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The first bill before me today is Introductory Number 354-A, sponsored by Council Member DiBrienza. This legislation would establish a three-year program known as the Temporary Employment Program (TEP) whereby the City would be required to create 2,500 new government-subsidized jobs for individuals receiving public assistance.
TEP participants would be considered employees of the City of New York for all purposes, including membership in unions, and would be compensated at rates comparable to those of regular City employees performing similar tasks. Participants could spend up to 12 months in their positions, and then would be replaced by other eligible individuals.
This legislation is the antithesis of welfare reform. Rather than assisting people to secure private sector employment, this bill seeks to featherbed the government workforce with thousands of unneeded positions, while fostering a culture of government dependency that our welfare reform efforts have worked so hard to reverse. No private company hires people without first determining that there is a need for them. This bill ignores this simple logic and is in direct contrast to my Administration's successful efforts to streamline City government to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services.
Under my Administration, this City has revolutionized the way it aids the
poor and unemployed with meaningful programs that help people gain experience
and secure real, permanent jobs in the private sector. Moving people into permanent
employment in the private sector is not only a prudent and efficient use of
taxpayer dollars, it also the most compassionate and dignified way of helping
those in need. Permanent employment in the private sector gives individuals
a chance to become self-reliant and to gain opportunities for advancement. This
bill directly undermines those efforts.
The Office of Management and Budget estimates that TEP would cost upwards of
$65 million per year. There is no justification for spending this sum of money
on a program that simply grows the government by placing people in unneeded
positions at the expense of taxpayers.
Over the last six years, New York City has been transformed from the capital
of welfare dependency into a national leader and innovator in welfare reform.
Our progress has been tremendous: over 560,000 people have left the welfare
rolls and moved toward independence. This bill would be a dramatic step backward.
It is rooted in an outmoded philosophy that sees continued dependency on government
as the best and primary solution to the problems of those on public assistance.
The goal must remain to move people directly from welfare to self-sufficiency.
I will now turn to the bill's sponsors and to any other elected officials
wishing to speak on this matter.
I will now turn to the general audience.
There being no one else wishing to speak and for the reasons previously stated,
I will now veto the bill.
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