Anecdotal evidence is so much more reliable than actual facts. I hate to keep citing this Moody’s report but it has the best breakdown of fiscal bang for the buck (scroll down to table 1).
Oh fuck me, not this fucking horseshit again. Yes, because unemployed people have no worries about health insurance, or desire to save money, or concerns about the overall state of their finances. They have no motivation other than sitting on their asses all day collecting a fraction of what they used to make.
This is called “projection.” 
Oh, hell, see it every day! Some guy walks up to a bunch of his cronies and beams with joy!
“Hey, I’m unemployed! I get about a third of what I used to make for free! Gonna be poor as shit, yessiree Bob! Wife says unemployed men are sexy, can’t wait to tell her! Kids are gonna love having me around lot more, probably eager to get to school, tell all thier friends! Yes, boys, its the life of Riley from here on out! Say, can somebody buy me a beer…”
Yeah, I know when I was laid off from a $155,000/yr job and was collecting $248/wk in UI, I was just please as shit! When I went in for an interview for a job that would pay me $111,000/yr to start, I just told them “nosireeeeee, Ned!” What I have now is so sweet, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. :rolleyes:
. . . then . . .why did you go in for the interview?
Sigh. What’s the point? Really?
There is nothing, NOTHING, Obama is going to say tomorrow that the Republicans will sign on to. They’re against it before they even hear it, because it has nothing to do with jobs in their eyes and everything to do with defeating Obama, yes, even at the expense of the welfare of the country.
So Obama will make yet another impassioned speech about what needs to be done, steeped in patriotism and optimism, the Republicans will decry it as socialism, class warfare, the war on Christmas for god’s sake, or whatever other cockamamie claptrap they feel they need to spout to poison every aspect of Obama’s proposal and, in the end, as always, Obama will cave and nothing will be done.
Next?
Tell you what, Rekd, why don’t you make it a drinking game? Just do a shot of something high-octane (Wild Turkey, Jack Daniels, Bacardi 151) every time Obama says something you don’t like! And a double shot every time the camera pans on Pubs in the chamber scowling! BTW, there’s no such thing as a lethal dose of alcohol; pure UL. Have fun! 
Uhhh, I think we’re strongly discouraged from encouraging registered posters on the SDMB to do things that will bring them to harm.
I mean the man’s got few enough living brain cells as it is.
Not to be a Junior Mod or anything…
Ok, there are plenty of jobs, and extending unemployment insurance will just encourage the lazy bums who don’t want to work to remain jobless. I’ll agree to all that. My only question is, why are there twice as many lazy bums now as there were in 2007? Democratic president?
To make the UI folks think you’re looking for a job, so they won’t cut you off. Duh.
:smack:
I know it’s a whoosh, but I hate it when they ask your salary history in the application. Yes, four years ago I was making three or four times what you will offer, but that doesn’t mean I will turn down whatever you offer because IT’S STILL MORE THAN UNEMPLOYMENT! The point isn’t what I made years ago. It’s what I’ll take now.
[/vent]
I went from my aforementioned job as an executive to selling RVs. It was much more lucrative and it kept me from going insane. Nobody can tell me that all these people enjoy being on UI. The money sucks and you’re bored to death with yourself.
God, the boredom is the second worst part. First being hearing the phone ring, checking who it is, and not answering it. Plus a nervous stomach and dry heaves whenever it happens.
Yeah, I’m enjoying the living shit out of being unemployed.
And don’t think the interviewer doesn’t see desperation written all over your face.
And the nerves as I fill out the application. I used to have wicked skillz. Months later I’m a basket case pretending to be confident. Self confidence didn’t used to count too much in my field.
Here’s a tip that worked for me to calm the pre-interview jitters: As you’re driving along, take a deep breath and scream (or shout) as loud as you can. Repeat as necessary. It’s very therapeutic, but make sure you’re not at an intersection with the windows open.
I imagine the logic is something like this:
I am a hiring manager/owner. The economy is in the toilet so I should have an even more crushing ability to overpower my workers. Therefore, I should be able to lower salary and benefits dramatically as workers should be desperate for any job and those workers should be good workers not bottom of the barrel. Simple economics.
Ok…time to hire. WHAT?!? My dramatically reduced pay and benefits are not attracting these desperate workers? My pay cannot compete for what unemployment is paying? WTH? OBVIOUSLY unemployment benefits are interfering with the simple economics of making workers extremely desperate. This is WRONG and needs to be stopped.
Something like that anyway.
I’ve looked at unemployment benefits. At least in my state…it really isn’t that much.
And add to that —you have to pay taxes on the $248 and at the current rate of the job you used to have (at least for that year).
THAT is kicking a man when he is down!