Comments on Advance Indiana™: Ballard's Affirmative Action Plan For Ex-Offenders

IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THERE ARE CURRENTLY 2 MILLI...

2012-01-20T10:51:16.994-05:00

IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THERE ARE CURRENTLY 2 MILLION OR MORE PEOPLE IN PRISON AND MORE THAN 4 MILLION EX CONS EVERY COMMUNITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOT A ISLAND AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE .THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR FAMILYS IN SOME CASES.THEY ARE BETTER OFF WITH A OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AND SO IS THE COMMUNITY MY HATS OFF TO INCLUSION.

Are you certain this is a program set aside or quo...

2011-04-12T20:28:14.518-05:00

Are you certain this is a program set aside or quota, vs., simply the percent or result of the Deputy Mayor's rehabilitative focus on former offenders?

2011-04-11T12:05:13.459-05:00

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It may be a good social engineering idea, but hiri...

2011-04-10T19:47:57.524-05:00

It may be a good social engineering idea, but hiring "10% felons" is a stupid political gambit.

Oh, wait, if one is a black, female felon, that would check off THREE markers! Instant hire!

Gary, He has a college degree and works in the ma...

2011-04-10T16:57:56.703-05:00

Gary,
He has a college degree and works in the mailroom, not an advanced job.

I cannot even begin to tell you what a delight this man is to be around. He owns what he did, is grateful for his fresh start, and makes the most of it. He's my go-to-guy when I need a favor in that department.

I think there is a balance. If there is nothing out there for ex-offenders, then there is no reason to clean up their lives.

I would rather ex-offenders, who paid their debt, to be employed and leading of a life as an example, than sponging off the taxpayers or returning to a life of crime.

I don't think it is too much to ask to give 10% of our jobs to them.

What I am curious about is what it takes to get one of those jobs. I think those that get the jobs should have to go over and above and prove they are worthy of the second chance.

She didn't say it extended to police hiring, a...

2011-04-10T16:38:01.432-05:00

She didn't say it extended to police hiring, although given the IMPD officer who got convicted in federal court on drug charges, you have to wonder what their background was before becoming police officers.

That's just great....Ballard/Straub want 10% o...

2011-04-10T16:14:28.064-05:00

That's just great....Ballard/Straub want 10% of our police force to be convicted criminals.

How about we fire 75% of cops so we won't have...

2011-04-10T15:49:40.991-05:00

How about we fire 75% of cops so we won't have so many manufactured criminals?

I would agree with AI. I'm all for giving peo...

2011-04-10T15:10:40.672-05:00

I would agree with AI. I'm all for giving people second chances in life if they earned it. But to arbitrarily set aside 10% of jobs for ex-offenders...that's insane.

Yes, AI, I have seen the meetings where Greg Wilson and Mayor crow about the set-asides for MBE's and WBE's. They actually think blacks will vote for the Mayor because of the MBE set asides. They won't, plus it ticks off Republicans.

Actually, AI, Darla Williams did have a point about MBE's that I'm sure you'd agree with...that there is a small group of politically connected people who get these MBE contracts and they tend to be people who don't need the break. She was also big talking about the phony non-profits that are set up to get government grants and how there is no oversight while money gets misspent on perks for the people running the non-profits rather than going to the people they were supposed to help.

Personal agenda aside, I thought her observations did have some merit.

That's fine, Melyssa. But this administration ...

2011-04-10T14:39:08.865-05:00

That's fine, Melyssa. But this administration is providing special benefits and opportunities as a reward for their past bad behavior. The message to kids today is to go out and be as bad as you want. It doesn't matter how badly you screw up, the government will give you a free education and training, job grants to employers who hire you, special loan programs to start your businesses, etc. Those who work hard, stay out of trouble and play by the rules can find a way to pay for their own education, stand in line to wait for a job and get turned down by the bank for a loan because there is no special program to reward honest people.

Did these people or did they not pay their debt to...

2011-04-10T13:34:59.977-05:00

Did these people or did they not pay their debt to society by serving time in prison?

One of the sweetest best employees we have where I work got a degree while he was in prison. Our CEO met him at commencement and asked him about his job prospects. He said they were slim to none, even with a degree.

Our CEO hired him and he works in the mailroom. I am proud to call this guy a friend and I'm glad he works with me.

Paul, Haven't you ever watched any of those mu...

2011-04-10T11:05:23.189-05:00

Paul, Haven't you ever watched any of those multiple meetings broadcast on WCTY where Ballard, Olgen, Greg Wilson et al. brag about the percentage goals they are meeting? Minority contracting was the one-trick issue Darla Williams kept haunting Peterson with during the 2007 mayoral election because she wasn't getting her cut. How Ballard could interpret his election as a mandate to take this BS to a whole new level is anyone's guess. There must be payola involved since that seems to be the driving force behind everything his admninistration does.

It's sickening, Paul. I'm just so ashamed ...

2011-04-10T11:01:06.332-05:00

It's sickening, Paul. I'm just so ashamed of having anything to do with putting this clown into the mayor's office.

You have to be kdding me. He has set aside 10% of...

2011-04-10T10:30:34.975-05:00

You have to be kdding me. He has set aside 10% of jobs in city government for people with criminal histories? I am all for giving people a second chance in life, but that's by looking at each person's idividual circumstances not setting an arbitrary percent to be hired.