Food stamp call center outsourced

Next time some right-wing loudmouth complains about the poor getting too much welfare, you can now reply that it might not be necessary but for the outsourcing policies that right-wingers support.

The state of Florida farms out the administration of its food stamp program to JPMorgan Chase. Florida has paid the banking giant almost $50,000,000 over the past 3 years to run this much-needed service.

So what does JPMorgan Chase do with the money Florida taxpayers give it? It outsources its call centers for the food stamp program to India.

Food stamp recipients are furious at the fact that JPMorgan Chase doesn't keep these jobs in Florida. If these jobs remained in the Sunshine State, folks on food stamps could have easily taken these jobs. Unemployment is almost 10% in Florida, so why can't the call centers be kept there?

Worse, JPMorgan Chase has received $25,000,000,000 in federal bailout money.

With the country only now emerging from its worst economic crisis in 75 years, the government gives taxpayer money to a big bank to move jobs overseas. It doesn't get much more corporatist than that.

(Source: http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/apr/16/florida-food-stamp-jobs-india-aggravate-recipients;
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/04/16/a12a_call_edit_0417.html)