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1,000,000 Americans losing it today

1,000,000 Americans losing it today

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by: FoFa Active Indicator LED Icon 17 OP 
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 8:34am  
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1 million Americans are bracing for a harrowing, post-Christmas jolt as extended federal unemployment benefits come to a sudden halt this weekend, with potentially significant implications for the recovering U.S. economy. A tense political battle likely looms when Congress reconvenes in the new, midterm election year.LINK 4951
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TheTruthHurts Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 8:36am  
Well they knew it was coming, time to move on to step 2. 4951
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pharlap Active Indicator LED Icon 13
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 8:38am  
They only lose it if they have been unemployed for 6 month or more....I think there should be a limit like that on unemployment anyway.  There are jobs out there.  It is SO SO SO unfortunate that so many people take advantage of the system and stay unemployed just so they can bring in the unemployment checks.....Now, I can see extending the unemployment for those that can prove they are a full time student at a college or trade school somehow, but other than that..... 4951
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KTownTexican Active Indicator LED Icon 11
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 8:50am  
but wait,,,, 500,000 people have gotten health insurance, and new jobs 4951
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beastmode Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 9:01am  
Not that big of an issue. Many of these people can get jobs but don't want them because the pay is low. I've talked to some of them while volunteering for habitat for humanity. Some of them even told me they would not get a job until the benefits ran out. There is no incentive to go back to work when someone is getting free money. Thing is, once they do go back to work they are happier, even if the pay is low from what they told me. It can also lead to better jobs if they can network a little bit and work hard.      4951
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beastmode Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 10:13am  
One of the people I spoke with was an unemployed construction worker. He got off his butt and started volunteering and doing whatever he could to earn a paycheck and network. He now has a good paying job with Habitat for Humanity. The only reason he got off his butt is you guessed it; the benefits ran out.      4951
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pharlap Active Indicator LED Icon 13
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 10:29am  
Like I said before, I definitely think they should be able to keep it if they prove they are in college or a trade school full time, then I can see letting them keep the benefits.  They are trying to better themselves, and not just "milking" the system.  Emoticon 4951
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donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 10:53am  
Many of those people actually avoided looking for a job for fear of losing the unemployment check "entitlement" that was guaranteed for six months.
 
My MIL did that and it made me sick. In her case, she was able to TAKE ADVANTAGE of 52 weeks. She did absolutely nothing for a full year because she knew the $$$ would stop. Then, when the time was nearing an end, like these people, all of whom KNOW ahead of time, started to panic and ONLY THEN did she start to worry about not having a job.
 
The longer you give people free money, the longer they will do nothing to try to stand on their own two feet and make any effort to earn their own keep. Yes, they paid into unemployment, but for the majority of them, my MIL included, are fully capable of working, but would rather not as long as someone is sending them a check.
 
Friday's CNN.com story also made me sick. The featured woman said "well now that my unemployment ends Saturday, I'll just have to get in food stamps." THAT MENTALITY IS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR COUNTRY. 4951
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doddlebug Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 2:04pm  
There needs to be a short time limit on receiving unemployment entitlements. People won't try to find jobs if they are getting paid to do nothing. Sick of all the freeloaders in this country including the politicians. 4951
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ctl74 Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 10:32pm  
I agree that there needs to be something in place. Even back up north there ARE jobs to be had. The problem lies in the logistics with money to be made and expenses. Case in point: I was laid off when I was 8 months pregnant - with a 3-yr old at home (this was January 2008). It took me 8 months to find a job in my "professional" field. I was lucky my benefits extended past 6 months, because while I could find a job at McDonald's, it would not have paid for daycare for 2 kids. McDonald's didn't need me in the evenings (tennagers were off from school by then), and with my husband's job hours being unpredictable (he worked in construction and never knew his "end" time), evening work for me was not feasible. My husband's company also did not offer health insurance, whereas I was receiving discounted COBRA (due to an Obama program). That said, as my 6 month deadline was looming, I did end up securing a night turn job at a bulk mail center - $11/hr and would be from 10p-7a (I think) - then I would just have to figure out when I could sleep with an infant (who was a horrible sleeper) and a toddler at home during the day. It wasn't going to be fun or good on my marriage, I'm sure, but you do what you have to do. In PA, not once did I ever have to prove that I was actively searching for a job. I'm not sure what has to be done here in TX if receiving unemployment, but I think it should be a requirement that anyone on benefits has to check-in every couple of weeks with what they have done to try to find a job. Or else benefits get cut-off. I know plenty of people who abused the system (including one who collected for 99 weeks and put a $30K addition onto her house during that time - no intention of going back to work as she wanted to be a SAHM). It's so frustrating and so, so wrong. Her reasoning was that she paid into it the 12 years she worked before that. Eh - I don't know. 4951
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Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13
~ 10 years ago   Dec 28, '13 10:41pm  
Unemployment benefits were designed to provide some temporary relief until a new job can be found.  It was NEVER intended to be a permanent source of income.  The same goes for Welfare, but look how many free-loaders are living off of Welfare and never even try to get off.  There MUST be limits on these government handouts. 4951
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angiekaye Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 10 years ago   Dec 29, '13 3:57am  
Good!  If after 99 weeks you can't get off your butt and find a job then YOU have a problem!  Unemployment was only designed you HELP a person between jobs NOT to make a living off of.  Heck I went on unemployment when a co i worked for shut down, at the time I was making over 50K a year plus free benefits.  Now on unemployment I brought in before tax less than  350$ a week!!! Yes a week!  Now how can ANYone live off that??  Oh thats right factor in medicaid and foodstamps and guess you can raise a family.  No way not for me!  I would rather work to earn what I have. 4951
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