Related Posts:
Wise Advice to Young Workers in 2010
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog5.php/2010/05/12/wise-advice-to-young-workers-in-2010
To Be A Homeless Man
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog5.php/2010/05/09/to-be-a-homeless-man
Updates Moved to Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tier-Five-Or-Die/120731691298779
- - - dEaD mAn wAlKiNg - - -
Are you a single and childless 50 year old man with only a high school diploma, has no family, and who has been unemployed for over 22 months? If so, then you're also a "99er".
You worked hard all your life, obeyed the law and paid your taxes. Then you were laid-off and now you're jobless.
You'll be vilified and called lazy. You'll be compared to welfare recipients. You'll be publicly shamed, and people who still have jobs will no longer want to associate with you...even those who were once your "friends". They won't even want their tax dollars paying for your unemployment benefits. You'll be isolated and alone, without a voice. You'll find no sympathy or empathy from the media or from Congress either.
You'll be a dead man walking.
Let's look at the current situation:
The stock market crashed in the fall of 2008 because of poor regulation and enforcement of existing laws by SEC over the financial industry (banks, hedge funds, and insurance companies).
See: "Repo 105"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704508904575192430373566758.html
Also, because of their relationships to the Federal Housing Authority (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and home mortgage loans, caused the housing market crash.
Going back over the last few years, we also saw a lot of out-sourcing of jobs by major U.S. corporations (calling themselves "multi-national") to Mexico, India, and China. Again, poor congressional management over foreign trade policies.
And on top of this, we have seen vastly increased congressional corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. That's why America now has the Tea Party.
Last fall (in 2009) the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations bill.
It provides $636.3 billion in new discretionary spending for the Department of Defense for functions under the Defense Subcommittee’s jurisdiction.
The bill funds an active duty strength of 1,425,000 and a reserve component end strength of 844,500 for a total of 2,269,500 active military personnel (that equals $53,917 per week, per soldier).
(No U.S.S. Obama?)
Before he recently passed away, Representative John P. Murtha (D-PA), who had been voted one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress", used to chair the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He had ties to lobbying firms and defense contractors under federal investigation - he also had ties to defense executives and former military personnel convicted of skimming money from government contracts. John Murtha was included in CREW’s 2006, 2007, and 2008 reports on congressional corruption.
On the other hand, if in 2010 the government paid all 15 million jobless people $400 a week in unemployment benefits, it would cost half that amount...and there would be no need for corrupt lobbyists and defense contractors, and there would be no wasteful spending. All money would go directly into the economy (instead of someone's pocket) - and would be immediately spent on necessities for struggling families (rather than being paid to the hookers walking the streets in Washington DC).
But it's easier to beat down the voices of the unemployed who, unlike defense contractors, don't have fat-cat lobbyists in Washington DC to represent their interests.
You're too old to find work, but too young to retire
Been out of work for a year or more? You've probably already lost your health insurance, (who can afford COBRA?) Has the stress of your financial burdens affected your health? Getting sick could be a death sentence for you.
The government has already raised the age for Social Security from 65 to 67+ for many already, and are going to raise it again soon...so don't hold your breath waiting to get any older if you can't find a job soon (only 1 for every 6 out of work).
Welfare ("General Assistance") isn't survivable for most people, and to qualify, you must go a full 30 days with no income. Then you might only qualify for food stamps (about $200 a month) and about $2500 a YEAR in general assistance. But to qualify, assets can not exceed $2,000 - so you would have to get rid of the family car to qualify. There are some medical benefits though...but you would not qualify at all if you're single and/or have no kids.
If you have pension that you're vested in, or an IRA or 401k, you usually have to wait until you're at least 55 to take an "early retirement", but you would also be heavily taxed and severally penalized in the amount you receive.
If you're long-term unemployed or in the 50 to 65 year range, you'll most likely get passed over for a job for a much younger and "healthier" person...
...or you'll be considered "over qualified",
...or you won't have the mandatory college degree that someone fresh out of school will have.
There are many reasons they can find for not hiring you, and age discrimination is usually impossible to prove.
If you didn't serve in the military, you won't get a preference for civil and government employment either (who now require college degrees just to work in the mail room).
Someone Agrees:
99 weeks sounds ridiculous until you study the numbers and find out that a good many now on unemployment are in the 48-60 age range, whose jobs have literally disappeared and are never coming back. Employers have always been slow to hire so-called "older workers" and they continue to be this way today. Many of these older workers have worked virtually all their adult lives, without ever collecting a dime of unemployment benefits. Now they are too young to retire, and too old for any sort of meaningful college retraining. In this case, I think we owe the people who worked hard and paid their taxes a decent helping hand. Unemployment is not welfare. You actually had to WORK and pay TAXES to collect. While I would not think this is an excellent idea long-term, but at this time, there are some people who need our help.
Source:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/14/dems-say-jobless-benefits-bill-track/comments/
Best prospect: A 25 year old with a bachelor's degree who spent 4 years in the military, and then got "juiced in" by an influential parent to work in a congressional assistant's position...like for someone who heads the Defense Subcommittee...someone like the late Representative John P. Murtha. You won't need any experience or common sense...just a piece of paper and a recommendation.
Worst prospect: A single and childless 50 year old man with only a high school diploma, and who has no family, and has been unemployed for over a year. That is a dead man walking.
My related posts concerning unemployment in 2010
America in Crisis - Congress Must Choose: Unemployment Benefits or Homelessness
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/13/america-in-crisis-congress-must-choose-u
Tom Coburn and the Republicans on H.R. 4213 - "NOT!"
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/11/tom-coburn-and-the-republicans-on-h-r-42
Critics of the Jobless - Why Benefits Should Be Extended
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/09/critics-of-the-jobless-why-benefits-shou
Fox News Gets it Wrong Again - There's 15 MIllion Unemployed!
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/11/title-6
Unemployment: Bottom of the List for Obama (UPDATES)
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/05/unemployment-bottom-of-the-list-for-obam
Senator Kyl (R) wisely backtracks - Calls for Extending Benefits
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/04/senator-kyl-wisely-backtracks-calls-for
They're not Lazy! They Can't Find A Job You Idiot!
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/28/they-re-not-lazy-they-can-t-find-a-job-y
Senator John Ensign and the GOP - "Let the Jobless Eat Cake"
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/27/john-ensign-and-gop-let-the-jobless-eat
The Jobless Have Been Lost in Debate Over Healthcare
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/27/the-jobless-lost-in-debate-over-healthca
Like the last Great Depression, Unemployment and Foreclosures, Might See Rise in Suicides
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/03/10/unemployment-foreclosures-might-see-rise
The New Poor - Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/02/21/the-new-poor-millions-of-unemployed-face
Government Jobs (Bigger Government) Drive Employment Numbers
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/03/01/government-jobs-bigger-government-drive
Actual Unemployment in 2010 - Recession Worse than Reported
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/02/04/actual-unemployment-in-january-2010-rece
Deep Recession Shows No Sign of Letting Up - Maybe Getting Worse
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/02/24/deep-recession-shows-no-sign-of-letting
Largest U.S. Labor Union: AFL-CIO says Jobs Won't Return
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/01/07/largest-u-s-labor-union-afl-cio-says-job
More Bad News for the Unemployed in 2010 - and Beyond
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/02/23/more-bad-news-for-the-unemployed-in-2010
Almost 1 out of 5 People are Out of Work in the U.S.A.
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2009/12/31/unemployment-december-2009-new-release
FOX News Wages War on Unemployed - Thinks They're Lazy
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog1.php/2010/03/02/real-reason-why-extended-unemployment-be
Tea Party, Fox News, and Conservatives Attack the Unemployed
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/04/tea-party-gets-in-wrong-on-unemployment
Obama-Care © Verses Unemployment and Suicide in 2010
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/07/out-of-work-buy-a-shotgun
27 Million of 154 Million in Workforce w/o Jobs
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/15/27-million-of-154-million-in-workforce-w
Fox News Continues to Insult Unemployed
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/13/fox-news-continues-bashing-the-jobless
"Diversity" and Illegal Hiring Practices
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog2.php/2010/03/12/mgm-mirage-illegal-hiring-practices
Obama-Care© Makes it Easier to Fire Older Workers!
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog5.php/2010/03/27/obama-carec-makes-it-easier-to-fire-olde
No, Unemployment Benefits is not an Inalienable Right
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/15/no-unemployment-benefits-is-not-inaliena
Too Old for the Workforce in 2010 - Unemployed Because of Age
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/03/06/too-old-for-the-workforce-in-2010-unempl
What they're NOT Saying about Jobless Numbers
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/08/what-nobody-s-saying-about-jobless-numbe
Take My 2010 Unemployment Poll
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog5.php/2010/04/10/2010-unemployment-poll
Paladinette - Unemployed Zealot (Interview and links)
http://tobuds.com/blogs/blog3.php/2010/04/11/paladinette-unemployed-zealot-interview
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