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Editorial: St. Petersburg expands opportunity for low-income

 
Published Oct. 22, 2014

A city on the rise that does not ensure everyone benefits won't rise for long. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, with four City Council members standing with him, announced two modest initiatives Tuesday that could have a huge impact on the pocketbooks and livelihoods of some of the city's lowest-income residents. The city's lowest-paid workers can now make a bit more, and felons will no longer have to immediately identify themselves as such when applying for a city government job. That increases the odds that job applicants will be judged based on their talents, not just their pasts. This is how a city grows best, with opportunity for all.

With Kriseman's announcement from the steps of City Hall, St. Petersburg became the third Florida city, behind Jacksonville and Tampa, to embrace the growing, commonsense "ban the box" movement aimed at improving employment opportunities for convicted felons — who face a higher chance of recidivism if they can't reintegrate into society and find work. More than a dozen states and 70 cities, along with private employers such as Target, have also signed on, an acknowledgement of how the nation's get tough on crime posture ultimately backfires when those who have served their sentences cannot find a way to contribute to society and earn a living upon release.

Starting Jan. 1, city application forms for St. Petersburg government jobs will no longer include the check box, "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" Applicants will still have to pass all relevant background checks before winning a specific job, but the change is aimed at making it more likely a felon's past won't come up until after an employer has assessed other qualifications and can weigh that information more appropriately. Kriseman said he hopes the city's action will encourage local private businesses to reconsider their policies about hiring felons.

Also Tuesday, Kriseman announced he is raising the minimum wage for 65 of the city's full-time workers to $12.50 an hour, and he has proposed doing the same for 72 employees represented by the union, which is currently in contract negotiations with the city. It's less than the $15 per hour "living wage" the union has been seeking, but it's a significant improvement from $10.10, the lowest wage the city now pays full-time and longtime part-time workers. All told, the pay increase would amount to a modest $125,000. Kriseman rightly noted all the money will likely flow right back into the community as the low-paid workers buy gas and groceries.

Simple ideas that could ultimately pay big dividends for some of St. Petersburg's lower-income residents. That's good policy befitting a city on the rise.