That's great Bob.
So who gets to pay for all of the side effects of exposure to toxins these young people will face? Remember the Exxon Valdez? Those individuals involved in the cleanup are still suffering the effects of exposure. How about we round up the management of BP, the Minerals Management gang (you know, the party animals) and all the deregulation gurus and throw a beach party for them! They won't have to worry about insects or crabs or fish or birds and they undoubtedly have great health insurance!

How about this? Everyone unemployed has a job on the Gulf coast. Show up at your local airport, show your Social Security card, to document your employment status, board a plane, paid for by bp, fly to the coast, and help the local economy. All pay would be tax free, paid for by bp, employed people spend money on food, lodging, etc.
Can it be that difficult?

This would make sense, so of course they won't do it.

I remember my friends getting paid by the state to clean out rich people's basements when Agnes hit Pennsylvania back in 72 (?). You could see the marijuana smoke seeping through the basement windows they told me. Maybe making BP do this would be a good thing provided there was someplace to smoke weed on the beach. Maybe a few Porta-Johnnies perhaps? (<;

The health consequences are real, but others have commented. Just one correction on the summer youth jobs: that is a federally funded program, so the states aren't the ones doing the cutting. ARRA boosted the number of summer youth jobs last year; Congress has failed to appropriate the funds for this summer, so, please, do not lay this at the feet of states.

One additional thought: what would be more useful is for college students and recent grads and for teachers on summer break to be employed or asked to volunteer to assist on the paperwork for claims being filed by residents who are adversely affected by the spill. People are overwhelmed, and sober assistance on these complex and frustrating tasks can do a lot to ease the burdens faced by families in crisis.

The prisons in the United States are filled with able bodied people who would love the opportunity to earn good time credit as well as a fair wage. They may be willing to take on some of the more dangerous aspects of the clean up while students took on the less dangerous aspects.

Seems one of the main concerns is the toxicity of raw oil and the health of those sent to clean it up. This could be easily addressed by having BP provide toxic waste suits and respirators to the clean up crews. If necessary they could even be provided independent air tanks to breathe from. The only other change I would make would be that the jobs should be provided to anyone out of work that wants to work doing this rather than just being limited to young people. For once a halfway decent idea from Mr. Reich as long as it is realized that it is only a temporary solution and a more permanent jobs solution needs to be implemented immediately and given the highest priority. A priority at least as high as that given to solving the banking crisis

As someone who worked with hydrocarbons and solvents like what is in the Gulf of Mexico now, I say don't send the kids in. I have precancerous skin 'callouses' growing on my hands from cleaning engine parts when I was 25. Mechanics often die young from cancers in organs in the body responsible for filtering out toxins. Don't send in the kids.