How Governments Solve the Unemployment Problem
June 9th, 2010I found this yesterday… it is across the pond in Europe: Council helps jobless women find a rich man to keep them.
I have a hard time believing this is really true, so if it is a hoax, forgive me for spending time on it. If it isn’t…
- they are giving women make-overs (because that’s how you win a “rich man,” by looking hot),
- they are hoping to save welfare payments equal to €400,000 by
- marrying off 70 jobless, single women (who need make-overs)
- they are investing €1,400 (about $2k USD) into each women which includes image make-overs as well as social skills and “presentation”
- They will get the women “registered at a local marriage bureau”
Crazy, isn’t it? And you thought the government was getting involved enough in the unemployment scene!
Less than 10 women have signed up so far… in the article the council’s plan is even called a “scheme” (I think that is a translation thing, though). Locals are calling it unethical. Here’s the article I read.
Okay, that was (hopefully) good for a laugh, but let me pose to you: what role should YOUR government play in unemployment? I wrote about this in the following posts (one for Republicans, one for Democrats), and Mike Arrington wrote something similar (for businesses) here.
It’s a true story! It caused so much trouble that the mayor has apologized and stopped the program. It should not have been positioned as a way to cut back costs, but the article doesn’t say how it should have been positioned…
Interesting though, if it cuts back costs and if it would make people happy… maybe it was a good idea. Unconventional, but good.
Wendy (NL)