NY Gov. Candidate: Prison Dorms for Welfare Recipients

By Jeralyn, Section Elections
Posted on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 01:35:04 PM EST
Tags: Carl Paladino (all tags)

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Carl Paladino is vying for the Republican nomination for Governor of New York, competing against Rick Lazio. Tea partiers love the wealthy real estate developer and former lawyer, who hails from Buffalo. Paladino's latest: treat welfare recipients like prisoners:

Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino said he would transform some New York prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where they would work in state-sponsored jobs, get employment training and take lessons in "personal hygiene."

Under his plan, prison guards would work as counselors to the welfare recipients. He says the dorms would be optional, and claims:

"These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of cities," Paladino he said. [More...]

How does he need they need hygiene lessons?

In their dysfunctional environment, they never learned these things," he said.

Paladino doesn't seem very articulate, he just plays to emotions. Here's his comments on the NYC Islamic Center, which are close to incomprehensible:

He says the American Troops are watching this too.

"They're fighting these miserable fundamentalists and these radicals and Taliban and Al Queda or whatever," Paladino said. "They're fighting them for us so that we can debate whether or not we're going to allow a Mosque.

Paladino, whose motto is "Paladino for the People" is hardly a member of the middle class. According to his website, "His company controls a half billion in assets and, with a personal worth of $150 million, Carl has pledged to spend up to $10 million of his own money in his campaign for governor of New York."

He might as well throw it down the toilets he is so fond of referring to.

The primary is Sept. 14. Lazio should be a shoo-in. He's wisely ignoring Paladino and concentrating on Cuomo.

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NY Gov. Candidate: Prison Dorms for Welfare Recipients | 18 comments (18 topical)

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Charles Dickens Just Turned In His Grave (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by john horse on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 03:56:04 PM EST

This is one giant step backward. Paladino wants to take us back to the 19th century and early 20th century when poor people were required to work in Poor (or Work) Houses.

Being poor is not a crime. However, the same cannot be said for reinstituting the Poor House.

: Ah, yes (5.00 / 2) (#15)
by Zorba on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 09:07:41 PM EST

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.
"Both very busy, sir."
"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."
"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned the gentleman, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"
"Nothing!" Scrooge replied.
"You wish to be anonymous?"
"I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that."
(See: this)

Am I the only one who read the link? (2.00 / 1) (#18)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:00:46 PM EST

Paladino told The Associated Press the dormitory living would be voluntary, not mandatory, and would give welfare recipients an opportunity to take public, state-sponsored jobs far from home.

Unless someone wants to make the slippery slope argument I really don't see a problem.

Not a very well thought out idea: (none / 0) (#1)
by oculus on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 02:07:55 PM EST

Under his plan, prison guards would work as counselors to the welfare recipients.

Although in our state juvenile justice facilities, the law enforcement officers who work most closely with the youth are not armed and their title is youth correctional counselor. Some take courses to try and fulfill the counselor responsibilites and all have this responsiblity.

Yup- I would be persuadable if it (none / 0) (#3)
by ruffian on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 02:28:52 PM EST

was something along the lines of the CCC with work and housing. But this seems more like a guarded work-release program for people who have done nothing wrong.


Maybe that is what's wrong (none / 0) (#7)
by Untold Story on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 03:56:58 PM EST

with our prison system of counseling - if guards can be counselors with a few courses here and there - - heavens!

And, why do welfare recipients need counseling? Most are there for lack of education and lack of jobs, imo.

But it could be worse.

Britian is having their own problems and are suggesting their prison inmates become chefs, etc., and work to feed the government insitutions (health care/hospitals, etc.)

And, in addition, they want to kill all of Queen Eliz's swans, yes, kill those beautiful creatures, and use their meat for food (probably included in what the prisoners are going to be cooking up).

(Queen Elizabeth owns ALL the swans in Britian - so it might provide food for a couple of years.)


Unserious (none / 0) (#8)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 04:06:43 PM EST

If I am not mistaken, these are ideas suggested by members of the public on a Web site the U.K. government has set up to encourage citizen input.

IOW, there's no "they" involved here, just some doofus British citizen.


British citizens are not 'they' (none / 0) (#9)
by Untold Story on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 04:35:46 PM EST

collectively speaking. Since when is America selectively divided between the American people and the American government? When other nations say America it means exactly the same as my term Britian :)

You are exactly right it is a web-site how to pay for government without raising taxes - and some of the ideas purported are precious and funny was my take.


One person is not "they," (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Joan in VA on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 06:39:18 PM EST

no matter the country. One cruel moron does not speak for the whole of Great Britain, the same as Glenn Beck does not speak for America, is her point. "They" haven't even considered swan slaughter-one person, out of millions of citizens, is suggesting it. No telling if that one person is even British, for that matter. Do you know if they have to prove citizenship before posting?


: You know what, I don't really care (none / 0) (#14)
by Untold Story on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 07:43:03 PM EST

it was something I thought funny - and didn't mean to get into a serious discussion of something so trival! Sorry - got to find someone else to argue with cause it isn't going to be me!

: Indeed (none / 0) (#17)
by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 09:24:41 AM EST

Thanks for the back-up.
The post was deceptive and unfairly appeared to characterize the British government as loony and heartless to a bizarre degree.

I was thinking of all the great recipes (none / 0) (#11)
by Untold Story on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 04:58:50 PM EST

"Royal Swan Oysters dipped in QE2 sauce"

Not to mention the Royals' fetish with feathers in their hats - those swan feathers would not go to waste!


One of the juvenile justice facilities (none / 0) (#13)
by oculus on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 07:18:10 PM EST

here has a program for youths to train shelter dogs.


I wonder if Mr. Paladino includes (none / 0) (#2)
by KeysDan on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 02:25:49 PM EST

Medicaid recipients in his definition of "welfare". However, one additional advantage the prisons offer, that he neglected to mention, is plenty of space (if you cut down the razor-wire perimeter) for all those welfare queens to park their Cadillacs.

How about Social Security recipients? (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 02:34:03 PM EST

: Probably, just Supplemental Social Security (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by KeysDan on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 03:53:28 PM EST

Disability for now. But just until the Cat Food Commission completes its work.

: The plan is to turn Gitmo (none / 0) (#10)
by Untold Story on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 04:46:01 PM EST

into an American penal, oops, a social security colony!

Very Happy (none / 0) (#16)
by cal1942 on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 06:40:53 AM EST

Paladino is humane enough to recognize the need for 'toilet facilities.'

What a thoughtful gem of a guy.