Laura's Corner

Who isn’t pissed off, yes I said it, pissed off, about the latest scheme sweeping our city?  While most of us work 40 hours a week at minimum wage or more, others are sleeping while collecting up to 100 times more than we could ever ask for.  While you and I are struggling to survive, put food on the table and pay the mortgage, others laugh all the way to the bank.  Talked about getting screwed without lube. 

Guess what, and let me fill you in on a little tidbit, most likely, well, at least within 99.9% of all cases, there will be no repercussions.  Sure, suspend licenses and halt funding.  Which one of these providers will be paying retribution any time soon?  How about those that worked in the system?  You know, the ones who were probably paid under the table to issue child care licenses to the sister or friend of Ms. Fraud?  Please don’t tell me that one didn’t run through your mind for at least a micro-second.

Whose genius idea was it to halt funding and suspend licenses?  Did these morons ask themselves the following questions: where are the children who attend day care going to go now?  If there is limited space at other facilities, and they are not able to obtain care, how are the honest parents going to be able to go to work?  Unable to work, these parents will be forced to stay home to care for their children.  Without an income of any type, parents will now be standing in line for food stamps, unemployment, welfare and health care, all of which will come out of our already over extended financial budget. 

How about this for an idea?  Take the money you save within the Wisconsin Shares program and build or purchase a facility.  The perfect location would be the beautiful brick building for sale on Sherman Boulevard.  It is centrally located and would replace the 60-plus centers closed on that side of town.  Create a new Dare Care and give the fraudulent providers a few options: in order to pay back what is owed the state, you will volunteer 20 hours per week at our day care, the other 20 hours a week you will continue to work and receive minumim wage.  You will be required to attend training two Saturdays per month from 8:00a.m.until 5:00p.m.  If you fail to do so, you will report to jail within 30 days and serve a sentence of …. Without the requirement of payback via volunteering vs jail time, we are telling these people, “Go ahead, scam the system, there will not even be so much as a slap on the wrist.” 

Within the new Dare Care, we will be killing two birds with one stone.  One bird allows the state to hire honest professionals to run this facility as supervisors, instructors and teachers.  These will be individuals who have been unemployed due to no fault of their own.  The other allows the state to punish those who have scammed the system for years.  It is a win/win situation for all involved.

Within each sector of Government and corporate America lie individuals who take bribes and payments under the table to approve illegal activities.  Without accountability, individuals who are given sole responsibility of approving Government or corporate funding may possibly sway towards whoever the highest bidder is.  It is at this time we must require at least 3 signatures regarding dispensing of funds towards any Child Care entity.  Requiring one signature to disburse millions of dollars in Child Care subsidy is preposterous. 

Revamp the system.  Overhaul from within.  Require your staff to take classes on a regular basis.  Hire successful fraud professionals who have been disposed within the finance industry and get rid of those who haven’t got a clue.  Train displaced, honest, diligent workers to care for our most precious resource, our children.  Set a standard across the board for centers. 

Forgo the B.S. of paying high quality centers a greater reward.  All centers should be high quality.  Low quality centers should be closed immediately. 

Can I get an AMEN!