Southwest Virginia Job loses 2010-2020.

Crony Capitalism and more Lousy Call Center Jobs

WJHL.com July 26, 2012 is reporting Century Link is getting $2.1 million in Federal pork dollars to connect SW Virginia residents to the internet. The region has already spent over $120 million on hi-speed internet under the guise of economic development with little to no measurable impact on poverty or jobs. It's expected to connect 2000 residents.

In fact they seldom even check if the money was even used properly. This is part of the Federal Communications Commission's "Connect American Fund" that will pad the bottom line of Century Link very nicely. "The FCC says about 744,000 Virginians lack access to broadband service."

Question: when did hi-speed internet become a right for every barn and cow pasture in the state? Once again taxpayers absorb the cost/risk while private business reaps the profits. See the following:

More Low-Paying, Part-Time Call Center Jobs

DialAmerica in Gray, Tennessee is hiring 100 part-time workers. The region has sunk as much as $200 million into hi-speed telecom subsidies promising to create real jobs and get away from low-end call centers. Instead we get call centers paying even less than old call centers.

Call centers are routinely employed to displace and fire other workers from their jobs and the massive subsidies these companies get from local governments results in two things: communities cutting each others throats in a corporate welfare bidding war, and lowering wages across the board. These huge subsidies allows one call center to underbid another while keeping pay low.

By receiving huge subsidies and with locating in labor hostile regions such as Tri-Cities where local governments assist business in keeping wages low, these are a disaster for the working poor.

Among DialAmerica's portfolio of clients, the Gray facility supports fundraising programs for various national non-profits, and provides sales and customer service support for financial services and travel services clients.

DialAmerica will be hosting two open houses for interested job candidates on August 7 and August 14 from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. at the contact center located on KLM Drive in Gray. Candidates interested in joining DialAmerica can view all available positions, including job responsibilities, and submit an employment application online at www.dialamerica.com/careers, or contact Donna Cody at (423) 283 - 4759 or Johnsoncityrec@dialamerica.com.

The website will tell you absolutely nothing in regards to wages, etc. Make sure one checks his/her eligibility for food stamps if one has children.

Yes we have broadband and spent millions.

A look at 2 decades of cable ready socialism in our region:
Cable Ready Socialism
How CGI-AMS and Northrop Grumman Failed Russell County
How Cable Ready Socialism Failed Southwest Virginia
Sprint Jumps State Line Collects Millions
U.S. Solutions Dumps Bristol Virginia for Bristol Tennessee
Travelocity Fails Dickenson County

To quote LENOWISCO Broadband Study Warned against Call Centers (PDF file):

"The region has been replacing traditional (better paying) manufacturing jobs with (low paying subsidized) call center jobs, which provide limited advancement and work opportunities. Call centers represent the factory floor of the Knowledge Economy; they are an important part of a diversified economic development strategy, but the region must be careful not to rely too heavily on them, as the work is easily moved to other regions and/or other countries."