabo at 4:38 PM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by miyabo at 4:38 PM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Can't we just give it back to Spain?
posted by bardic at 6:35 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bardic at 6:35 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
They have part-time unemployment agencies now?
posted by mannequito at 3:29 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mannequito at 3:29 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is what you get when people keep repeating inanities like "making government work more like a business."
posted by warbaby at 6:15 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by warbaby at 6:15 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think this guy needs a cape.
I'm sorry, that mugshot. That mugshot. It just went so well with misha's observation about Florida and teh crazy.
Still think he needs a cape, though.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:19 AM on April 21, 2011
I'm sorry, that mugshot. That mugshot. It just went so well with misha's observation about Florida and teh crazy.
Still think he needs a cape, though.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:19 AM on April 21, 2011
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I don't know what people are mad about--that's a good deal.
posted by box at 10:01 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]