Kuthunyelwe ngo-Feb 25, 2025
9: 20 am
Ngokusayinwa kwe-House Bill 29 ngoJanuwari 2025, abantu base-Ohio ngeke besakwazi ukumiswa amalayisense abo ngenxa yokungakwazi ukukhokha izikweletu. Lokhu kunqoba kwenzeke ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yocwaningo, imfundo, kanye nokubambisana.
Umphakathi wamakhasimende we-Legal Aid uthintwe kakhulu ukumiswa kwelayisensi yokushayela ehlobene nezikweletu. Kusukela ngo-2018 - okuhambisana nokukhula kokulethwa kokudla okunomnotho kanye nezinsiza zokushayela - Izibalo zewebhusayithi ye-Legal Aid zibonise ukuthi abantu abaningi bebecinga (futhi bevakashela iwebhusayithi) ukuze bathole ulwazi "lokubuyisela ilayisense lokushayela" kanye "nokumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu." Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu abaningi bebeshayela i-Legal Aid befuna usizo lokuthola amalayisensi abo ngemuva kokumiswa okuhlobene nesikweletu. Lokhu kumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu akuhlangene nokushayela okuyingozi futhi kucuphe abantu abanezindlela ezilinganiselwe emjikelezweni ongenakwenzeka: badinga ukuya emsebenzini, kodwa abasenayo ilayisense evumelekile, ngakho abakwazi ukuya emsebenzini, ngaleyo ndlela abakwazi ukwenza izinkokhelo ukuze babuyisele ilayisensi yabo.
Ngokombiko wakamuva we-Federal Reserve Bank Community Development, ukumiswa kwamalayisensi kunomthelela omkhulu kubasebenzi base-Ohio. Isibonelo, ngo-2022 isabelo sezikhangiso zomsebenzi esicela ilayisense yokushayela e-Ohio (14.0%) sasiphezulu kunesilinganiso sikazwelonke (10.6%).
Ngo-2022, I-Legal Aid yasebenzisana noDkt. Brian A. Mikelbank, Uprofesa Ohlanganisayo Wezifundo Zase-Urban e-Cleveland State University kanye ne-Legal Aid Visting Scholar, ukuze aphenye futhi ahlaziye idatha ehlobene nokumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu. Umphumela wombiko othi, “Umgwaqo Oya Endaweni: Ukumiswa Kwelayisensi Yomshayeli Okuhlobene Nezikweletu e-Ohio” kudlale indima ebalulekile ekukhulumeni kwezwe lonke ukuze kuqedwe ukumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu. (Funda umbiko ogcwele lapha: lasclev.org/roadtonowherereport)
Phakathi kokunye okutholakele, lo mbiko uveze ukuthi ukumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu kubiza izakhamuzi zamakhodi e-zip aphezulu kakhulu e-Ohio isilinganiso samaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-7.9 ngonyaka; nokuthi ukumiswa okunjalo kubiza izakhamuzi zamakhodi e-zip ase-Ohio anamaphesenti aphezulu abantu abanombala isilinganiso samaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-12 unyaka ngamunye.
“Siqale sasebenza ngedatha eNortheast Ohio ukuze sibone ukuthi imininingwane ibukeka kanjani nokuthi inkinga ibidlange kangakanani. Sabe sesenza isicelo samarekhodi omphakathi esizweni sonke, sedatha yeminyaka emihlanu,” kusho uBrian. Lokhu kuhlanganisa nokuthola ulwazi lwawo wonke amakhodi e-zip angu-1,200 e-Ohio ukuze kutholwe ukuthi ukumiswa kwakwenzeka kuphi, izinhlobo zokumiswa, nokuthi kuhlobana kanjani nezici zenani labantu ngokugxila ebuphofini nobuhlanga.
Amakhodi e-zip abenezilinganiso eziphakeme kakhulu zabantu abangabamhlophe abe nokumiswa okwesikhashana okuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-130 kunamakhodi e-zip ayenabantu abamhlophe kakhulu.
“Yize bekunezigidi zokumiswa okuhlobene nezikweletu esifundazweni sonke, azizange zisakazwe ngokulinganayo. Akuwona wonke umuntu owayezwa umthelela ngendlela efanayo,” kusho uBrian.
I-Legal Aid ethi “Road to Nowhere” ibika ozakwethu abafundile, abezindaba, kanye nabashaya umthetho. I-Legal Aid isebenze ne-Ohio Poverty Law Center, iqembu elahola umfelandawonye omkhulu nohlukahlukene wabameli futhi laba nomthelela wase-Ohio, ukusekela umthetho kule minyaka emibili edlule. Kuyo yonke inqubo yekomidi leSigele kanye neNdlu, ofakazi abacishe babe ngu-40 kusukela ezinhlanganweni ezisiza ngezomthetho kuya kubakhulumeli bokuqashwa kuya kubaholi bamabhizinisi kuya emaqenjini alondolozayo nabakhokhintela bathumele ubufakazi.
Ngenkathi uMbusi uDeWine esayina lo mthetho, i-Ohio yaba yisifunda sama-25 sokusuka ezijezisweni ezihlobene nezikweletu.
Ishicilelwe okokuqala encwadini yezindaba ye-Legal Aid ethi "Poetic Justice", uMqulu 22, Ukukhishwa 1 ngeNtwasahlobo ka-2025. Bona ukukhishwa okugcwele kulesi sixhumanisi: "Poetic Justice" Umqulu 22, Issue 1 - Legal Aid Society of Cleveland