Pay for the Summer Jobs Program should be based on performance and not age.
Many 15 year olders did a good job in summer 2011 and now they will be only able to make $5.25 an hour just because they are 15, which is a pay cut. Let 14 and 15 year olds compete for Jobs paying $7.25 per hour and working 25 hours per week. There are 14 and 15 year olds who have better attitudes, work skills and commitment than many of the 16 -21 year olds. Or let the 15 year old youth who worked last year maintain their $7.25 pay rate.
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Anonymous commented
The idea of decreasing the pay for these youth is repulsive! These youth continue to try to make preparing for their future a reality and yet they continue to receive roadblocks and barriers to obtaining their ultimate goal...productive, responsible, self-sufficient citizens in society. The 15 year olds this year should grandfathered on the old pay scale. Any new participants should have the $5.25 per hour implemented. Mayor Gray, I appeal to you to consider how this will affect our streets for the summer and the future. Give these students something to work for. Right now, we are losing the battle in our city with our youth. You can make the difference!
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Anonymous commented
This consistently poorly run program should be eliminated. Parents should be responsible for their children, not my tax dollars. Pay raise? Whomever's idea this is must be joking. There are no 14-21 year old homeowners with mortgages and the array of taxes levied on adults whom many are not receiving pay raises. $5.25 an hour is very generous when using my tax dollars for tasks that are not necessary for the summer youth program just to pander to some people for their vote. Use these tax dollars for improving the schools, libraries and city infrastructure like repaving our streets and updating our underground sewage and pipelines.
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L. Crawford commented
The fact that the youth want to work should be incentive enough to pay them a fair and comparable wage. If they are not provided with it via this program, they will seek employment elsewhere thus comprimising the many benefits that the Summer Youth Jobs Program offers.