Unemployment checks anyone?

[madmac]

Makes a person feel good knowing we have a system in place to help the unemployed. I just know they are doing their best to get back into the working system so they won't be a burden. Yeh, right. Read this but make sure you have taken your heart meds and something for high blood pressure.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29662606

[anna]

I have a number of clients of that generation who are on unemployment desperately seeking work...any kind of work. One young man told me "I know I'll never find anything that pays as good as ___. I'm just looking for ANY work." Maybe its a Midwest/blue color attitude but I can't think of anyone drawing unemployment that is not actively seeking employment.

[cwatson]

Sounds like a couple of the 20 somethings that I know. One living with grandma with baby in tow the other living with her mom no baby in tow. Both think they are owed the right to live for free and it is not right for a relative to expect them to pay rent when they are working and trying to make it. The one layed in bed collecting unemployment until it ran out and then finally found a job only to quit 2.5 days later. Got another job and called in sick the second day. I know they can't all be that way. My son is only a little over a year older than them and he is serving his country while raising a child on his own.

[Saoirse]

I hear they just got a raise from the new administration.

[Funmommy]

First of all Unemployment is NOT a welfare type system!
For every week you work a certain amount of money is taken out of
your paycheck to go towards the possibility of you being unemployed
in the future. (I think?) that your employer also has to put a certain amount
(matching yours?) into it. Therefore what you're getting from unemployment
is about half of your money anyways.

YES a lot of the younger generation seems to have the "expect everything"
attitude but that depends on the individual.

The "Increase" in the unemployment amount (for me) amounted to $21.00
more a week. When you take into account that
1.) I have been paying into this for YEARS and rarely taken out
2.) What I'm getting from unemployment is about HALF of what I was earning
Then you realize that $21 isn't much.

I'm not trying to sound Witchy it's just that the article made it sound like
They're living off the system, which isn't the entire truth. It sounded pretty
biased to me.

[Mister_Mxyzptlk]

YES a lot of the younger generation seems to have the "expect everything" attitude but that depends on the individual.

The entitlement attitude was learned from their parents. The Boomers are some of the most "entitled" people in the history of America. But hey, it's always the young whipper snappers who are the trouble makers.

[Funmommy]

The entitlement attitude was learned from their parents. *The Boomers are some of the most "entitled" people in the history of America. *But hey, it's always the young whipper snappers who are the trouble makers.


;D I'm a baby boomer brat (I think), ::)
My father is 60 something, ::)
and I KNOW I'm NOT entitled to anything,
except maybe a little dirt or cheap urn at
the end of my road. ;)
It really Does depend on your upbringing,
I totally agree, but you can also have a horrible
upbringing and end up as a truly wonderful individual.
So I stand by my comment that it depends on the
individual. ;D

[onelook]

Unemployment is NOT welfare...In Illinois you have to pay taxes on the money you receive as if it were from a job. Do they pay taxes on all the handouts? Nah...didn't think so.

BTW, unless you have worked, you don't qualify for UE benefits...unlike that other 'program' . Also, the UE benefits have a definite time period...it isn't a CAREER. The money does stop after a certain amount of time...usually 6 months. Sometimes there is an extension of benefits...usually 3 more months, then that's it. Time to GET A JOB!!!

[Anon001]

Unemployment IS welfare. Why do I say that, because the person receiving it did nothing to earn it. The unemployment is a form of insurance the employer pays in. It is mandated and forced. I say they should do away with FORCED and mandated unemployment and if people want unemployment insurance, let them buy their own policies. It is nothing more than another type of tax burden placed on businesses and relabeled.

Anything you get for nothing such as welfare and unemployment or anything you get that you don't pay for or earn like welfare and unemployment is nothing more than another government mandated and forced tax to take care of people that didn't save for that rainy day.

When I was fired from my job, in March 2007, I never took unemployment. I refuse any and all type of welfare... period. However, I know that some people have to have it for various reasons. But if people can't learn to save for those rainy days, then they need to be the ones paying for the unemployment insurance.

[Funmommy]

Unemployment IS welfare. *Why do I say that, because the person receiving it did nothing to earn it. *The unemployment is a form of insurance the employer pays in. *It is mandated and forced. *I say they should do away with FORCED and mandated unemployment and if people want unemployment insurance, let them buy their own policies. *It is nothing more than another type of tax burden placed on businesses and relabeled. *

Anything you get for nothing such as welfare and unemployment or anything you get that you don't pay for or earn like welfare and unemployment is nothing more than another government mandated and forced tax to take care of people that didn't save for that rainy day.

When I was fired from my job, in March 2007, I never took unemployment. *I refuse any and all type of welfare... period. *However, I know that some people have to have it for various reasons. *But if people can't learn to save for those rainy days, then they need to be the ones paying for the unemployment insurance.


1.) In order to collect Unemployment you have to have worked. With welfare you don't have to do anything.

2.) There's no limit to Welfare (no end date), with Unemployment you have a Finite time to collect.

3.) Social Security is also government mandated. Do you have issues with this also?

4.) Unemployment is taken out of your weekly paycheck before taxes are taken out.

5.) Unemployment is Taxed. Either you have it taken out of your check each week or you pay it at the end of the year when you do your taxes.

It's wonderful that you're self reliant and you don't depend on a paycheck each week, however myself (having kids) I rely on it every week. I'm new at trying to become self reliant but it's not an inherent knowledge, it has to be learned, and now a-days it's hard to find people who are willing to teach it.

I do believe that there should be some kind of training on how to become more self reliant. I'm not sure how it would have to be initiated but there is a LOT of knowledge that has been LOST through the years.
Even the basic record keeping courses that used to be taught in the High Schools is no longer taught. Hence a new generation that doesn't even know how to balance their checkbooks. :(

I've been lucky enough to have found this site, to have had a mother who did SOME canning and to have a husband who is willing to put up with my idiosyncrasies. Including my newest one of being more self reliant. My kids are just lucky to have me. ;D And I'm trying to teach them to be more self reliant too.

[Anon001]

You are on the right track by being at this site.

The fact that you work before you can qualify for unemployment doesn't make it better. The fact is that businesses are required to pay unemployment insurance. They have no choice.

As far as social security... You bet I have a problem with it. People should be responsible for their own retirement if they plan to retire. Or at least privatize it and make it optional.

As far as me being self-sufficient..... I worked for it and I worked hard and I sacrificed to get what I have and where I'm at. When I started making my goals, I was only making minimum wage. At the time I stopped working in March 2007, I was only making $9.00 per hour. So... if I could do it ANYONE can do it.

You are correct. The way farm families use to live is a lost way of life. It's not an art and it's not science. It's just common sense. For example, the biggest trap people get into is debt. The old self reliant farm families used no debt. My parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents never borrowed money. Unlike others around them, that meant they paid less for everything by not paying interest and they always had disposable cash... even through the Great Depression. It was just a way of life. People grew what they used and they sold the excess. The excess paid taxes and bought material to make clothes.

So, If people use common sense and don't live above their means and live in a way that they always have a little to save, then they don't need unemployment insurance or social security. If you paid your own unemployement insurance, you would have better unemployment benefits. If you took care of your own retirement plan then we would all have a lot more money in our pockets. Disability... let families take care of families and let the churches step in and the charitable organizations. But, I'm sick and tired of paying for other's people not having the sense to take care of themselves. However, I realize there are some severe disability cases where people do need help. But most are rare.

These comments are not pointed at you Funmommy because you are trying to learn to be self-reliant and you've come to the right place to learn.

By the way.. one point you tried to make is when you said that "unemployment is taken out of your weekly paycheck before taxes are taken out." that is not true. The employee pays NOTHING toward the unemployment insurance. The company bears the full cost of it.

I see you are in Connecticut. I imagine that is a very expensive place to live. Land, taxes, rents, utilities, etc are probably all a lot higher than I pay. that does make it harder. But, you can be self-reliant if you want to. You have to have short term and long term goals.

I had also not thought about the fact that kids don't even learn basic record keeping in high school anymore.... that's a shame. Another state of our education.

Well... I've rambled enough. Good luck to you and please ask questions.. there are lots of forums and a lot of knowledgable people here that will be glad to help you.

Paul

[Funmommy]

YUP Now we get into another issue :o

"Common Sense ISN'T COMMON!!" ;)

And I'm LOVING this site for all the wonderful people who's brains I can pick.
;D

You were extraordinarily lucky to have the upbringing you've had. I grew up in the city with a country mentality. Boy that was tough. However we had a small garden and raised rabbits in our small back yard.

I've since been lucky enough to marry and we now have an acre of land with only a couple of neighbors and surrounded by state land. I wish I had more land but ... oh well .... something to work towards. I have a few trees (pear, almond, nectarine, plumb and 2 cherry trees) and am starting a small garden that we can expand on next year and I'm working on getting chickens for the first time.

I've been feeling the need to be a stay at home parent for a few years and maybe this is helping me along that path. I'm supposed to go back to work for the guy I was working for as soon as business picks up again but he still has nothing. :( I'm enjoying my time at home though :D

I wish unemployment and SS weren't a necessary evil but the way this country is going is totally screwed up.

Bigger + Better + More = up to your eyeballs in debt

And yeah CT taxes STINK. we have a small house (3 1/2 rooms) and the acre of land and we pay about $2000.00 in property taxes alone. Never mind the gas taxes etc.... However we live in a nice smaller town with little crime (and everyone knowing everything :P ) so I can't complain too much I guess.

Would LOVE to move somewhere it wasn't too cold (I have Fibromyalgia) or too hot (hubby doesn't deal well with heat) and had LOTS of land for a reasonable price so I could get the animals I want.

Would hate to leave my fruits and nut trees though.

As far as the employee paying into unemployment ... I probably AM wrong :-/
Lets chalk it up to people not being taught HOW things are done .... and my personal lack of interest (till recently) to find them out. ;)

And don't worry I'll probably be picking your brain before much longer. ;D

[Anon001]

Funmommy,
I appealed my taxes this year on this 160 acres and house because I was upset that it went over $500 for the year! LOL....

Since we are getting off topic and hijacking the thread, if you wish to continue this line of discussion, we need to start a new thread under the appropriate forum such as Homesteading.

Paul

[Michael32170]

http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/graphics/LNS13000000_93122_1244657914268.gif

Employment data (http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&serie s_id=LNS13000000&output_view=net_1mth)

http://www.bls.gov/cps/


Look real close and you will see 787,000 job losses in May.

[fizzle7033]

I actually am fresh of working in my state's unemployment insurance division so I would like to add my 2 cents. :)

1. The worker doesn't pay anything towards UI, its the employer whose tax rate is set by the state based on a number of criteria such as number of layoffs per year, industry etc.

2. In KY, there are people who have currently been drawing benefits for 1.25 years. The government keeps providing people with extensions (we're currently on number 3) so that people are able to draw far beyond the normal period.

3. Believe me, there are plenty of people who milk the system. Those who just work enough to be able to go back on the draw. Granted, at least these people are working, but these same people are also taking advantage of all of the other entitlement programs out there and know exactly what to do/say when they quit so that they will be eligible to draw. I'm not saying that everyone who draws UI is a slacker, far from it, but there are plenty out there believe me!!!