What Message Are We Truly Sending?
http://www.thetalkingbowtie.blogspot.com
Washington, D.C. as a city has two unique distinctions which most would state don’t go hand and hand and I for one agree. As a city Washington, D.C. has the worse business climate in the country while at the same time having the highest percentage of residents with at least a college degree. This unique combination would usually lend one to think that the city’s job outlook is bleak. We as a city however have been able to buck this trend. Due to the large amount employment opportunities with the Federal, State and Local Governments our region is one of the best places for an educated American to live. This is why it is shocking that many in our locally elected officials have decided to inform the children of the city that it is ok to fail in school and rely on the government to provide you with a job.
Little over two weeks ago as Mayor Vincent Gray and his administration were rolling out the 2012 DC Summer Youth Employment Program the discussion quickly transitioned from the amount of jobs available for city youth to if kids who are failing in school should receive summer jobs. I ask you, is it right for our government to reward students who are failing in school by allowing them to work and asking local companies to hire them or should we require them to attend school? As a child I was always told that education is the key to your future success and that the more education you have the further you will go, yet I feel that our government is rewarding children for not achieving.
I contend that Marion S. Barry (D) Ward 8 and the other members of the city council who represent the wards with the highest rates of high school dropouts, illiteracy and unemployment are acting in a short cited manner buy insisting that these kids receive short term jobs instead of their education. Recent studies have shown that unemployment rates for residents with at least a high school degree are twice that of residents with at least a college degree and at least double that in our most troubled wards. With evidence like this I ask how can we sit by and send the message that dead end jobs are more important than education in a city which has clearly shown a socio-economic divide based along the levels of education.
Further I ask you what message does it send when our elected leadership is pushing our kids away from the education which takes up a lion share of our city budget. Their goal should be to break the cycle of poverty in our most troubled communities not creating adults who don’t meet the minimum requirements to obtain government jobs and by default will end up relying on government programs which are constantly being cut.
Eric J. Jones
P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
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