Thursday, June 2, 2011

Economics 101: Learn It.

Thomas M. Menino: Biz must help out with teen jobs

Mayor Thomas M. Menino made an impassioned plea to Boston’s business leaders yesterday to fill the gap in teen summer jobs after a weekend marked by violence.

“We need the private sector to step up more than ever,” Menino said in a lunchtime speech to the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston. “Even if you can only provide one or two jobs, please, take out your phones right now and text “summerjobs” — all one word — to 69302.”

Here's a free tip, Mumbles. They don't have jobs, because they don't have business. Despite your accomplices in the media, the economy is, quite frankly, in the shitter right now, and no one's hiring for any positions. Local businesses are not going to create jobs out of thin air no matter how nice you ask - or how darkly you threaten.

I love how they tie the lack of jobs to the melee at Carson Beach over Memorial Day weekend. Here's the account:

On Memorial Day, a fight broke out between rival Boston gangs who numbered between 300 and 400 and had converged in a Carson Beach parking lot. One person was arrested.

Um... Call me crazy, but something tells me that an $8/hour job flipping burgers isn't going to stop a gang fight between hundreds. And one arrest? Are you serious? Maybe that's your problem right there - you have hundreds of gang members destroying private property and committing other random acts of violence, and you can only arrest one? What, was he the only one carrying a banned slingshot?

I really don't know which is the more frightening scenario: That Mumbles has no grasp of economics, or that he does...

That is all.

6 comments:

Tim Covington said...

I'll throw in something else. Most business owners (who are hiring) aren't hiring teens anymore. When they can get an adult with a more flexible schedule for the same price, why should they hire teens?

I've seen this with the teenagers of several of my friends.

MAgunowner said...

So Menino is asking local business owners to hire teens who would otherwise be gang members? That doesn't seem like a very desirable hiring pool.

Irish said...

Ya Tommy Boy.. ( no offense to Chris Farley) thats just what business owners want to do, hire a bunch of miscreants.

The stupidity is strong with this one.

Weer'd Beard said...

"Call me crazy, but something tells me that an $8/hour job flipping burgers isn't going to stop a gang fight between hundreds."

Not when you see the $$$ to be made selling drugs and pimping prostitutes, which is the exclusive currency for the street gangs in America.

Bubblehead Les. said...

300-400 Gangbangers converge in a Parking Lot, and the Cops do nothing to stop it?

Yet if you buy a 30 round mag and don't send in the paperwork, the SWAT team can pull a Pima County raid on your ass?

And you still stay in Massachusetts?

Ruth said...

I graduated from college spring of 2001, just as the dotcom crash hit Boston. I was looking for a full-time "adult" job, my brother was looking for a summer job before college. I ended up running a register at Michaels, my brother never did find a job. Our mom was on our cases massively about the whole "job search thing"....till she spotted people her age, that she KNEW, pushing carts at the local grocery store for lack of better work. The assistant manager at the Michaels told me that he had applications from people who used to make $70k+ a year for minimum wage positions.

And no, its not much better now. Are there jobs out there? Yes, but in most, if not all, cases if the employer has a choice between someone with an obvious work ethic, and a kid with no experience and a gang history, they aren't going to choose the gang member.