I don’t even know where to start on this – I’ve had the web page open for days just trying to figure out how to handle it: Unemployed Working Hard To Find Jobs, Despite Depiction as Spoiled Brats.
It is a disgusting generalization that shows how out-of-touch lawmakers are with the current state of affairs that we’re dealing with.
I’m sure there are some people who are abusing unemployment “benefits.” However, most people (anyone who reads my blog) are not sitting around feeling entitled and comfortable.
Listen here senators: People want to get back to work. Unemployment Insurance is a FRACTION of what they used to make. They don’t want to sit around and cheat the government.
$290 a week in UI doesn’t go very far!
I’m not saying that there should be unlimited UI… but the discussion needs to shift from these supposed entitled and lazy people.
Focus on the core issues. If we don’t get some REAL jobs in the U.S we’re quite a ways away from getting out of the depression/recession/whateverYouWantToCallIt.
I couldn’t agree more with your outrage at this callous attitude about those of us who are out of work. One of the candidates running for governor, in my state, has indicated that he found that many jobs aren’t being taken by unemployed workers, because they’d rather stay on Unemployment! Perhaps he should understand that not all of us have the qualifications for the construction jobs that are available through the summer. And then what happens when the weather turns to Winter and these jobs are all gone? Unemployment again? We are all looking for full-time permanent positions. We’ve had to give up a lot of income, in losing our jobs, and Unemployment doesn’t come close to the salaries we used to earn.
I would love to hear some other comments by those who feel that those of us on Unemployment are lazy spoiled brats.
What a farce by lawmakers who won’t know what Unemployment will look like nor will they know what it means to try to survive on a temporary UI check that’s more than 50% less than what they were making. I’m fortunate to have found a job in the last few months, one that pays much less than what I was making, but one that I’m grateful for.
This is a problem with many politicians. The sit in an ivory tower throwing stones at a glass house that they have no ability to relate to or any intention of trying to fix. It is easy to call someone lazy and for [many] politicians pretty arrogant as they award themselves with pay raises for sitting around pushing their personal career agenda instead of the issues of the people they were elected to represent.
I will stop my rant about this here, because I could go on about this for a good long while!!!!!!!!
Unfortnately the attitude of a few has tarnished the vast majority who are desparate to find work. I have heard several people who are viewing this time as a partially paid vacation where they can work on a book, a new business venture or just plain goof off while receiving benefits. This is frustrating to hear and one wishes that there would be some way that they would be the last to find jobs. After an extended time earning much less than their regular salary they will likely wake up and want to stop digging their financial whole.
Also note that from a business owner point of view, even the reduced payment seems good as they do not qualify for unemployment.
Ultimately what needs to happen is for the government to het off the backs of small business. Who wants to hire when there is an endless stream of new regulations you may be subject to and the Government will start taking a much bigger chunck of your profits come January 1, 2011.
I wouldn’t say it is the “government” nor the “Politicians” who think the unemployed are lazy bums. I’d say it is politicians who happen to belong to a particular political party that think unemployed people are lazy bums. The ones with the “R” by their name.
People need to understand there is a choice to be made here–voting for the political party that thinks the unemployed are not worthy of money while advocating to keep the tax cuts for the rich, or for the party that is trying to change all that despite the relentless obstruction.
It is a very real choice. You can say it is “all politicians” as long as you also say which party includes “all politicians.” Because virtually all of the politicians in that party think the unemployed are not worthy of dollars.
@Scot, I’m not saying “all politicians” but I bet there are some in any party, even the one that starts with a “D,” think that there is a fair amount of lazy bum thing going around.
I think it’s disgusting when politicians vote along the party line and not for what they believe in. Also, the amount of personal politicking they do once in office (and especially around reelection time) is disgusting.
And don’t even get me started on my idea that most Americans know what party they favor but don’t have a clue what that party stands for… 🙂