Workfare a non-partisan issue?

[Machjo]

We often read heated right-left discussions concerning welfare vs workfare.

I don't wee why workfare should be such a hot issue. If we look at it from a right-wing point of view, it at least gets some work for the money spent. And from a left-wing point of view, it ensures everyone has work and no one goes without while giving people work experience to boot. Welfare could be viewed as cruel as it imposes a stigma on the recipient and holds him back from gaining valuable work experience(and I'm sure many on welfare would love to get a foot in the door in the workforce and feel like a contributor to society).

Looking at it that way, what are the objections to workfare?

For example, let's say we introduced a Canadian version of the US Peace Corp that the unemployed could join if they wanted to. At least it would give the unemployed a choice. If he needs help but can't accept a hand out, then at least he'd have the alternative option of joining a Canadian Peace Corp where he could learn news skills, serve the community, etc. Right now he has no such option,. If he cant find work, a hand out is the only option for him with no opportunity to earn that money and serve his community. There is much more to a person's needs than just getting enough money to serve his material needs. There is also the spiritual need of feeling needed, or of having a chance to serve others. Why hod people back from that opportunity?

[eyeball]

Looking at it that way, what are the objections to workfare?

How about looking at it this way, perhaps volunteerism should be recognized as an in-kind contribution to society that is compensated for through a tax exemption or credit. Why should anyone benefit from free labour? People include receipts in tax returns for cash donations they make why not receipts for donations of labour? Time is money as they say.

Please don't read this to mean that I expect every single random act of kindness or assistance in an emergency that is rendered needs to be accounted for. I'm clearly differentiating between that and someone who shows up to 'work'.

[Machjo]

How about looking at it this way, perhaps volunteerism should be recognized as an in-kind contribution to society that is compensated for through a tax exemption or credit. Why should anyone benefit from free labour? People include receipts in tax returns for cash donations they make why not receipts for donations of labour? Time is money as they say.

Please don't read this to mean that I expect every single random act of kindness or assistance in an emergency that is rendered needs to be accounted for. I'm clearly differentiating between that and someone who shows up to 'work'.

I'm not sure I understand you here. So let's say I decide to embark on a project on my spare time that I think could be of benefit to mankind, do I get to declare that time on my income taxes? Who wil decide what time is tax deductible and what time isn't.?

And as for the unemployed, I don't see how a tax exemption for their voluntary labour will help them seeing that they have no salary to declare in taxes, unless of course the credit you referred to above is intended to solve that problem so that if they have to tax money to claim, then the government gives them money for their labour. But again, who decides what labour can be compensated? if I'm unemployed and can't find work, could I just embark on any project of my own that I believe could be of benefit to my fellow man and get compensated for it? Again, I'm not answering the question, but just asking to be sure I understand you correctly before commenting further.

You reference benefitting from free labour. If I pay my taxes, and that money goes towards paying salaries to a Canadian Peace Corp worker who then serves the community and that benefits me, how is that benefitting from free labour?

[Riverwind]

We often read heated right-left discussions concerning welfare vs workfare.

If the job needs to be done, fund it and hire people. Seems strange to fund projects that can only be staffed by people collecting assistance already.

Training programs are a different issue and they are best handled on a case by case basis.

[eyeball]

I'm not sure I understand you here. So let's say I decide to embark on a project on my spare time that I think could be of benefit to mankind, do I get to declare that time on my income taxes? Who wil decide what time is tax deductible and what time isn't.?

A registered charity that's authorized to do so I imagine.

You reference benefitting from free labour. If I pay my taxes, and that money goes towards paying salaries to a Canadian Peace Corp worker who then serves the community and that benefits me, how is that benefitting from free labour?

It's not a free benefit if this is the case. If you donated cash to the Peace Corp, wouldn't you expect a tax exemption?

Like I said people often expect, get and submit receipts for their for their cash donations so why not receipts for donations of labour?

[Riverwind]

Like I said people often expect, get and submit receipts for their for their cash donations so why not receipts for donations of labour?

Because there is no way to verify that there was value received for the labour done. If you give cash the charity has records that can be audited later to see if that cash was really received and that it was used for the correct purposes.