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Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

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Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#221

Post by singhrac »

jjnoakes wrote: post #198
xenadu02 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Economics isn't a zero-sum game. People with better jobs spend more money to buy more products, including a lot of the products startups would very much like to sell. An ex-con working minimum wage isn't ordering Muchery, using Instacart, or taking Lyft rides. An ex-con working in frontend development very well might use those services. This generates economic activity across the entire chain, enriching everyone alon…

> Economics isn't a zero-sum game. People with better jobs spend more money to buy more products Nothing I said suggested otherwise.

Well, sort of. You said "the jobs are being done by someone else", but that's not quite true - that person having to do that job means they can't do another job, etc. I think your argument only makes sense if there's a large pool of low-skilled workers looking for jobs with clean backgrounds (which might be true, but possibly isn't in that area/job area).

Here are some examples:

1. A former felon is unable to work a low paying job at a library, because they have a background check. Someone else takes that job - but only if they couldn't find a higher paying job. In this case tax revenue doesn't change.

2. A former felon has a unique skill (e.g. manufacturing specialty welding machines), that it is impossible to find someone to replace. That business opportunity goes by, and in this case tax revenue decreases.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#222

Post by pavel_lishin »

adnam wrote: post #155
bovermyer wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your first statement there belies the fact that you know nothing about psychology. I'd suggest going to your local library and reading up on reward and punishment as it relates to behavioral design in a society.

It's always so exciting to have my knowledge of Psychology called into question by a "DevOps engineer" in Minneapolis.

I do happen know the technical term for this particular bullshit argument you're throwing out: ad hominem, with a light sprinkling of appeal to authority, since you're implying he has none due to his job title.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#223

Post by RonanTheGrey »

justadeveloper2 wrote: post #161
dsfyu404ed wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, and that was for people born in 1953(!!). The net cast by law enforcement has not gotten smaller since then.

It's easier to rule over people who live in fear, so just make more things illegal, process people through the system, and you get your total state without anyone raising an eyebrow.

Oh they raise eyebrows. The kind that come along with thunderous applause.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#224

Post by milesvp »

geofft wrote: post #146
adnam wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However did anybody work before the invention of the internal combustion engine? rolls eyes

The internal combustion engine was invented in the 1860s or so. Do you know how the poorest demographic in America before the 1860s worked?

Economics changed. Right now the most affordable housing is furthest from job centers. Last time I compared apt prices where I live pricing was such that living within walking distance of downtown was priced such that pricing for similar apts 10 miles away had a delta greater than the cost of owning a car and commuting. God forbid you live in a city like LA that has no downtown because of freeway sprawl.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#225

Post by HillaryBriss »

cletus wrote: post #139

I'm super-excited to see this. I really hope it works out. Thanks for doing it. Honestly I find how this country treats those with a felony record absolutely disgusting. The "Are you a convicted felon?" is a scarlet letter that never seems to disappear. While this might've originally been well-intentioned, IMHO it perpetuates criminality as I suspect what other choices do a lot of former felons have? There was (is?)…

yeah, Wahlberg's crime is an interesting case -- the kind of violent crime most people think merits a severe punishment. and yet, he's a wealthy movie star today. American justice, folks.

oddly enough, it happened in Massachusetts of all places, a state i expect to take this sort of hateful crime more seriously. maybe it would nowadays. that particular violent attack happened a while back.

regarding licensing: the rumor i heard (for what it's worth) was that Wahlberg recently wanted to become certified as an actual officer on a local auxiliary or reserve police force for some new show he was planning. but, as a convicted felon, he is not eligible.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#227

Post by RonanTheGrey »

Zyst wrote: post #80
jaredhansen wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Isn't yet another case that startup is trying to fix systematic screwup of law in the USA? Two thoughts: 1) "systematic screwup of law in the USA" is a pretty good description; another might be "massive market opportunity" 2) "startup trying to [take advantage of market inefficiencies created by] systematic screwup of law in the USA" is also a pretty good description of drug traffickers of all kinds. (I'm not passin…

>systematic screwup of law in the USA" is a pretty good description; another might be "massive market opportunity" The way Americans have the capacity to acknowledge something intrinsically fucked up about their society, and see it as a business opportunity regardless is something I both admire, and despair over.

Glad I'm not the only one that feels that way..

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#228

Post by ghostbrainalpha »

This is a beautiful project.

Have you met the guys behind https://pigeon.ly/?

Are there any other problem areas related to the criminal justice system that you are not addressing, that you think a startup could help with?

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#229

Post by kevinnk »

jjnoakes wrote: post #198
xenadu02 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Economics isn't a zero-sum game. People with better jobs spend more money to buy more products, including a lot of the products startups would very much like to sell. An ex-con working minimum wage isn't ordering Muchery, using Instacart, or taking Lyft rides. An ex-con working in frontend development very well might use those services. This generates economic activity across the entire chain, enriching everyone alon…

> Economics isn't a zero-sum game. People with better jobs spend more money to buy more products Nothing I said suggested otherwise.

> if these folks were earning more, someone else wouldn't be doing that job, so the overall earning that the set number of jobs would support wouldn't change one way or the other from the tax revenue point of view.

That's exactly what "zero sum" means.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#230

Post by dang »

w8rbt wrote: post #143

State and federal governments do not get as much tax revenue either because these people are not earning at their full potential. So basically, it hurts everyone involved as well as society as a whole.

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14911995 and marked it off-topic.
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