The Big One Page #6

to Manpower, Incorporated...

the temp agency

whose world headquarters...

just happened to be

located in Milwaukee.

Manpower... a company

that guarantees you...

a job for a day...

was now the number-one employer

in the country.

We thought, seeing how

this is such a great company...

maybe we could get Ed

a temp job.

I want to thank you

for stopping by...

and I wish

I could help you further...

at this point,

but you took me by surprise...

and I'd like to find out more

about the situation.

MOORE:
How about an application

for Ed to get a temp job?

- Please?

- No?

- Thanks.

- No?

Milwaukee was a great base

for manufacturing...

and there's really nobody left.

And now, we were one of

the biggest companies here...

and now we're going...

so I don't know

what we're going to do.

[Applause]

You know, whenever

I fly to one of these cities...

I usually get stuck next to

some businessman...

who, after having

a couple of martinis...

Iooks over at me

and, you know...

[Gruff voice] "Who are you?

Oh, yeah. Roger Moore."

[Laughter]

"I know you.

You made that movie.

"What have you got

against profit?"

That's what

they have to say, right?

"What have you got

against profit?

"Company's got a responsibility

to its shareholders.

"That's our system...

the shareholders."

[Chuckles]

That's not our system.

Our system's a democracy.

I've read

the U.S. Constitution.

The word "shareholder" does not

appear once in that document.

[Applause]

I've seen the word "people"...

of, by, and for the people...

I've seen that...

but I've not seen the word

"shareholder."

But, you know,

that's what they like to say.

They like to spout off

with that stuff, don't they?

The shareholders. Profit.

"Company should be able to do

whatever it can...

"to make a profit, Mike.

"You can't stop a company

from doing that."

Yes, we can. [Laughs]

We have a democracy.

We can do whatever we want.

We can pass

whatever law we want...

as long as it fits

into that Constitution.

We can pass any law we want.

We do it all the time.

If it's just about profit...

If it's just

about making a profit...

well, then, why doesn't

General Motors sell crack?

[Laughter]

Huh? They could make

a huge profit selling crack.

A 2,000-pound car makes G.M.

about a $1,000 profit.

Two thousand pounds of crack,

there's a million bucks there.

So why don't they sell crack?

MAN:
The CIA's

got the market cornered.

MOORE:

The CIA has got the market.

[Laughter, applause]

Where are the Republicans...

when you want to

privatize something, right?

[Laughter]

Actually,

that's what we need to do.

We need to turn crack

over to General Motors...

because they'll really

screw it up, you know?

We'll eliminate crack

in five years...

if we just turn it over

to General Motors.

They'll completely mismanage

the whole thing, right?

MOORE:
Oh, my God!

We made the "New York Times"

best-seller list.

[Laughing] Oh, man!

Oh, God. Oh, my God.

That's such good news.

Have you called Kathleen?

Oh! Oh, my God!

Oh! Oh, I'm stunned!

They must be flipping out

there at Random House.

Yeah, OK. All right.

All right.

TIA:
Ha ha!

Rockford pushed us over.

MOORE:
Rockford!

It was Rockford! Ha ha!

How do I feel about the book

being sold by a corporation?

MAN:
Yeah. Did you ever

consider trying to sell it...

at just non-corporate

book stores?

MOORE:
You know, I did,

until I made...

the "New York Times"

best-seller list.

Now I don't think corporations

are such a bad idea.

Flat tax isn't

a bad idea either...

come to think of it.

Thank you.

MOORE:
At the state capitol

in Wisconsin...

I accompanied

a group of women...

whose welfare benefits

had just been cut...

by the Republican governor,

Tommy Thompson...

and the Democratic president,

Bill Clinton.

Joining us,

quite unexpectedly...

were two morning deejays

from the local rock station.

And the Crash-and-Burns Crew

here on WJJO...

and we're gonna offer

to clean up his office...

to show him that

these people want their money...

and they're willing

to work for it.

Man, I'm winded.

[Chattering]

- Michael Moore.

- Michael.

Good to meet ya.

Governor Thompson here?

No, he's actually...

he's out of state.

He's out of state?

We brought some people here

who are recipients of welfare.

They would like to come in and

clean the governor's office.

They brought mops, brooms,

some dust pads...

We already have people

who do that.

But they want to give it

an extra polish.

MAN:
lt'd be a lot cheaper.

Yeah. Because

you're already paying them.

We have people

who are paid to do that.

But you know the governor's

worried about welfare.

People not wanting to work.

We give them jobs

where they don't...

They don't even have

to get welfare benefits.

They'll get a real paycheck.

MOORE:
You'll give them

real jobs with real paychecks?

- Sure, we'll help them.

- Where they won't be evicted?

They'll have enough money

to pay rent and get food?

You'll do that

for these women right now?

We'll set them up with people

who'll help them do that.

- Right now you will?

- Sure. Where are they from?

What kind of wage

are you gonna pay them here?

- Pardon?

- What kind of wage?

Most people who are leaving

welfare right now...

are makin' $6.00 an hour.

WOMAN:
Do you realize

that the average job...

starts at

5.25 to 5.75 an hour?

KEANE:
First of all,

let me explain something.

Say it is 5.25 an hour,

and you're makin' 5.25 an hour.

You will have,

at the end of the year...

5,000 dollars more

real income in your pocket...

than being on the A.F.D.C.

I don't want to be on A.F.D.C.

I'm a full-time student

working now...

KEANE:
That's my point.

If you're workin',

even at that $5.00-an-hour job,

if you just

look at the pure cash...

the pure dollars,

you're makin' more money...

at that $5.00-an-hour job

than you are on the A.F.D.C.

WOMAN:
But I'm not gettin'

medical benefits, dental...

KEANE:
Sure you will.

Wait a minute. My children

are not gonna be covered.

Who's gonna pay

for my child care?

KEANE:
Seriously, ma'am,

if you went to the job center...

WOMAN:
I'm goin' there now!

That's what I'm tellin' you now.

We already at the job center.

We're already

on the Pay for Performers.

We've already been through

the goals program.

We've already took the classes.

I'm still getting sanctioned,

I still don't have a job...

and I'm still on welfare.

MAN:
What do you think

of all this?

I'm staying out of the way.

You know my problem.

MAN:
What's your problem?

Well, Governor Thompson

is a personal friend...

and the lieutenant governor

is also a personal friend...

and I really don't want them

to see me here...

and wonder

what the heck I'm doing.

Roger Smith,

my old buddy, all right?

Here's Governor Thompson

giving a welfare check to Roger.

- Yeah.

- OK?

And how many jobs

did that help create...

for people that you're

complaining about to work?

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