groups

In biblical Hebrew there is this wobderful wonderful word henaini(when the lord asks Abram to leave his home to go to a new land Abram answered he nai nee- meaning not just yes but includes I am ready and responsible. i have always loved that word. sorry to those it was not a bible lessonbut an example.)

Two things: 1) Every time I have been on unemployment (3-4 times in the past 9 years), I kept diligent records of my job search. However I was NEVER asked to produce it to receive my check. Never, not once.
2) It IS possible to receive unemployment if you are fired. I did. I had to fight long and hard for it - to prove I was fired unjustly; that there was no reasonable cause. The judge ruled in my favor.

Another myth I personally busted is that you can't get unemployment if you quit a job. The employer was committing bank/check fraud and violating several State & Federal Labor laws. I got my benefits.

I fired a guy for not showing up about 20 times..he filed for unemployment benefits and I went to a hearing. the guy didn't show up for the hearing but the judge awarded him benefits anyway. I was threatened with arrest for my reaction to this travesty.

I've been to a number of benefits hearings on behalf of my company. We've never lost at one of the hearings I've attended. We document attempts to correct behavior and we dot all our I's and cross all our T's before termination.

merlin you would completly flip if you came to Louisiana.

It's the same old argument warmed over. The working class, who I define as anyone who works, regardless of their income, largely believes that no one should get anything unless they work for it. The non-working class, which I define as anyone who does not work, regardless of income, does not seem to share the same view. They seem to make a life that does not include work. This is true for the very rich as well as the very poor. Both the very rich and the very poor receive benefits for which they are not entitled according to the work standard. The working class seems to feel that working folks are somehow morally superior to non-working folks and often quote the Bible to prove their argument. (Of course before Eve ate the apple Adam and Eve lived comfortably in the garden of Eden, neither one worked. Actually work was a curse put on man by God.) I digress. All I am saying is that we should detoxify the whole subject. I have no problem with people receiving umemployment benefits and I hope it will be extended. That will mean there will be more money in circulation in the economy, fewer foreclosures, etc.
P.S. If the lady wants her son off the couch she needs to put him out, or better yet, charge him rent and he will probably move out. (Ungrateful children would rather give their money to strangers than to the parents who have loved and supported them over the years.)

Havemercy, you have a good take on the whole situation. Mama doesn't want kid hanging out on the couch watch TV and playing video games? Get rid of the couch for some good hard chairs and replace the TV and game machine with a sewing machine, patterns, and fabric to make rag dolls for unprivileged children.

Just throwing my 2 cents in here....

I have been unemployed for the last year...and I still am actively looking for a job.I have expanded my search, and continue to explore various options. I've also kept track of all my efforts on a spreadsheet. I follow up with phone calls to check status. I have networked with as many personal and professional contacts I can think of....I have my resume on various websites, including a local one for the county. It's on file at another local organization. I dress up and go around and check up on various places in the area...temp agencies....check job boards...and internet listings.....I have even gone over to the high school to volunteer my tech skills and was rather warmly received. I know I have a lot of people looking out for me and my family...nothing's clicked yet. While I am grateful that I have the support of Unemployment, It's not exactly a proud moment and I am working to get off of it as soon as possible. There is no way it is a permanent state, or should it be treated like one. It's not the government's responsibility to take care of everyone long term....and I have no idea how people came to even think that.

As for the woman's comments and her ne'er-do-well son, she's taking payment for her karma. I agree with what has been said here...and think she should have him pay rent. Maybe look into counseling and work on getting a better understanding of the dynamics...maybe look into the concept of 'enabling.'

It does bother me that Obama has become the pariah for any number of things, some of it well beyond his control or something he's inherited but given virtually no time to 'fix'....and that also assumes some things can be fixed in this lifetime. While I may not agree with everything he does/gets involved with/etc....I do like the fact that I get a sense of hope. That's something that we all need to have. Unfortunately, it seems that so many people can't put down the anger....and compromise, to some, somehow equates to weakness.

Messages today are distorted....more concerned with sound bites...or advertisement revenue...or simply being self-proclaimed polemicists. Heck, maybe even just camera angles...claim intimate knowledge of our democracy...yet they can't seem to comprehend that a roomful of powdered-wig, wool coat wearing men....having long, heated debates....were able to hammer out some really significant ideas TOGETHER to get our country off the ground...and actively work towards not becoming what we left in England. We really need to get over the one-upmanship thing and work together....or people like this UC collecting slacker are going to bask in the shade of inefficient and drain this country of any resources we can gather.

-stepping down from the soapbox now...(sorry)

Drew

Our small town has 12% unemployment. my daughter inlaws company went bust, and she is on unemployment. THANK who ever that my two grandchildern still have a place to live and food to eat. long ago they had to move in with me. as soon as she had two nickles to rub together she got her own place. regarding the kid on the couch, same as most of you give him two weeks notice job or move out....

Drew, I certainly don't envy you the position you are in.

When I retired I had planned on taking a part-time job to combat boredom and stretch the dollars over the month a little easier. With the current job situation, I haven't even looked. I do have a check coming in for my many years of service. There is someone who needs that job a lot worse than I.