I am one of the "parasites" on unemployment benefit who is draining your income

reply to post by Muckster


geez im welling up here its evrybodys fault but yours go get a job stacking shelves back in a warehouse labourer on a building site fast food restaraunts same thing happened to me and if your willing to work you can find 3-400 a week pretty easy sorry mate no sympathy here or maybe saved your redunduncy money just in case you need to pay £135 to get your permit you mentioned earlier you cant go on about 40k bla bla bla a job is a means to an end not a lifestlye choice get some real issues pride wont get you anywhere

and in response to your very sarcastic thread title well stop it how can you have a bitter attitude to being given money off the government does the world owe you something

If looking for parasites all one needs to do is look at Washington, DC. Social Security was dumped into General Accounting were it was looted by gov't officials. Recipients didn't get a COLA this year while costs, across the board, have soared. Yet, the Senate didn't hesitate to vote themselves a raise. It is my opinion, until this crisis is over, not one of them or their counter parts should be paid a dime. Believe me, they would find solutions. Instead huge companies, banks, etc, who really should be able to manage their own company, are handed millions. After which they all take really expensive vacations. They shouldn't be drawing a salary either.

Recipients of Social Securty didn't create the problem. It was the governments plan & a deal with workers was made...if they wanted it or not. That's why the tax, fund payment, what ever you want to call it, is taken out of a persons pay check before they even see it. If that same money had been used properly there wouldn't be a problem. It was a rip off plain and simple.

So don't put blame on the elderly, disabled, or those out of work in a country in which the jobs have all been given away to other countries. In fact, citizens who are just trying to stay alive are the last people who should carry the blame. People need their jobs back. They need not to be preyed upon by predatory lending practices. Turn those unexplained/lost millions back into this country, instead of going missing in Iraq, ( am I the only one who remembers all those shrink wraped dollars on skids? ) Stop bailing out companies whose executives are clearly too stupid to live. Bring the jobs back.

I had a friend who was laid off I can't even remember how long ago. She jetted off to Europe and enrolled in a fairly worthless graduate degree completion program (she was already about half-way to her master's degree but had left it unfinished), living off a combination of her severance, unemployment benefits and student loans. (You're ineligible for unemployment benefits if you're in school but, apparently, the US DOE and Arizona UI offices don't compare data.) Meanwhile she also took a part-time job (about 15 hours/week) in the UK which doesn't count against her unemployment benefits because the State of Arizona's UI office obviously doesn't get British tax records. She also receives various benefits from the UK government, the names of which I would get wrong if I were to attempt to itemize but all sound quite nice. (She has dual-citizenship; she was born in Wales to a British mother and American father, but has lived in the US since the age of 2.)

It's been about a year now and sounds like she's having quite a lovely time - she's sent me various photos of her vacation to Spain and another in Belgium.

Since she's graduated with this worthless master's degree she has tried to find work. She's told me that, some weeks, she might send out "as many as" 7-8 inquiries but just can't get an interview anywhere. I bite my tongue but feel like noting to her that, a few years ago when I was unemployed for 2 months I would send out 7-8 inquiries each day ... and I still don't feel like I did as much as I could.

I have no doubt a plurality of people on UI should be, however, even in just reading this thread - if you look between the lines - there are all sorts of red flags. Take for instance, the commenter who sounded as though he had a very legitimate story but then - slipped in with a one-liner at the end - he mentioned he just learned he's "going to be a father." Hey, here's an idea - don't become a father when you're unemployed? It's not like catching a cold - you canavoid it!

If I were El Supremo, everyone meeting all other standards of UI eligibility could have an extension beyond the initial 16 weeks unemployment but it would be in the form of a 50% grant and a 50% no-interest loan with payments on the latter deferred pending employment.

People who legitimately needed the assistance would still have access to it but the potential of an increasing debt burden would help incentivize those who otherwise might not be incentivized to take any job. For that segment of the population who don't care about running up debt, a default on a government-backed personal loan would also solve the problem of individual spending beyond means. A government collection record on a credit report of any meaningful $-amount pretty much precludes access to credit cards, car loans, etc.

I feel for anyone unable to find work. Like most people, I've found myself in that situation over the last few years. It's horribly demoralizing to see ads for what should be an entry level position that has absurdly high and unrealistic requirements, or job postings for what should be (and clearly is) three or four separate jobs, yet pays a wage that is at or just below what is considered poverty. And yet, even on this board, fear and the lack of a firm belief in the value of the individual has people accepting these positions with a shrug and 'well, anything is better than nothing'.

And the suggestion of going into the military? while there are conflicts on several fronts with no end in sight? you mean that we should be willing to accept murdering other humans as a suitable way to buy Hamburger Helper? All the same, if I *have* to murder to survive, I'd rather go after those Bilderberg jagoffs.

This 'employment crisis' is just a fabricated b.s. game. Look at the profits most of these large companies pull in every year. How much is WalMart making a year? what about the oil industry? The last few years have been their most profitable ever. Think General Mills is going under? They all could easily pay their employees more, expand operations to hire more people... But that would lower the profit margins for the shareholders they're beholden to.

I think this all started a good 5 - 10 years before the *official* collapse, when companies started 'right-sizing' and laying off employees just to add a few extra dollars to the bottom line.

We need to make demands with no quarter. Both of our government and our Corporate masters. We also need to collectively (sorry, but especially in America) need to get over this fantasy that we'll become wealthy and stop supporting what's good for the top 10%. Because what's good for them is killing us. Increase taxation on the richest 10%, and eliminate it completely from the bottom 10%. Also, we need regulation that limits untaxable compensation to 10% across the board, right now there are far too many executives only paying tax on 100K on-the-books income, while collecting millions in bonuses and stock options that are either untaxed or less taxed.

Americans also need to stop freaking the hell out about socialism like it's a direct stepping stone to fascism. Some people get much more than they need, usually by taking advantage of people that don't have nearly enough. Everyone has a right to food and shelter and no one is a parasite simply because they need assistance acquiring those things.
The Tea Partiers all seem to be pretty keen on Jesus, wasn't that cat all about feeding and clothing the poor?

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


Epic point, one that requires reiteration and ever more re-reiteration. There are an "elite" few that do as they preach, to the bitter end. Mostly it's a bunch of preaching that really means "somebody else" should obey the ideals while they happily lap up the benefits. "Freedom-loving" knows no authoritarian bounds.

Even though I have been one of the fortunate one's to have avoided the unemployment crisis, the industry that I was working in and doing quite well at went straight kaputz, and I was lucky enough to get my foot in the door at a large corporation that was hiring at a much lower wage than what I am accustom to.

I hate it, every day is monotony and corporate idiocy, slaving away for the higher slimeballs so that they can make triple digit salaries. I have had to make a lot of serious adjustments to my style of living, and even though I detest what I do for a living now I do it gladly and keep my mouth shut for fear of ending up in the jobless line.

My best friend holds two Bachelor's degrees and a masters in Political Science, and he has been unemployed now going on a year and a half. I see how he sends out resumes, beats the pavement, begs and hollers for anyone to give him a job doing anything. All that is available in my area are straight commission jobs like insurance sales that require start up and licensing.

I feel bad for all of the people I know and everyone out there trying to keep their heads above water in this depressive madness that is the world economy. A lot of rich are getting richer and the middle class are devolving away into being poor, meanwhile the working poor are now turing into peasants. People who once made a living manufacturing something or building something are now destitute and dependant upon government for survival.

I think what this world needs is a widescale slave revolt. Where is our Hannibal when we need him? Eventually people will have no options left but submission, starvation or violence. Which one will you pick?

reply to post by EnlightenUp


Thank you so very much. I see I have been called "ignorant" on this thread, and am consequently stunned over rudeness.

Thank you for reading it as I intended, and for your comments.

Originally posted by BlackOps719

My best friend holds two Bachelor's degrees and a masters in Political Science, and he has been unemployed now going on a year and a half.

Your friend thought that a Master's degree in Political Science would give him a highly sought-after skill set? No offense, but a graduate degree in Philosophy would have been just as useful.

Master's degrees in the social sciences are all but useless. Bachelor's degrees are helpful for meeting the minimum requirements for most professional positions and doctorates are necessary to teach the subject --- the middle degree is an affectation.

I really feel for you, I was made redundant about 9 years ago and it really was soul destroying. At that time my daughter was maybe 3 months old, I had a mortgage to pay, and I couldn't get any benefits at all.

I got another job again eventually, but really hated what I was doing.

About 4 years ago I decided to work for myself and set up a small business building websites and working on other peoples websites.

I have got to the point where my wife works for me too - we're not exactly coining it in, but we have enough to pay a reasonable salary and it's okay, plus business is steadily growing.

One thing that I have found is that there are industries that grow in a recession, and web design is one of them.

Businesses are struggling and have lost income from their bricks and mortar stores and they are turning to the internet to try and make it up, so there are areas that should be recruiting.

reply to post by Ko-Dan Armada



I agree, and Im pretty sure he know's that now. Hindsight is 20/20 after all.


He had originally intended to go to law school, but once the economy took a nose dive he could no longer afford it.



[edit on 24-7-2010 by BlackOps719]

reply to post by Esrom Escutcheon Esquire

But at the time you could get a small grant that gave you a check for £200 to put towards the cost of things.

Im not sure about down in England, but in Scotland you can still get an ILA grant, ILA Scotland Website available to people unemployed or earning less than £22,000. There are two "accounts" available. The £200 one which covers things like industry required courses and licences and stuff, then theres a £500 one which you can use if youre going to study for an HNC, HND or degree.

I got annoyed having job after job yanked out from under me mostly by idiots for retarded reasons, hven't had one use the whole 'it's the economy, sorry' excuse yet though. but I finaly got fed up, caled in some favors, money owed, went into business for myself, keep the business itself low cost, but high quality work, and have been alright the past few years, unemployment, I have nothing against people on it. I don't even have issue with people that take advantage of it, why not, it's not anything I can obsess over like alot of people. I simply don't care, don't care about the economy, don't care about unemployment, don't care about borders, it's worked prety wel for me so far

[edit on 24-7-2010 by Gren]

Originally posted by AwakeinNM

Why don't you do something about the corruption in your country rather than coming here to escape it? Do you think the US can solve everyone's problems? We can't even solve our own.

I never told you i am escaping to your country I do not live in USA, I have never been there just as academic visite in San Francisco long time ago.
I have lived mostly in Europe and i have worked in 10 different countries for ten years, that is the reason I know most common problems of citizens in their locations, their nightmare jobs and taxes regulations.
Some countries are really living in the total misery.
I returned to my country finally since 5 years ago, Mexico.
As far as possible i attempt to combat corruption and politic negligence in my daily routine but man its not easy... this is a fight against the whole system, who can crush it?. In fact his is happening in all the world.

Something has to change, we will eventually collapse.

I just did a comment about your good luck with your protective mechanism for unemployed people. Its far enough, and neccesary.

Regards

Originally posted by zaper


I just did a comment about your good luck with your protective mechanism for unemployed people. Its far enough, and neccesary.

Regards

Osp! aww far its not the word, i mean extensive.

english its not my native language, sorry

Peace.

Originally posted by zaper

Originally posted by zaper


I just did a comment about your good luck with your protective mechanism for unemployed people. Its far enough, and neccesary.

Regards

Osp! aww far its not the word, i mean extensive.

english its not my native language, sorry

Peace.

It made sense to me.

In what field of academia do you work?

Originally posted by Ko-Dan Armada

It made sense to me.

In what field of academia do you work?

I was a member of a team, volunteers programmers for the UMSL. We were making educational programs via telnet for American students who were learning Spanish as a second language, it was the time of educational MOOs. Internet it wasnt as today lol Our work was very unique and peculiar.
I'm pretty old
It was an invitational academic event of the USA residents programmers for the latino foreign remote programmers.
I like it San Francisco, its nice.

To the OP:

My husband has been in your position. So I totally understand where you are coming from. You won't hear any judgment from me. However, at some point you may need to break down and jump through the hoops and get a license in something. My husband one year, borrowed the money to get his license to do security work and paid for the background check. Everyone going into security has to follow that law. He jumped through their hoops, got a very high paying job within the year and it helped turn the ship around.

I know it's hard, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I wish you luck.

Hi guys,

just browsing throught the thread and trying to help - if you're interested in ( and capable of ) doing high quality support for the mother of all evil, relocating to ireland and ideally speak an additional language, send me a msg and i'll try to get you into contact with one of our recruiters.

If i can help at least one, it's worth the effort.

Cheers
Phil