Denmark cuts unemployment benefits in half

[erynthered]

Let's have a civil conversation today, shall we?

 

 

 

See, now thats the John Adams we remember.

[DC Tom]

The side that incessantly name calls is childishly idiotic.

 

You have to admit, conner earns it.

[IDBillzFan]

Let's have a civil conversation today, shall we?

 

In another thread, I was describing my best friend's wife who has been on enjoyment for close to two years and now is looking at another year. She has no skills to retard because she's an tech writing editor. She could find more work but has no interest in doing so since she's getting a nice check not to work from Uncle Barack and her husband makes about 200K/year. On top of that, she's making some money working occasionally under the table. Each time she was about to start looking for a new job, the unemployment gets extended.

Not sure how/if you bite your tongue on that given she's married to your best friend. What you've described pisses me off to no end, and it's one of the main reasons I hate the idea of extending unemployment benefits. But it's very hard to argue with "But you'd be ruining people's Christmases!"

 

Do you ever discuss how much this drives you crazy with your friend? I ask because there are friends, and there are best friends, and I suspect you probably have this discussion with a best friend.

[DC Tom]

I heard an interesting comment this week regarding something I never considered: if you intentionally take six months off to collect benefits and do nothing to help yourself, it's one thing, but if you ride it for three years and just sit on your ass collecting money, you risk having your skills atrophy. I'm sure there's truth to it, but I think also that the unemployed person who intentionally stays unemployed is not the advanced skill worker anyway. For example, it would seem to me that you don't bring down $85K a year as software engineer, lose your job, and decide to stay out of the job market for three years because you make near that amount on unemployment. Especially if your income is based, in some ways, on maintaining certain levels of certification. Assembly line worker, bottle washers, yeah...okay...but how much can your dishwashing skills really atrophy over a three year period?

 

I could be wrong because it's been years since I've ever known anyone who could work and simply chose to collect unemployment. That may be because in the small field I'm in, it's all advanced technology. You step out for six months and it could take you a year just to get caught back up.

 

I've been EXTREMELY paranoid about my skills decaying when unemployed. Went a year without a job back in '02, and it was actually very difficult to find a position after that long a lay-off simply because of the "Your skills aren't current" factor. After that...this past time around, I immediately jumped in to "professional-type" personal projects in part to say "Look! I'm not lazy and incompetent!" It helped, of course.

 

Hell, I even worry about my skills decaying when I am working. My skills are so damned varied that I've never held a job that used all of them - some invariably go weak or dated while I'm concentrating on others.

[1billsfan]

Not sure how/if you bite your tongue on that given she's married to your best friend. What you've described pisses me off to no end, and it's one of the main reasons I hate the idea of extending unemployment benefits. But it's very hard to argue with "But you'd be ruining people's Christmases!"

 

Do you ever discuss how much this drives you crazy with your friend? I ask because there are friends, and there are best friends, and I suspect you probably have this discussion with a best friend.

 

Liberals banished Christmas, so they can't have it both ways. Since there's no more Christmas, there should be no "guilt" attached to voting against extending a third year of free money to lazy people.

[....lybob]

Prove it! find me a youtube link that says so

 

 

 

 

the world where Magox learned his economics

[LeviF]

Liberals banished Christmas

[Peace]

Not sure how/if you bite your tongue on that given she's married to your best friend. What you've described pisses me off to no end, and it's one of the main reasons I hate the idea of extending unemployment benefits. But it's very hard to argue with "But you'd be ruining people's Christmases!"

 

Do you ever discuss how much this drives you crazy with your friend? I ask because there are friends, and there are best friends, and I suspect you probably have this discussion with a best friend.

 

Of course. Told them both. His attitude is that between his tax bracket and the 5% Philly wage tax, he's not feeling that bad.

 

She's just enjoying the love from Uncle Barack.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Peace

[IDBillzFan]

Of course. Told them both. His attitude is that between his tax bracket and the 5% Philly wage tax, he's not feeling that bad.

 

She's just enjoying the love from Uncle Barack.

In fairness, I'm sure they represent a very small percentage of people who do this.

 

Yes. I'm kidding.

[Chef Jim]

Of course. Told them both. His attitude is that between his tax bracket and the 5% Philly wage tax, he's not feeling that bad.

 

She's just enjoying the love from Uncle Barack.

 

You told me they live in Jersey. I'm going to need you to be more specific.

[/dev/null]

youtube.com/watch?v=T6OxFAoqfJw

 

 

 

the world where Magox learned his economics

You know what the funny thing is, you posted a link to a world where money (gold) is created electronically in vast sums daily (especially by Gold Farmers) and the price of commodities increase as a result of the influx of currency.

 

I should re-activate my WoW account and create a toon named TheBenBernank

Edited December 9, 2010 by /dev/null

[pBills]

But here in the Obama Nanny State (formerly known as America) we extend them to 3 freaking years!?

 

Check out this article. Wow, so studies show that lazy people get off their duffs when the benefits run out. Would we EVER see this on ABC, CBS, NBC?...

 

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/why-denmark-is-shrinking-its-social-safety-net/

 

"It shows that between 2005-7, the number of people who got jobs during their four years of benefits — the green line – rose at the beginning before dropping sharply, then spiked as benefits were about to run out, only to plummet after. The red line shows similar behavior in 1998, when Denmark’s benefit period was five years."

 

 

Of course we would never see this in the mainstream media. Where they believe that everyone is a weak and frail individual who needs the government to take care of them and their families.

 

I saw that there was little outrage here over the extension of benefits to 3 years. That's sad. This is supposed to be America, we now have to shell out three freaking years of unemployment benefits? We've officially become "softer" than Denmark????...and people laugh at the prospect of Palin beating Obama???? Give ME a break please.

 

 

The Obama Nanny State formerly known as America? And you wonder why people don't listen to you or take your opinions seriously. Palin would not beat Obama.

 

Now on to unemployment benefits. Not a bad idea to cut them in half. Better than taking them away from people all together. I think it's sad that unemployment benefits is a huge fight. Yet...

 

 

as the New York Times observed, "... the tax benefits will flow most heavily to the highest earners, just as the original cuts did when they were passed in 2001 and 2003. At least a quarter of the tax savings will go to the wealthiest 1 percent of the population." The Times opined: "The Republicans gave up very little except for their unconscionable stance of holding up all other Congressional action until they ensured that the richest Americans keep their tax cuts."

[1billsfan]

The Obama Nanny State formerly known as America? And you wonder why people don't listen to you or take your opinions seriously. Palin would not beat Obama.

 

Now on to unemployment benefits. Not a bad idea to cut them in half. Better than taking them away from people all together. I think it's sad that unemployment benefits is a huge fight. Yet...

 

 

as the New York Times observed, "... the tax benefits will flow most heavily to the highest earners, just as the original cuts did when they were passed in 2001 and 2003. At least a quarter of the tax savings will go to the wealthiest 1 percent of the population." The Times opined: "The Republicans gave up very little except for their unconscionable stance of holding up all other Congressional action until they ensured that the richest Americans keep their tax cuts."

 

Next time, try reading the article. The length of time was cut in half, not the monetary benefits themselves.

 

If you still haven't found a job in two freaking years then you aren't trying hard enough, you're too picky or you're a flat out freeloader. Americans have reached their capacity of having pity for the unemployed even before year two kicks in. There's a whole lot of anger out there when people hear story after story of unemployed people turning down jobs.

[Peace]

You told me they live in Jersey. I'm going to need you to be more specific.

 

He works in PHiladelphia so he pays the city wage tax. They live in Haddonfield New Jersey.

[DC Tom]

At least a quarter of the tax savings will go to the wealthiest 1 percent of the population.

 

Yeah, reducing the amount that people pay tends to benefit those that pay more. Funny ol' world that way, i'n't it?

[pBills]

Next time, try reading the article. The length of time was cut in half, not the monetary benefits themselves.

 

If you still haven't found a job in two freaking years then you aren't trying hard enough, you're too picky or you're a flat out freeloader. Americans have reached their capacity of having pity for the unemployed even before year two kicks in. There's a whole lot of anger out there when people hear story after story of unemployed people turning down jobs.

 

 

Granted some people can if need be take a job as a fry cook or something lower than what they had previously. However, those jobs don't always pay the mortgage.. and sometimes even having two or three of those jobs doesn't help keeping one family afloat. Another thing to think about it that the job market at ALL levels is extremely tight. I just talk to a person I know that let me know that her company received upwards of 300 resumes for ONE position. ONE. What about Job Fairs? THOUSANDS of people lining the streets for a few jobs. Sooo let's not act as though it so easy to just grab a job.

[Chef Jim]

He works in PHiladelphia so he pays the city wage tax. They live in Haddonfield New Jersey.

 

Ummm, I'm going to need a street and house number. You can PM me with it. It's an Italian thing. Oh and BTW, you said you love her. Will you miss her terribly when she's gone?

[DC Tom]

Ummm, I'm going to need a street and house number. You can PM me with it. It's an Italian thing. Oh and BTW, you said you love her. Will you miss her terribly when she's gone?

 

It's south Jersey. Just nuke it...you'll get her, no one will miss it. Odds are it'll even be less toxic afterwards.

[GG]

Yeah, reducing the amount that people pay tends to benefit those that pay more. Funny ol' world that way, i'n't it?

 

I think I read the phrase Sputnik Moment in both NYT & WSJ this week. I think it had something to do with math. I couldn't add up the numbers.

[Dave_In_Norfolk]

Yeah, reducing the amount that people pay tends to benefit those that pay more. Funny ol' world that way, i'n't it?

Yeah, the people that pay the most to buy the government? Those people? The people that get most of the government's money? The people who benefit the most from the government's bought up laws? Them? The poor, poor, wealthy people! They NEED a tax cut, haven't you heard about the investment opportunities for that added capital in China?? Why waste it on Americans?