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Job Requirements Include Bending Over

One of President Obama’s signature initiatives during his term is the Affordable Care Act. Among other things the law requires that larger employers must do more to provide health care coverage for their employees. Contra Costa County, Calif., was pleased to announce it won a state grant to run one of three call centers, which would operate a hotline for taxpayers with questions about the benefits and responsibilities that the Affordable Care Act put into law. In all, 7,000 people applied for the 200 jobs at the center. But the jobs aren’t as good as local politicians and job-seekers had anticipated: once everyone was hired and trained, the county notified the employees that half of their jobs will be part-time — or, as the county calls them, “intermittent” — and they thus won’t get benefits, such as health care. If employees want health coverage, they’ll have to pay for it themselves at a cost of up to $2,900 per month. The job pays a maximum of $18.83 per hour. (RC/Contra Costa Times) ...How is it that anyone is still surprised when the government demands “Do as we say, not as we do”?