Gordon Webster Jr.

Nobody likes to look a gift horse in the mouth, but just because something is free (or nearly free) doesn't necessarily make it useful or effective.

Case in point is Fresno County's new 80-20 Program. Funded with federal recovery funds, the 80-20 program will pay 80 percent of employers' cost for qualified new hires through Sept. 2010. The only hitch is the qualification — the applicant must be on some sort of public assistance program through CalWORKS supportive services (food stamps, Medi-Cal, child care assistance, etc.).

The biggest problem is that simply being unemployed isn't a qualification. In fact, CalWORKS is often the last resort for people who have exhausted unemployment benefits. Of course people hit hard times through no fault of their own, but the people eligible to be hired under the program have largely been unemployed for a long time. As an employer, I want to be sure my people come into the job with their tools sharpened, ready to work. For many employers who need people with specific skills, the applicant pool just doesn't offer much.

Of course, federal funds always come with strings attached. And the aim of the program is noble and could greatly help some employers and workers. But for this program, or any similar program, to have a real impact on hiring, it must allow employers to choose from the thousands of good, qualified workers who currently find themselves on unemployment assistance. They are the ones following up on every job lead, trying to get back into the game.

Short of cutting my taxes and directly giving me the money to hire the people I need to be successful, any job creation program must focus on those most employable in the workforce. Anything less shortchanges them and isn't of much use to me.

Tags: 80-20 program | Fresno County | unemployment | job creation