Unemployment Payments - When Is Enough Enough?

[_Bond James Bond]

Besides the fact that long term unemployed would have nothing to live on, cuts in unemployment benefits means fewer consumers are spending. Decreased spending leads to decreased demand which in turn means less job growth...so it's kinda good for the economy to have people spending money. I personally think that those unemployment benefits should be ungraded a bit and simply called government "jobs" (novel idea I know) and America should get something for them.

[_Quasimodo]

It's better to spend a portion of the money on the destitute than to spend billions on unwanted and unneeded armaments.

The first thing an unemployment check recipient does when he or she gets a the check is to go to the store and buy food to feed the family. Money goes back into circulation and people are fed. Unused and unneeded arms just get stockpiled and years later are destroyed due to age or obsolescence.

[_Eric]

When did I imply I agreed with them on the issue? They're just caving into the Democrats as the blind lead the blind.

Your post, the one I was responding to, implies that President Obama increased the time an unemployed person can receive unemployment insurance benefits from 26 weeks to 99 weeks. That is simply not true, the Republican president before him, George W. Bush, extended benefits past 26 weeks. And Republican politicians supported him. (See the links I provided)

The original intent was 26 weeks. The Obama admin increased it to 99 weeks in 2009 so there is little incentive to go back to work or start a business etc. and hence is another downward pressuring force on the economy. A huge amount of wealth consumed with no return.

[_moksha]

In other words, should unemployment benefits be a never-ending series of payments given to someone only because they once held a job? If not, how do we know when they should stop?

I had a similar question relating to supplying oxygen to nursing home patients. How many liters must be consumed before we toss up our hands and declare that enough is enough? Time to get out of bed and seek their own planet where they can create their own atmosphere.

by the way, I loved my 24 weeks years ago, but had to forgo the last two weeks because I went back to school. With 99 weeks I would not have to put up with all of those dusty study carrels in the documents section, but would have missed out on the Coeds. Tough choice, since science has since proved that both were hazardous to my health.

[_beastie]

I have to wonder where some folks live that they think there are millions of Americans who simply don't want to work. Too much bother. Why work when you can have such a great lifestyle on unemployment checks or welfare?

[_subgenius]

Are you dishonest or ignorant? Or a tad bit of both, perhaps?
Republicans supported unemployment insurance under Bush

seemingly you would flock with him if he were: (from your citation above)

"But in reviewing news articles on unemployment during the Bush administration, we noticed that, even when they supported extending benefits, Bush and Congressional Republicans were generally more skeptical than Democrats were. We noted that Republicans said then the same thing that some conservatives say now, which is that unemployment payments are a disincentive in some cases to taking a new job. Economists have noted this effect in studies, but they say that it is more significant during normal economic times."

[_cinepro]

I have to wonder where some folks live that they think there are millions of Americans who simply don't want to work. Too much bother. Why work when you can have such a great lifestyle on unemployment checks or welfare?

I doubt it's very common, but I have personally offered jobs to at least two people who declined (or wanted to defer) because they wanted to max out their unemployment. They actually told me that.

[_cinepro]

In other words, should unemployment benefits be a never-ending series of payments given to someone only because they once held a job? If not, how do we know when they should stop?

I had a similar question relating to supplying oxygen to nursing home patients. How many liters must be consumed before we toss up our hands and declare that enough is enough? Time to get out of bed and seek their own planet where they can create their own atmosphere.

So you're arguing for perpetual unemployment payments?

[_ajax18]

I have to wonder where some folks live that they think there are millions of Americans who simply don't want to work. Too much bother. Why work when you can have such a great lifestyle on unemployment checks or welfare?

I doubt it's very common, but I have personally offered jobs to at least two people who declined (or wanted to defer) because they wanted to max out their unemployment. They actually told me that.

The jobs that are available don't pay much better than unemployment or welfare.

[_moksha]

So you're arguing for perpetual unemployment payments?

No, but I do recognize that some provision must be made for those who will never be employable despite repeatedly seeking employment. People deserve more than being summarily emptied from the reject bin.