The struggle against the Wisconsin Plan continues in the hallways of the Knesset and in the media. The focus this week was on a story that was broadcasted last week on channel 2 and drew attention to the shortcomings of the vocational training program.
On Wednesday Chaim Rivlin was interviewed on channel 2 regarding the issue:
http://www.mako.co.il/news-channel2/Channel-2-Newscast/Article-2611e71a10d4621004.htm

We were not invited to attend the discussion, but based on reports we received the head of the “Orot Letaasukah” (the employment program) admitted that the there is no vocational training in the program. 

 

A very crucial stage in our battle against the Wisconsin plan started this past week. The Government is pulling out all the stops to pass legislation expanding the Plan to the entire country before contracts with the four private companies running expermimental programs expire on December 31st.  On Wednesday the Labor and Welfare committee discussed  the Plan, and those who support the Plan started a massive and expensive campaign. The Industry Commerce and Employment Ministry, which is in charge of the plan, also started a campaign that costs 300,000 NIS. In this campaign mayors ask to expand the plan to their cities. We know that at least one of the mayors, the mayor of Or Akiva, did not give permission to use his name and the mayor of Upper Nazeret,h who supports the plan, said that his deputy from Lower Nazareth is also for the plan but we know that he is not. The private companies that activate the plan, and those that want to join them, have many lobbyists in the Knesset. Against all these forces, four NGOs joined to create an opposing campaign. We produced a booklet that explains clearly our claims, concentrating on what we think will convince the MKs.  There is a special emphasis on the gap between high cost of the plan  and its poor results. Please visit the campaign’s internet site http://www.maspik.info (Hebrew). The booklet and more are on the site. Please tell your everybody you know about the site.

 

The discussion in the Welfare and Labor committee was tense, and tempers flared. A detailed report can found on the site. The discussion was widely covered in the press. Most of the MKs who participated in the discussion spoke against the plan, some of them in a very sharp way. Although the sense of the committee was against the plan, we can not take anything for granted.  Pressure and party discipline can be applied, and parties can even switch representatives on committees just before a vote.  We must continue coming to the Knesset and remind the MKs all the time why they must oppose the Wisconsin plan. You must help us!

 

On the left, click on "Send a letter"  to see a draft of a letter to MKs and guidelines. If each MK will be inundated every day with e-mails against the Wisconsin plan, they will find it hard to vote for the plan.