Editorial: Federal disruption response team may be best way to react

This week has been a carousel of action and information for a program that serves low-income youth and young adults.

It started when news broke that the U.S. Department of Labor was hitting the pause button on Job Corps.

Job Corps provides residential and nonresidential job training and GED programs to those 16 to 24 years old. They help prepare people for careers in manufacturing, mechanics, construction, health care, business, security, hospitality and other sectors.

In Pittsburgh, there were 612 students in 2023. The program, like others, was announced to have a June 30 pause. What “pause” means in this scenario is anyone’s guess.

But on Friday, that pause was itself paused when a federal judge in New York City issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the Department of Labor from eliminating the program without legislative action. Perhaps the language of that order is why the program was said to be paused rather than simply cut. Does Congress need to authorize a temporary measure or only a final one?

While that was celebrated among Pittsburgh’s Job Corps students, that could be premature. A hearing is scheduled for June 17 —and actions over the past five months have shown that the courts are their own carnival ride of ups and downs.

The city and county have both struggled with homelessness in recent years. Disrupting a program with 465 students, including residential aspects, has the potential to balloon that problem. That could contribute to more crime and other related issues.

That’s a definite concern in many ways — including that Pittsburgh literally has a clock counting down to the NFL Draft in 10 months.

But let’s forget about the Job Corps conundrum for a moment. Innamorato’s plan is smart for other reasons.

Having a plan in place allows the county to anticipate what is important. It allows for prioritization. It lets officials act rather than react.

“There is no replacement in local tax dollars to replace cuts from the federal government, so we have to mobilize, and we have to think creatively in this moment,” Innamorato said.

The plan includes partnering with business and industry as well as nonprofits.

That doesn’t mean various levels of government shouldn’t push back against cuts and shuttering. It acknowledges the reality that vital programs can’t wait for legal fights to play out.