oh joyfulness
Jun. 15th, 2004 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rktthis was going to be a post about how much i think that there's a whole special layer of hell for people who work in public assistance offices.
but i've been bitchy enough lately, more so than usual.
and i do recognize that there's a shitload of other dynamics going on.
underpay-ness.
overburdened caseloads.
vicious cycles of untrusting clients coming in and being cranky after their last worker (who has since quit) was cranky to them because their caseload was full of cranky people, most of whom were cranky because, well, you get the picture.
the whole deprsesive psyche of the place.
pressure from higher administrations all coming back, essentially, to The Public blaming The Poor.
I KNOW there's a whole lotta' crap going on that isn't necessarily the inherent evil of the worker.
There are GOOD workers. who don't treat the people on their caseload like shit.
so i'm going to try not to go there.
before i start my soapbox, let me add that, contrary to what Republicans will try to feed you, Very Few people want a Free Ride.*
but this welfare to work thing, BEGIN, whatever you want to call it. . .ok, i can see how the theory is great... no free ride, empowerment, blah blah blah, but theory is not practice and how the hell do you expect a woman to work when you close her case (or THE ALMIGHTY COMPUTER closes it for you) and prevent her from accessing child care services???? how do you expect a family to move out of a homeless shelter and into their own place when you fucking go and close the case trying to tell me she didn't attend an appointment she has a receipt for??? and how the hell is it empowering to shuttle people into dead-end jobs and then not provide access to further education???
work with me here. explain it to me. just how is this a BETTER IDEA???
and...just....nevermind, i'm going off into rant** mode. i need to re-channel my energies. this has been a long day and i have another 5 hours to go.
cary on.
NOTE i still love my job. the above ramblings have nothing to do with my lack of love for my workplace environment/employer.
*i am NOT interested in anecdotal stories of your neighbor's cousin who cheated the welfare system and lived high on the hogs, and/or better were much better off than you. i have those stories too. that's a whole separate discussion. unless you actually know what the hell you're talking about, beyond "what you heard", don't fucking bother me.
*not that there's anything wrong with rant mode. i love rant mode.
but i've been bitchy enough lately, more so than usual.
and i do recognize that there's a shitload of other dynamics going on.
underpay-ness.
overburdened caseloads.
vicious cycles of untrusting clients coming in and being cranky after their last worker (who has since quit) was cranky to them because their caseload was full of cranky people, most of whom were cranky because, well, you get the picture.
the whole deprsesive psyche of the place.
pressure from higher administrations all coming back, essentially, to The Public blaming The Poor.
I KNOW there's a whole lotta' crap going on that isn't necessarily the inherent evil of the worker.
There are GOOD workers. who don't treat the people on their caseload like shit.
so i'm going to try not to go there.
before i start my soapbox, let me add that, contrary to what Republicans will try to feed you, Very Few people want a Free Ride.*
but this welfare to work thing, BEGIN, whatever you want to call it. . .ok, i can see how the theory is great... no free ride, empowerment, blah blah blah, but theory is not practice and how the hell do you expect a woman to work when you close her case (or THE ALMIGHTY COMPUTER closes it for you) and prevent her from accessing child care services???? how do you expect a family to move out of a homeless shelter and into their own place when you fucking go and close the case trying to tell me she didn't attend an appointment she has a receipt for??? and how the hell is it empowering to shuttle people into dead-end jobs and then not provide access to further education???
work with me here. explain it to me. just how is this a BETTER IDEA???
and...just....nevermind, i'm going off into rant** mode. i need to re-channel my energies. this has been a long day and i have another 5 hours to go.
cary on.
NOTE i still love my job. the above ramblings have nothing to do with my lack of love for my workplace environment/employer.
*i am NOT interested in anecdotal stories of your neighbor's cousin who cheated the welfare system and lived high on the hogs, and/or better were much better off than you. i have those stories too. that's a whole separate discussion. unless you actually know what the hell you're talking about, beyond "what you heard", don't fucking bother me.
*not that there's anything wrong with rant mode. i love rant mode.
