Unemployment Benefits

The President is critizing the Republicans for fillibustering his and Reid/Pelosi's attempts to extend unemployment benefits.

"Think about what these stalling tactics mean for the millions ofAmericans who've lost their jobs since the recession began. Over the past several weeks, more than two million of them have seen their unemployment insurance expire," the president said.

Not once, in that article, does it say how far unemployment benefits have been extended.  Neither does this article.  Neither does this article at NYT.  They've extended unemployment benefits, typically just 6 months, 3 times.  18 months.  If you got laid off 18 months ago, you could have been receiving unemployment checks for. 18. months.

Over a year.  You tell me.  If the economy is bad and you're looking at having to take a pay cut anyway, would you go out and get a job and take the pay cut?  Or would you stay home and watch Oprah while collecting your unemployment check?

This blog, ironically at HuffPo, nails it on the head: extending unemployment benefits for an eternity does not help the jobless get a job.  Especially those whose skills are lacking and need enhancement.  All Congress is doing is creating a whole new welfare class.

It's sad and horrible, but starvation is a great motivator.  Government handouts for all time are not.

And let's point out the obvious, umkay, if nobody is working in the private sector, there are no taxes being paid to the government.  Without taxes to the government, there is no money to cover welfare checks, or, gasp, paychecks for government employees.

So why don't we turn our attention to helping businesses, you know, those people that EMPLOY people.  Then they can pay people, people can buy groceries and clothes and travel, and then they can pay taxes and the government can start getting back in the black.

Because we are so far in the hole it's not even funny.

The current amount of government debt -- $16 trillion in bonds and other securities and $109 trillion in unfunded commitments to programs like Social Security and Medicare -- is too staggering to grasp.

If you want to think about how much money an average professional family of four owes for their portion of this government debt, read here.  I'll skip to the punchline for you; it's over $1M.

We will not get back on track without some serious hurt.  People will suffer.  But the bill comes due, and if you can't pay you wash dishes.  We all have a large pile sitting in our front yards, but the Emperor and his clothes are telling us they don't exist.  We have to start saying no.  And that means some tough love for the millions that are unemployed and seeking another benefits extension.

Get them a job, not a hand out.