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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

City Pimps Out Teens to Neighborhood Councils

Here's another way for the City to get back some of that $50,000 they dole out to every Neighborhood Council - pimp out teenagers to the local advisory panels. Neighborhood Councils who want a teen intern for the summer can pay the City $1500 for 120 hours on an $8.00 an hour teen.

The average burden for an employee who receives no health care and vacation is about 23% for most employers. Typically a temporary agency has a bill rate of about 1.40 of the hourly wage. That means Councils are paying the City approximately an extra $1.50 to $4.00 an hour for the teen workers than if the Councils went the private sector route.

It's great to see the City coming up with creative ways to earn revenue!

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13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

(1.) Although I agree that the city government has got "revenue generation" as job #1, I think the intern costs might not be so out of line. Consider DOING the payroll or paying a service to do that, and a neighborhood council is an all-volunteer board; who wants extra administrative chores? Another responsibility might be arranging for some Workers' Compensation coverage and possibly work-site posters about discrimination, wage-laws, and whatever else to discourage easy compliance by a business owner.

This is all in contrast to the day-laborer hiring protocols where the paperwork is pulling out some bills to hand over as the payday.

(2.) What actual work would a neighborhood council have for these interns anyway? This may be simply a make-work deal for a lightly supervised, low-skill demand position for the short-term. If it's a physically oriented task like walking and passing out outreach flyers, you probably could legitimately hire that out more cheaply, etc. And then again, there's a trip to Home Depot for an option, but it could easily be a catastrophically bad choice if done by a NC (but creating days of good blogging material).

The economy of this kind of hiring may depend on the real job duties and expectations of what the worker is going to accomplish.

3. Are there any guidelines that the city attached to this offer of interns for NC's to read and FOLLOW?

Just something to think about.

BTW, could MS's description of the economics in this intern position be restated? I could not connect it all up, so if my comments conflict, sorry, but I'm not as shifty as, let's say, the council members, to use a point of reference, so I could be all wrong.

July 22, 2008 7:57 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

You mean it's a great creative way for the City, looking to earn revenue, to screw us anew.

July 22, 2008 7:59 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Some NCs who have paid help use temporary service agencies. Those agencies handle all the payroll, administration, etc. I believe Mayor Sam is saying that is less expensive than the City's rate as described here. I would tend to agree.

July 22, 2008 8:19 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Since you do not have to be in the country legally to be a stake holder and a Neighborhood Council boardmember, does the same hold true for these paid city interns?

Can ICE go after the N/C for hiring illegals?

July 22, 2008 8:35 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

8:35
Before you get into your car and drive off, check the back seat and floor of your vehicle, there might be an illegal alien there.

July 22, 2008 9:19 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Michael:

Did you propose this idea to your NC? You're on the board.

July 22, 2008 9:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!
Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards was caught visiting his mistress and secret love child at 2:40 this morning in a Los Angeles hotel by the NATIONAL ENQUIRER.

The married ex-senator from North Carolina - whose wife Elizabeth continues to battle cancer -- met with his mistress, blonde divorcée Rielle Hunter, at the Beverly Hilton on Monday night, July 21 - and the NATIONAL ENQUIRER was there! He didn't leave until early the next morning.

Rielle had driven to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara with a male friend for the rendezvous with Edwards. The former senator attended a press event Monday afternoon with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the topic of how to combat homelessness.

July 22, 2008 3:12 PM  

Blogger Michael Higby said:

9:29 - No I did not propose this to my NC or any NC. This was proposed by CDD/DONE. See the link.

July 22, 2008 5:14 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Michael:

Let me rephrase this. Did you suggest to your NC that they use some of its money to hire teens?

July 22, 2008 11:20 PM  

Blogger Michael Higby said:

Again, no I did not. There is no need. Also I only became aware of this program the day before yesterday. My NC hasn't met since then.

July 23, 2008 8:19 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

You're being a little evasive.

Do you plan to ask your NC to place this on its next agenda so it can be discussed or implemented?

I'm trying to see the extent to which you believe what you wrote.

If you believe it is truly a good idea, then by initiating an action, you would provide leadership for other NC's.

If you do plan to do this, can you keep us posted on the progress of your efforts?

Good luck.

July 23, 2008 8:43 AM  

Blogger Michael Higby said:

No I am not going to introduce this at my NC. I do not think it's a good program. My NC has no need for teen workers. I will not introduce it. I someone else introduced it, I would vote against it.

Again, if you did not read my original article, this is a lousy idea.

Do you finally understand? If not please take English lessons with Don Quixote.

July 23, 2008 11:38 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

I went to public school.

July 23, 2008 3:57 PM  

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