Killing Two Birds with One Stone

[SayItAintSoJoe]

(CNN) - Newt Gingrich proposed a plan Friday that would allow poor children to clean their schools for money, saying such a setup would both allow students to earn income and endow them with a strong work ethic.

 

Speaking at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the former House Speaker said his system would be an improvement on current child labor laws, which he called "truly stupid."

 

"It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid," Gingrich said. "Saying to people you shouldn't go to work before you're 14, 16. You're totally poor, you're in a school that's failing with a teacher that's failing."

 

Gingrich then proposed a system he said would help those students rise from poverty.

 

"I tried for years to have a very simple model. These schools should get rid of unionized janitors, have one master janitor, pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work; they'd have cash; they'd have pride in the schools. They'd begin the process of rising."

 

Gingrich pointed to successful acquaintances as examples of the benefits of beginning a job early in life.

 

"Go out and talk to people who are really successful in one generation," Gingrich said. "They all started their first job at 9 to 14 years of age. They are selling newspapers, going door to door, washing cars. They were all making money at a very young age. What do we say to poor kids in poor neighborhoods? Don't do it. Remember all the stuff about not getting a hamburger-flipping job? Worst possible advice to give the poor children."

 

Gingrich said his idea would be "making work worthwhile" for children.

 

I guess the poor students will "rise from poverty" as long as their fathers didn't happen to be one of the janitors they replaced.

 

I'm all for kids making extra money by delivering papers, washing cars, shoveling snow and mowing lawns. I did all those things myself when I was a kid. But asking a kid to become a school janitor and throwing an adult out of that job in the process is a stupid idea, IMO.

[Clubfoothead]

Oh, the good old days before child labor laws.

 

I'll bet Jerry Sandusky is already filling out his application to supervise.

[WaterMan]

Hey Timmy, why don't you get a newspaper job while you're 10 yrs old. It's the only job you will be able to find as an adult so why not start now?

Edited November 20, 2011 by WaterMan

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Hey Timmy, why don't you get a newspaper job while you're 10 yrs old. It's the only job you will be able to find as an adult so why not start now?

 

 

I don't think you have been following developments in the newspapaer business if you think delivery jobs will be around in even ten years. We are looking at the last of the Dodos right now.