...And Your Kids Will Be Placed

In the custody of Carl's Junior

File under: Shut it down. Shut it all down.

As they barnstorm the tiny, electorally-uninteresting state of Iowa, excoriating the Kenyan Usurper and his Commie Legions of Doom for daring to defile our Randite superhero flowers of American capitalism their sticky Evil Big Gummint fingers, I wonder if their Big Clown Caravan has slowed down long enough to notice that during Year Four of our Lost Decade, for lack of Evil Big Gummint Money, the Hawkeye State is shuttering 2/3rds of those little buildings that help Iowans prepare for and find jobs.

Jobs?

Maybe you've heard of them?

J-O-B-S?

Ringing any bells?

From WOI-TV:

Workforce Offices Close Throughout State

In order to still maintain the same services while operating on a budget of $6.5 million less than the previous years, the Iowa Workforce Development has been forced to close more than half of their field offices.

Thirty six of the 55 offices that provide unemployed Iowans with resources to help them find work will close by the end of October.

Thirty one will close Wednesday, including ten in our area.

"I think it is a bad idea because a lot of people use these places, a lot," said Lori Maciel of Des Moines.

With the looming budget shortfall, the Iowa Workforce Development decided to open up kiosks around the state in place of the satellite offices. They will be in libraries, community centers and other accessible places. They plan on opening 300 to 400 of them. Currently there are 138, like the one at creative visions in Des Moines.

"Our goal was to deliver the same services to Iowans in the state, hopefully closer to their homes in some cases," said Kerry Koonce of the Iowa Workforce Development.

But those who work in these centers say there's just one problem.

"The problem with that is if you don't have a staff person to help an individual who is not computer literate maneuver through it makes it difficult," said Ako Abdul Samad of Creative Visions.

Creative Visions does have a trained staff member to help, but most won't. There will be an 800 number to call for help or a live chat option.

But still job seekers are unsure if this is the best way to fix a very large budget problem.

"I wasn't raised on the computers I mean I know the basics but nothing like that," said Nancy Spiewak of Des Moines.

75 people that work in these satellite offices will be laid off when they close.
...

New Iowa workforce system motto: "Carl's Junior -- Fuck you, I'm eating!"

Meanwhile, pictured here is a member of the United States professional political pundit corps begging Sarah Palin to get into the race

so they can have one more kookie and superfun and completely irrelevant thing to yammer on about 24/7/365.