Tax Dollars at Work-Update

On the front page of this morning’s newpaper was this story. A juvenile detention center in Auburn, NY has 25 staff and only 2, yes TWO, residents. Those 2 residents will be leaving by the middle of the week, so there will be 25 staff and ZERO residents. The staff members fill their days moving things around and taking inventory.

The taxpayers of New York are paying $1.8 million per year to keep this place open and there are seven other facilities just like this one. There is one in Gloversiville, NY with zero residents and 7 staff members costing the taxpayers almost half a million dollars a year.

The Office of Children and Family Services is trying to get these facilities closed, for reasons which should be obvious to anyone who has a brain and chooses to use it. But the union that represents the “workers” at these facilities is fighting it. The union’s president said that they will “do everything possible to ensure the job security of our members.” They want the “workers” to keep their “jobs”. Excuse me, but don’t you have to do some actual work to be a worker and provide some sort of value to call what you do a job? These people ought to be ashamed of themselves.

This is so outrageous but the lawmakers in Albany are too afraid of the unions to do anything about it.

Update: Click here for the update on this story. A bill has been introduced in the NY State Senate that will make it ILLEGAL to close these places. This is unbelievable. Who said nothing was getting done during Hookergate?