From the Daily News:In October, LaGuardia Community College launched the Bloomberg administration's ballyhooed $2.5 million initiative to retrain Willets Point workers.
Four months and more than half a million dollars later, the Willets Point Workforce Assistance Project has yet to enroll a single worker in job training classes, Queens News has learned.
"We haven't done enrollment yet. We are still recruiting," said Linda Barlow, who was hired to direct the 19-month project, which ends in April 2010.
LaGuardia has attempted to recruit workers by reaching out to community groups in neighborhoods that surround the gritty industrial strip, Barlow said.
But project representatives have not gone to Willets Point to talk directly to workers since early October, shortly after the program was launched, Barlow said.
...many workers are ho-hum about the program, said Marcos Neira, who leads a group that represents 60 tenant businesses at Willets Point.
"We are not interested in that program," he said. "We are interested in getting relocation first. That is our major point."
Willets retraining enrollment: 0; $2.5M project still 'strategizing'
Just remember - Shovels in the ground by 2010!
Photo by Doug Letterman on Flickr
15 comments:
LaGuardia has attempted to recruit workers by reaching out to community groups in neighborhoods that surround the gritty industrial strip, Barlow said.
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Come on guys! How long have we all been posting here?
"reaching out to COMMUNITY GROUPS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD."
This is a tweeder program whose purpose, to retrain workers, a front to distribute buck$ to the 'right' people.
Everyone knows that LaGuardia, like the Farm Museum, Theatre in the Park, etc, are favs by Boro Hall.
Good point!
Why don't the biz owners fighting this publically ask what happened to the money in a few months?
Just think if this could have gone to other worthy causes in this climate of finanical choas.
the city is just blowing smoke up every one's asssssss please they will help no one these people have to fright for what's right and to save there land . ,we could start by not voting for this loser mayor and vote him out!!!!!
As a token display of its involvement, prior to the Council vote, LaGuardia's mobile office appeared just once. Moreover, the vehicle parked well outside the "development district," across the street from the Triangle, rather than venturing into the community to present its services.
If the retraining program was for real, then LaGuardia's mobile office and staff would be stationed within Willets Point -- right at ground zero -- according to a regular schedule. Other than the one-time photo op, LaGuardia has done nothing to make itself available to Willets Point workers.
If I had been given the $2.5 million dollar contract, I would have retrained every single interested person by now.
We're spending $2.5M to retrain people who already have jobs?
CALL IN THE FEDS!!!
I can imagine what the curriculum will be--tired old useless stuff: how to fill out an application; how to interview; how to network;no real training. Because to train someone you have to know something. The CUNY system led the way in bailouts decades before the current administration! A money hole. I am sure people have been on payroll on this all these months. I second the motions--Vote him out...Call the Feds!
CUNY's Board of Directors include Wellington Chen. Chen's TDC is one of the developers vying for Willets. Or is that Wellington Pointe?
Shovels in the ground by 2010?
Hell...Bloomberg, Shulman, Parkside, Chen, CB#7, EDC and the other various culprits, have been using their shovels for a while now...slinging horse shit in our faces!
Let Wilpon build a "decorative" wall around the Willets Point businesses if their appearance offends him.
F--k Bloomberg if he spends one more dollar on this boondoggle with NYC in the shape it's in!
Which vital services are you going to trim today "your honor" in order to implement this land grab?
These people actually have jobs and valuable skills unlike paper pushers with a dime a dozen college degrees.
The EDC, pretty much,
conducts its business like a horny 17 year old male who's on the make.
Promise that virgin anything
(including a 2 week honeymoon in Paris) until you get into her pants!
After all,
promises are made to be broken
at Willets Point...
with Bloomberg's blessings!
Who's going to train these workers? Hunter? Pratt?
Those workers are ghosts
who are invisible to the
Bloomberg administration.
Once "The Emperor" and his builder buddies have finished up with
"The Pointe", those workers will be a forgotten part of history.
Hasta la vista
to our merciless monarch!
NOT TURD TERM FOR DER MAYOR
or any his city council flunkies either!
Probably Hunter.
Keep the money
in the Meiklejohn/EDC stooge loop!
Maybe she can come up
with another one of her "studies" skewed towards over development!
Isn't Jennifer Raab, former
(ha, ha) LPC Chair still president of Hunter College?
See what I mean...a fixed game!
Keep the money in the Meiklejohn/EDC stooge loop!
Please elucidate!
Unless, of course, you're just repeating someone else's words and have no knowledge or original thought of your own. In which case you're off the hook.
What a joke!
Willet's Point will be one huge vacant lot for a generation now since the city is broke. They have succeeded in driving out more of the middle class in the vain attempt for 'luxury condos' and 'luxury hotels' that will never be built now.
"Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed." - Bruce Springsteen
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