Candidate Carl Paladino (R-NY): Let's Put Welfare Recipients in Prison; Teach Them Responsibility & "Personal Hygiene"

Yes, because we all know just how funky those "welfare queens" are as they drive their Cadillacs to the check cashing and/or local liquor stores. I swear folks, you cannot make this shit up; that is, unless you believe in small government, and are a supporter of the Republican party. You know, a party made up of fat cats who don't give a damn about the poor and working class folks struggling to stay afloat in this economic shit storm:

Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino said he would transform some New York prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where they would work in state-sponsored jobs, get employment training and take lessons in "personal hygiene."

Paladino, a wealthy Buffalo real estate developer popular with many tea party activists, is competing for the Republican nomination with former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio. The primary is Sept. 14.

[...] Throughout his campaign, Paladino has criticized New York's rich menu of social service benefits, which he says encourages illegal immigrants and needy people to live in the state. He has promised a 20 percent reduction in the state budget and a 10 percent income tax cut if elected.

[...] Paladino laid out several plans that included converting underused state prisons into centers that would house welfare recipients. There, they would do work for the state — "military service, in some cases park service, in other cases public works service," he said — while prison guards would be retrained to work as counselors.

"Instead of handing out the welfare checks, we'll teach people how to earn their check. We'll teach them personal hygiene ... the personal things they don't get when they come from dysfunctional homes," Paladino said.

[...] Paladino told The Associated Press the dormitory living would be voluntary, not mandatory, and would give welfare recipients an opportunity to take public, state-sponsored jobs far from home.

"These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of cities," Paladino he said.

He also defended his hygiene remarks, saying he had trained inner-city troops in the Army and knows their needs.

"You have to teach them basic things — taking care of themselves, physical fitness. In their dysfunctional environment, they never learned these things," he said. (source)

Yep, let's criminalize the poor; it's nothing new really. Shit, all they do is sit at home and smoke dope while watching reality shows on their fifty-inch flat-screen televisions as they suck working people dry, right?

Here's what one commenter of the above story on the site had to say:

I am a Democrat and I support this idea. Able-bodied people should have to work to receive income. If that's a state sponsored job collecting garbage on the side of the road, I'm fine with that. He's suggesting giving them training. What's wrong with that? The current welfare system is doing nothing but churning out criminals. Ridden Muni lately? Do you like the unruly kids that live in the projects? They are the future.

Of course this proves that some Democrats/Liberals are as "American" as Conservatives. So what you think RiPPa? I'm just glad that there are rich white folks who are willing to teach poor people how to act. Truth is, po' folk could stand to use some Grey Poupon in their pathetic crack-smoking dysfunctional lives [snark].

Feel like dropping Mr. Paladino a line to tell him how you feel?

Feel free to do so:

Paladino for the People
PO Box 447
Buffalo, NY 14205

TEL: 716-783-9400
EMAIL: info@paladinoforthepeople.com