Gingrich: Child labor laws 'truly stupid'

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November 21, 2011
Gingrich: Child labor laws 'truly stupid'
By Kim Geiger | McClatchy-Tribune News Service

WASHINGTON — Promising "extraordinarily radical proposals to fundamentally change the culture of poverty in America," Newt Gingrich on Friday said he would fire school janitors and pay students to clean schools instead.

Speaking at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the Republican presidential candidate and former speaker of the House challenged laws that prevent children from working certain jobs before their mid-teens.

Gingrich blames "the core policies of protecting unionization and bureaucratization" for "crippling" children.

"It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in, first of all, in child laws, which are truly stupid," he said.

"I tried for years to have a very simple model," he continued. "Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they'd have pride in the schools, they'd begin the process of rising."

Gingrich, who over the weekend said Occupy Wall Street protesters should "get a job" and "take a bath," suggested that poor children need to build a work ethic.

"Get any job that teaches you to show up on Monday," he said. "Get any job that teaches you to stay all day even if you're having a fight with your girlfriend. I mean, the whole process of making work worthwhile is central."

Gingrich is the latest Republican presidential candidate to challenge front-runner Mitt Romney in the polls.

Kim Geiger writes for the Tribune Washington Bureau.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/11/21/130962/gingrich-child-labor-laws-truly.html#ixzz1eSOM4NwS

BBB Photos: child labor in America 1908 - 1912

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

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Type: Discussion • Score: 8 • Views: 2,836 • Replies: 23

I think ill vote for him!! Kids need to go to work at least 40 hours per week so jerks like Gingrich can suck from the public tit and continue to help the 1%.

0 Replies

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Good grief. Gingrich is such a tool!

1 Reply

@jcboy,

Im thinking of opening a power wood shop and Im gonna hire some 10 year olds to do wood turning and router work. Ill have some 11 year olds doing cross cutting on the table saws.

2 Replies

@farmerman,

Also we can reopen some of the old anthracite mines in Pa. The adits are so low that 10 year old kids can mine the coal standing up. We will save a fortune by becoming energy independent.

0 Replies

@farmerman,

lol don't forget the poor jantors, yeah put them to work with caustic chemicals, Ginrich is such a moron. Smile

1 Reply

@jcboy,

jcboy wrote:

lol don't forget the poor jantors, yeah put them to work with caustic chemicals,

Ginrich is such a moron.

If HE is a moron,
then what does that say about US ??

WE have never been Speaker of the House of Representatives,
not even for a minute! So if he is a moron, then WE must be dummer than a moron. Right ?

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Your logic and insights simply stun me, David.

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

Your logic and insights simply stun me, David.

I hope that u r adequately insured for that, Andy.

David

0 Replies

You're right, David, we've never been speaker of the house. I don't think we've ever petulantly tried to shut down the US government because we had to get off the back door of the plane either.

0 Replies

Ever try to get a job if you are between the ages of 14 and 17?
It's darn near impossible. And this is the age group that gets into a lot of trouble.
(I had my working papers when I was 14 and people did hire at that age. But not now)

I see nothing wrong with kids participating in cleaning schools. They could do a lot of the mundane jobs around the building.

(Why do you guys get off the subject of the discussion? Issues can't be discussed because things get so personal. )

0 Replies

I certainly no admirer of the Newt and I don't believe we should be sending our children off to work each morning, but I wonder if he got this idea from schools in Japan. Japanese schools are mostly cleaned by students and there is zero graffiti or garbage around the school grounds. My local Jr. High looks like a landfill after a soccer game and students have been known to break off sinks by using them to sit on. Students helping to keep things clean (although not being employees) could be a good thing.

1 Reply

Its not a bad idea to have the kids help around the school. There is nothing wrong with them emptying the trash or mopping floors. He is right that it would bring some pride to how they feel about their school and they can earn some walking around money in the process.

I would sign my kids up in a heart beat.

1 Reply

@Green Witch,

Green Witch wrote:

I certainly no admirer of the Newt and I don't believe we should be sending our children off to work each morning, but I wonder if he got this idea from schools in Japan. Japanese schools are mostly cleaned by students and there is zero graffiti or garbage around the school grounds. My local Jr. High looks like a landfill after a soccer game and students have been known to break off sinks by using them to sit on. Students helping to keep things clean (although not being employees) could be a good thing.

R we discussing volunteerism, or public slavery??????? Which?

There is no jurisdiction to extort labor.

David

0 Replies

@Baldimo,

Baldimo wrote:

Its not a bad idea to have the kids help around the school. There is nothing wrong with them emptying the trash or mopping floors. He is right that it would bring some pride to how they feel about their school and they can earn some walking around money in the process.

I would sign my kids up in a heart beat.

It shoud NOT be YOUR choice!!! Thay r not your slaves.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Thats where you are wrong David. My children are my slaves. They cut the grass, do dishes, clean the bathrooms and feed the dogs, all without being paid.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Baldimo wrote:

Thats where you are wrong David. My children are my slaves.
They cut the grass, do dishes, clean the bathrooms and feed the dogs, all without being paid.

Then u r in violation of the 13th Amendment.
U have violated their Constitutional rights.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

While they live under my roof, they have no Constitutional Rights. Once they reach 18 then they can explore all the rights they want.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Baldimo wrote:

While they live under my roof, they have no Constitutional Rights.
Once they reach 18 then they can explore all the rights they want.

U can violate their rights, but u cannot end them.
Most of those rights have no age numbers on them.

MAYBE thay will let u get away with it.

David

1 Reply

The Supreme Law of the Land does NOT say:
" Its OK to have slaves, as long as u BREED them."

David

0 Replies

Gingrich: Child labor laws 'truly stupid'

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