Declines in public-sector employment and wages have dragged down the recovery from the 2008 recession. Those declines have also disproportionately hurt minority workers:
Part of the reason public-sector layoffs hit blacks particularly hard is that they are a disproportionate presence on government payrolls. About 18 percent of all employed blacks work in government, compared to 13 percent for the rest of the population, according to 2014 Labor Department annual averages. Current Population Survey data further indicates black women are about twice as likely to work in public administration as Hispanics and Asian men.
…When it comes to hiring, governments commonly adhere to strict monitoring and reporting requirements meant to promote diversity. Many municipalities have launched initiatives or have dedicated offices tasked with recruiting employees of diverse backgrounds. Such efforts do not come into play, though, when there are workforce reductions [Mike Maciag, “Black and Out of Work: How the Recession Changed Government Employment,” Governing, 2015.12.01].
Government jobs have offered minorities better protection of workers’ rights and greater opportunity to enter the middle class than public-sector employers. For the sake of minority economic opportunity, we need to resist Republican calls to further weaken the public sector and create more opportunities for minorities to make a living in public service.
Cory, how would you urge public sector employment be applied in South Dakota’s Indian Country?
That is a very good question. Step 1 would be to get the State of South Dakota to stop discriminating against American Indian applicants in the Department of Social Services. Step 2 might be outreach: next time we hire plow drivers and other DOT personnel, put up fliers at Agency Village, Pine Ridge, Eagle Butte, Fort Thompson, and other places where we can recruit some Native drivers. And more than fliers: call the tribal councils or economic development offices and tell them to put out the word. Go interview applicants at tribal headquarters. Maybe conduct quarterly state job fairs on every major reservation, complete with opportunities to interview and get hired on the spot.
Aren’t there some federal preferences for minority contractors? Could we implement similar preferences at the state level?
South Dakota’s vendor manual says, “It is the policy of the Government that minority business enterprises shall have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in the performance of Government contracts.”
We give preference to South Dakota residents and enrolled higher-ed students in internships with the state (SDCL 3-6C-25). We give veterans preference in all state hiring (SDCL 3-3-1). Can we give hiring preference to enrolled tribal members? Do we need some American Indian affirmative action?
Gov. Mickelson was headed there, right?
I can’t speak to other South Dakota reservations, but the Pine Ridge Reservation no longer has an onsite South Dakota Job Service, all of its “services” must be done online.
With unemployment constantly bordering around 80% you’d think that a job service office on the reservation would be a priority.
Roger, how reliable is public transit between the rez and towns off-reservation?
Larry,
From what I understand, the transit system provides services to Rapid City for weekend shopping. The buses schedules and services seem to be reliable and well used.
Along with the regularly scheduled routes, the transit system also provides services for those needing to get to doctor appointments and other needs.
I guess it doesn’t matter to me as long as the person with the best creds gets the job.
The Blindman
The best creds you can have for a state government job is being white.
Snow plow drivers and maybe road construction would indeed seem to be a way to have more government employment in Indian country. Obviously they can’t just hang flyers calling for people who know how to drive as there are likely CDL issues and even periodic drug testing (weed is bad for drivers, it is bad, folks) related to operating heavy equipment so you have to have a more rigorous process than if you were just hiring kids to mow your manicured lawn of buffalo grass. Another issue with the plow jockeys is that that the drivers probably need to live closer to the plow barn than to the roads they need to plow. Are there plow barns in Pine Ridge and Kyle? And an issue with both construction and driving is they are probably seasonal in nature. Seasonal is better than nothing to be sure.
grudz implies that allow Native Americans on the Pine Ridge smoke weed, which they don’t.
At any given time, I could go to Pine Ridge and find 5 qualified heavy equipment operators. My brother was a heavy equipment operator that didn’t smoke weed, but left the job because the state and BIA didn’t pay a competitive wage.
(Cory, sorry for having to mention that word).
Cannabis!
No, Mr. C, I’m implying it’s probably more complicated than just hanging flyers up and that there are likely other qualifications. If there are qualified snowplow drivers there, then great.
Again, it’s probably more important to live closer to the plow barn than to the roads needing plowing. Please don’t accuse me now of saying that the people on the Pine Ridge are (fill in the blank) because they don’t have plow barns. I have no idea, but whatever the situation I am positive, absolutely positive young Mr. C, that it has nothing to do with race.
What? No onsite state job service office on Pine Ridge? That’s nuts! How do we get an office open there? Can we legislate that?
Grudz, I agree, simply handing out a flyer doesn’t get people CDLs. Outreach alone won’t solve Indian employment—we need a whole raft of programs to provide training, transportation, etc. to raise Indians to full employment. But every bit helps. Let’s do the outreach to find those folks Roger knows who are qualified. Maybe we’ll have to give them a transportation subsidy or a hiring bonus so they can put a down payment down on a good car to get to work, but we can make that happen.
PS: Mr. C, I bet you there is only one plow barn in the whole entire county of Harding, and that’s only because Harding has a county seat where there is probably some state office. At least a county office where one could park the plow, and probably where the plow driver lives.
related:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/11/25/not-much-mortgage-lending-oglala-lakota-county-162528
66 counties are neither conservative nor sustainable.
Lar’s right about the 66 counties thing. He and I completely agree. Lockstep. Arm-in-arm, strutting down the lollipop-path. Where we differ is I think 20 is probably enough, Lar might think 30 is good.
grud makes a stopped clock look like an orgasmatron.
There are 31 state’s in Mexico, Lar. Mexican statehood for the tribes as a noncontinuous 32nd state, or let’s absorb Chihuahua first as they are contiguous, big, and sound kind of funny.
Cory,
In answer to your question of how to get a Job Service on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Elect Democrats!
In response to grudz’s plow barn obsession, the state has two Road Departments, one in Pine Ridge and one in Batesland.
The BIA is responsible for snow removal on all BIA designated roads and also tries to service those that may live in isolated areas.
Since these are state and government jobs, it is more than likely drug testing is a requirement for Indian and non-Indian equipment operators.
The BIA has fully equipped plow barns throughout the reservation districts.
So plow drivers are probably at maximum employment already then, it sounds like.
I think the minorities being hit hardest, (not just in Indian country, wherever, I just want to qualify, these are people who could be African American in the deep south or Aboriginal in Auckland) are not hit hardest necessarily by employment that a few of them may loose, but but a loss of services being delivered by the government body. Do you remember when we had those big budget cuts Mr. Sibby would rail against and nobody really lost many jobs in the government but money stopped flowing through to the end people? That’s where minorities and all other people who need government services get hurt. In those bad times maybe we need more Joe Govs just to provide more services.
mexican statehood for the tribes, as u say often here, strikes me as racist aside despite the backflip above testifying as to your virtue, as always, grudz, my frenemy. thats the only reason i give you any attention :(
Ms. leslie, I believe you are confusing me with Mr. kurtz. Mr. kurtz has long advocated a rewilding of the west, and statehood for the tribes as 562 separate counties but be a single big state in the United States of America. That would, presumably, allow their new state government made up of representatives from those 562 separate legislature districts but and, also presumably some sort of chief executive, to deal directly with the federal government and receive and manage various federal grants and entitlement programs.
It is an interesting theory, and one that I generally support. Even though if these 562 separate governments that exist today could come together and all agree, it would fly directly in the face of Lar’s other favorite theme which I also agree with about reducing the number of counties in South Dakota.
20 counties in South Dakota
562 counties in New Indiana
“you lie” old man. nice dodge. nice try.
btw, cory, here is a novel idea the public sector supports; a government ethics office and code:
5cfr2635. 502, 702; 2636 yahdahyadah….