[upchuck]

I am a volunteer triage interviewer at a local food/clothing bank. In this job I gather info from an applicant and determine how the bank can best help them.

In the series of question that I ask one is, “Are you working?” It used to upset me when the person would say, “I don’t have to work, I get a government check.” Now I get upset when they say, “I don’t have to work, I’m on unemployment. I want to say, “Enjoy my tax dollars you leech.”

I sincerely hope the unemployment benefits are not extended. It provides an too-easy reason to not look for work. Unemployment has become the new welfare.

[bray]

Many of them have forgot how to work.

Pray for America

[maica]

Payments to the unemployed should come from a ‘welfare’ line item after x number of weeks, because the “Employment Income” budget line is related to costs to employers. In Maryland some employers have seen their Employment Insurance premiums go up 300-500% during the past year. This is really conducive to their hiring the next new employee, NOT!

It is so wrong for people to get comfortable on ‘government checks’ plus handouts from the many agencies around to help the destitute. When I begin seeing starving Americans I will begin to worry that we are not “doing enough”.

[spiltmilk]

Hi. I have collected unemployment after my job was eliminated due to offshoring. The latest unemployment numbers show 9.8% (fake/cooked numbers) and 17% (real unemployment once underemployed/99ers) are counted. If you have continually been employed/held your business togther, be grateful. I am on week 22 of my initial unemployment claim. I have indirectly paid into the unemployment trust fund in the form of lower wages/benefits to account for this cost to the employers I've worked for over the 23 consecutive years I've held a job. Should there be an extension, I will collect from federal tax dollars. In this year, I've had enough federal tax withheld to finance my own unemployment check until mid July 2011.

Please explain how I am a leech. Thanks.