Jobless workers dispute claim that unemployment benefits foster complacency

[RamboLiberal]

Source: LA Times

It's an old theory that's gaining new political currency: By cushioning the blow of unemployment for nearly two years, jobless benefits discourage recipients from looking for work.

The claim, most frequently advanced by conservative pundits and politicians aligned with the conservative "tea party" movement, is seen as a fresh insult by the nation's suffering unemployed workers.

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Dave Yocom, a 60-year-old college graduate, has been unemployed since 2008. After recovering from a stroke at 54 that wiped out his savings, he left the high- stress restaurant business and went to work for a construction company that repaired residential fire and water damage. He said he is insulted by the idea that receiving about $400 a week in unemployment diminished his desire to find work, or that it was comparable to drug addiction.

Critics of unemployment, he said, "are either incredibly naive or they … have quite the opinion of themselves if they think it can't happen to them."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-jobless-election-20100922,0,7671305.story

[mbperrin]

1. So paying CEOs promotes complacency!

Easy fix. Don't pay them.

Hey, I think I like this theory, just needs more applications.

[iamjoy]

5. +100

although I think CEOs should be handsomely compensated, just not obscenely so. The current CEO pay structure and golden parachutes promotes complacency.

[Stumbler]

2. Yep, just had this conversation this weekend

My conservative, tea-partier friend attempted to explain how unemployment benefits are "too generous" and how we have to "make the system more demeaning" (no kidding - his actual words) for those receiving benefits. No matter how I explained that 1) being unemployed is itself demeaning, that 2) unemployment benefits for laid-off engineers are going to pay more than part-time McD's or Walmart jobs will, or 3) settling for McD's & Walmart jobs are demeaning enough already, especially when you have a graduate degree that you're not using.

His response? A complete lack of compassion for his fellow countrymen & -women.

Further, he insists the government cuts the pay of teachers, firefighters and nurses, as they're the primary cause of our national deficit, but absolutely abhors raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans as that "would unfairly punish success." As though asking graduate students to work fast-food isn't punishing success!?!

Hey Dems! Hey Liberals! Hey Progressives! Where's our messaging on this absurd, hypocritical rationale?

[iamjoy]

7. Well, If Taxes Punish Success

he must love the idea of an inheritance tax. Conservatives like to call it the Death Tax, I don't know why Progressives didn't brand it the Spoiled Brat Tax or Unearned Income Tax.

I'd say his values are very messed up if he thinks people who run corporations into the ground are worthy of wealth (does he call that success) while the people who teach our children and who risk their lives protecting us are overpaid.

[Rozlee]

9. How about those "lazy" vets coming home from the war?

I'm so sick of this. Do you know that even low level PTSD that is never diagnosed will keep people unemployable? How many employers would hire someone that came in for a job interview that was twitchy, hyper alert, jumpy, and even seemed to view them with suspicion? So many of the unemployed are Gulf War vets. Many, many have PTSD in ranges from mild to severe. Mild PTSD will never be diagnosed. But, in a job interview for a newly returned soldier, it can be disastrous. The soldier will have symptoms of hyper alertness, excessive anxiety, and maybe even hostility for the interviewer. I know I've harped on this on DU before as it's one of my causes as a retired military nurse working under Vets For Vets. But, vets make up a large portion of the unemployed. But, I guess your friend would probably be one of those idiots that Support Our Troops until they come home all fucked up or until the war fever ends in the next election cycle.

[Rozlee]

10. Plus, tell tell that idiot that the main cause of the deficit was Bush's

1.3 trillion dollar tax cut for those wealthy he loves so much. And what did they do with that wealth? Did they create more jobs here? Invest in America? No! They invested in foreign corporations. They invested in risky speculation in the stock market that bought wall street crashing down. They speculated on a housing bubble that they knew was a time bomb. They performed corporate mergers and mega mergers that didn't create one job.

Then, they increased the deficit by starting a war. AND THEY DIDN'T PAY FOR IT. In every war, taxes are always raised to pay for the cost of the war. Ask him if he thinks tanks, F-35, and troops movements are paid for by a war fairy waving a magic wand. These conservative wail about people on food stamps and free lunches. They don't seem to have a problem with defense contractors and free wars. War means sacrifice. These conservatives didn't want any of "our hard-earned money" going for taxes to pay for the wars. The greedy bastards would rather keep the money now and let future generations pay for it. Ask your friend: didn't we have a surplus when Clinton left office? Someone has to pay for those wars. The price in blood and tears is already being paid. The dollars need to be paid. So, ask him. Who's gonna pay for those wars?

[Berserker]

3. $400.00 per week

to set on your ass or $500.00 per week to bust your ass what would you pick?
I believe that unemployment benefits do foster complacency in SOME people. COME ON.

[Shipwack]

4. Easy choice, 500 and benefits beats unemployment.

Besides, unemployment means always getting $400. A real job will have advancement potential.

[Versailles]

8. Guess what?

See below...I bust my ass every single day I'm scheduled to work...for 270 less each week than I got on unemployment. Complacency? I'll refrain from any more profanity...

[mbperrin]

13. Who gets $400? In Texas, benefits range from $57 to $378 MAX.

And that would apply to upper level pay of $45-$50k per year before job loss.

Live on $1500 for 6 months or even $6000 when you've been making $50k and your bills are set up for that.

[NickB79]

16. Well, if you believe job hunting in a recession = sitting on your ass

:eyes:

[Versailles]

6. This pisses me off to no end.

/start profanity laced rant

Fuck you if you believe this bullshit idea. Fuck you right in the ass and I hope it comes out your ears. I was unemployed for over a year after I left teaching (I quit at the worst time possible, right before the economic downturn). I was miserable. I had just gotten married and there I was unable to bring my half to the table to support us. I sucked it up and applied for benefits. The entire time I was on unemployment I searched high and low for a job. A non-existent job. See I live in South Carolina, and not just in SC, but the worst county of SC in terms of jobs. Unemployment here is still around 20%. I have a college degree and 30 graduate credits so I'm "over educated" (then again, around here, over educated is a middle school education). I found that even when I applied for the most menial jobs (yes I even put in for a job at Walmart I was so desperate) no one would hire me because they could hire a high school dropout for less than me. Eventually, I got a part time job at a library as a library aide. And here is the point of this already too long story.

I received more money on unemployment than I get weekly from the library. My job is shit. I'm miserable doing the most mind numbingly stupid jobs, but I'd be a moron to quit without something else lined up. But the point is this, my resume already has a year long hole in it (thankfully I can fudge that a little and claim I was working on my masters after I decided to change careers). I'd rather work at a shitty job earning less than 10k a year than be on unemployment. So FUCK YOU conservative fucktards who seem to think everyone who can't find a job is on drugs or lazy. Fuck you for running the country and the economy so far into the fucking ground. Fuck you for making it so bad that educated workers who want to work are forced to take unemployment. This is YOUR fault and now you want to try to blame the workers!? You fucking pompous blowhard dickweeds.

/end rant

[PassingFair]

15. The assholes who spout this shit all live in states where ...

many people live on "disability benefits" and/or
military spending.

We should cut our bring our troops home, cut our
military spending to the bone and THEN let these
chumps complain about "unemployment slackers".

:puke:

[wisteria]

11. As an unemployed worker, I really resent these Repub talking points.

They stir up anger and resentment at a time when we should all be coming together as Americans during this difficult time. Their ignorance and intolerance is sickening. Blaming the victims when they know damn well, the jobs just aren't available for all the unemployed. The very suggestion of blaming the victims should be shot down as soon as it is brought up. Why do people who know better tolerate such talk from cheap and lowly politicians who are out to score points? Yes, I am on unemployment-and I thank God and the Obama administration for this help. There is not a day goes by that finding a job is not something I try to do. Not being employed is stressful and yes, a very depressing state to be in. I even went back to school-using my retirement funds to do so-thinking more education would make me more attractive to employers. Well, I graduated months ago and I am still looking for decent work in my home state-obligations and a family prevent me from searching out of state.

[RobinA]

12. I Battle This Mindset

whenever possible. I am a social worker. I have been unemployed, although I am not now. I live in one of the most generous UC states and in no way is the money from UC enough to live on. I am single and the UC paid COBRA (years ago before COBRA was a money making scheme) and a little bit more. No way was it an incentive to stay unemployed.

I also get a kick out of morons who rave about welfare and SS disability giving all these people free money. They generally have no idea how much these things actually pay and are surprised to find out the reality. A friends husband is applying for SSD and just beginning to jump through the many hoops they set in front of this very sick person. He's conservative and of course raves about how the 50 million (his number) other people on SSD seem to just send away for government money. And get it. Somehow he thinks that HE is the only person who has to jump the hoops. It never occurs to him, despite his experience with the system, that maybe the nonsense he heres on FOX about penthouse-dwelling SSD recipients is all a big lie. I argue with people who "heard on FOX" stuff about welfare. I work with welfare and people on it every damn day of my life, but FOX pundits carry more weight than my actual experience. Proves the research that people hear messages that agree with their existing beliefs more than they do messages that don't. I continue the fight, though.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Not finding work month after month makes people discouraged.

Not complacent.

I have a friend who has been looking for over a year - gets unemployment. She hasn't had one interview.

[northofdenali]

17. $400 a WEEK? Max unemployment here is $400 a MONTH.

Yeah, I'm motivated to find a new job because that's less than 1/5 of what my take-home pay usually is.

Assholes. Complacency, my rosy red butt.

K&R