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NORWALK, Conn. – Andy Garfunkel, Democratic candidate for mayor, does not want to require new businesses to hire teenagers during the summer, according to a new statement from his campaign.
An e-mail sent out Thursday evening asked the media to revise his previous statement announcing his five point plan to grow jobs and improve the economy. The original statement, released early Wednesday afternoon, said that Garfunkel wanted to require new businesses to take part in youth employment programs. The new statement, sent out at 6 p.m. Thursday, said that Garfunkel would only like to encourage businesses to take part in youth-employment programs.
"When the release was checked internally, there ended up being two versions of the release and the wrong version was sent out," Campaign Strategist Francesca Capodilupo said in an e-mail.
The first statement said, "Strengthen our summer jobs program by reaching out to businesses and requiring each new business that comes into Norwalk to take part in youth employment programs."
The second statement says, "Strengthen our summer jobs program by reaching out to businesses and encourage each new business that comes into Norwalk to take part in youth employment programs."
In response to the first statement, incumbent Republican Mayor Richard Moccia said, "This isn't a dictatorship, there's no way I can force somebody to offer a summer job."
"The fact remains that," Capodilupo said in an e-mail, "in his response to the article written, Moccia ignores the crisis in youth unemployment. Youth unemployment is a crisis that holds our children back. It contributes to frustration among youth, a sense of hopelessness and ultimately a whole package of ills that accompany unemployment."
Comments (5)
There was a state law against loitering that was struck down as unconstitutional a long time ago. We have a local law about loitering for purposes of solicitation which seems to be directed at prostitution, but no law about loitering in hopes of getting a day's work. This has gone on for a very long time, long before there was any talk about illegal immigration. The place where people looking for work hang out has changed, and the people looking for work has changed, but the practice goes back a very long time. On the docks, it used to be called "shape up" back when it took a lot of manpower to unload, or load, a ship.
I heard a story today about a young man looking for work who showed up at the same place of business every morning very early until the boss finally gave him a job cleaning up the shop. He is now a regular employee.
Your complaints about illegals taking jobs are not new, either. Bobby Kennedy read an editorial voicing the same complaint, into the Senate records when he was a senator and only revealed when he finished the illegals referred to in the editorial he was reading were the Irish and the editorial dated back to the late 1800s
We're talking semantics here. Its obvious that he had it written up both ways to see what looked better. Either its just publicity or the concept of govt dictating to private citizens is ok.
The way to get jobs for young people is to enforce laws against illegal immigrants. Just about every job we did a generation ago as young people is now occupied to a large degree by people who dont belong here. From cutting grass to washing dishes, to cleaning houses & pumping gas.
We need a law like Arizona has, or better yet one that would allow us to check the status of all the guys loitering in south norwalk waiting for work every day. Matter of fact I'm pretty sure we have ordinances against loitering itself.
I do not agree with your point about Andy..However I do agree that the illegals need to not only stop taking jobs from Americans but they need to be thrown out of the country and or arrested as they are plain and simple criminals..As for them doing jobs that Americans will not do is crap with this level of unemployment.
Thats an issue I would like to see the candidates comment on. When you go to apply for a job, and are asked "Do you speak Spanish?" or, worse, the manager doesn't even SPEAK English himself, there is a major problem!
People who say "the illegals do the work Americans don't want to do!" are idiots that don't know what they're talking about, it's more that the employers would rather pay cash/under the table to an illegal, then to pay any of the taxes that he SHOULD be paying into the government.
More states are getting "Arizona Laws" and I am praying that Connecticut will soon follow!
Andy no need to clarify as it's just Moccia's camp changing your words. This is what they do when they know their day are over come Nov.