Officials Say "Capes For the Unemployed" Plan Not Super

After what must have been an epic marketing meeting, a Florida unemployment agency decided to give 6,000 red capes to the jobless as part of its "Cape-A-Bility Challenge" public relations campaign. The capes cost $14,000 (not a bad price for 6k capes actually) and featured a cartoon character named "Dr. Evil Unemployment." As one might imagine, officials are calling for an investigation to be launched. It's a good thing there are an abundance of caped do-gooders without jobs in the area who should be able to help.

Comments

Don't like it

[geek]

I'm not opposed to the price tag. I think that's reasonable if spent on something motivational. What they did however, was in my opinion, demeaning to the unemployed. It's akin to your boss walking around the office and passing out candy bars for effort. Treating adults like little children is ridiculous. Lift them up, don't hold them down. The last thing these people needed while down on their luck and possibly in dire straits was for some jackass marketing person dressing them up like super heroes and playing fucking games with their self esteem. The people who thought this up should be fired in my opinion.

Re:Don't like it

[j00r0m4nc3r]

The people who thought this up should be fired in my opinion.

Well that will help the unemployment problem for sure.

Re:Don't like it

[residieu]

The people who thought this up should be fired in my opinion.

Do they get one of the capes?

Re:Don't like it

[dkleinsc]

I'd be opposed to it for another totally obvious reason: The cape manufacturer probably is either a committee member's brother-in-law, or bribed the committee to spend public money on their company's stupid product.

Although I guess the cape could help the unemployed stay warm and dry when they're thrown out onto the street.

Re:Don't like it

[Thud457]

Edna Mode does not approve of this hair-brained government idea.

Re:Don't like it

[hoggoth]

Watch as UnemployedMan steps into this phone booth, dons his bright red cape and emerges as... UnemployableMan!

Targets For Ridicule

[crow_t_robot]

a Florida unemployment agency decided to give 6,000 red capes to the jobless

To simplify the task of acquiring targets to point and laugh at? This is as brilliant as having children at school that can't afford lunch stand in a line to get lunch tickets/vouchers so the other kids know who the poor ones are to ridicule.

At least Slashdot did it right

[mangu]

Putting a story about the unemployed on "Idle"...

Even worse?

[ShavedOrangutan]

I wonder if the capes were made in China.

Better than their last idea

[daremonai]

This is not as bad as Workforce Central Florida's previous idea: Careereoki.

I wish desperately I could say I was making this up, but I am not.

Re:I Do like it

[DarkOx]

Maybe but its not Government's job to make you feel empowered. The Government should not be in the business of self esteem you precious little snowflake.
Someones tax dollars however few went to buy what are basically tchotchkes for the unemployed and not even good ones like a paper weight or something most recipients could make use of. Its simply irresponsible. If that tax (read other peoples hard earned money) money was going to be allocated to the unemployed it should been something useful like a card with some interview tips on it in their mailbox, or at the very worst an extra few dollars on their unemployment checks.

Re:Only....

[elrous0]

Crazy as that state is, there had to be at least *one* sane person in the room when that was pitched. Surely to god, there had to be one person there who saw the disaster coming. My question is "What kind of environment was so toxic that he wouldn't or couldn't speak up and challenge such an obviously FUCKING INSANE idea?" How beaten down and scared do you have to be before you let something like that slide by without comment? How crazy does a boss have to be before his subordinates are so tired that no one even bothers to say "I think this might be a bad idea."?