I detest the entire unemploymnet insurance system. I would abolish it if I had my way. It assumes people are too stupid to save for a rainy day. And — it’s a self fulfilling prophecy because people think the Government will take care of them.
I’ve paid into it for almost 40 years and never taken a cent. If I was unemployed I would feel “entitiled” to it based on my contributions. I suspect (but would need to do some math to assure myslef) that even at 99 weeks I’d be getting a lot less back than what I’d have to spend if they government hadn’t confiscated it.
If we must have Unemployment insurance it should be individual — you build up your account and when you are unemployed you get it paid back out. Maybe you can get an advance which you have to pay back at some point in the future, I’m not sure.
But right now it’s just another wealth-transfer program. My liberal buddy thinks “its just one of those things, like other insurnace programs, that every civilized nation should have”.
My counter is that it is unconstitutional and therefore illegal, and should be abolished or re-authorized by Constitutional Ammendment.
But if you accept that people need unemployment payments surpassing their own forced savings + interest then logically you should also believe in some sort of Government Health Insurance program (though maybe not the attrocity of Obamacare, but why not “Medicare for Everyone”.
My friend basically paraphrased Marx in our conversation: You know people who have more shoud pay more to take care of those who just were unlucky, or not priviliged. “From each according to his ability, to each according to their needs” is, I believe the proper formulation of Marxism in one sentence. He agreed, and agrees with that philosophy, and votes for it, and thinks unemployment is a good program.
That is a frightening argument.
The "norm" has been in place for several generations now; people have contributed real money for decades in return for the expectation that some help would be there when needed. Many have not claimed unemployment ever ---- until now.
What are you going to tell them at this point? "Sorry, it was a mistake to set up an unworkable system when run by incompetent elected officials?"
Yeah.
That'll sell.
If nothing else, we must think seriously of "Elected Officials Accountability Act." As we are experiencing, incompetence can be tolerated up to a point. Qualification for office should go beyond a pulse an a bunch of votes by the even more incompetent.