JulianTheApostate wrote:You can already see the Republicans in action. They blocked the extension of unemployment benefits while fighting to cut taxes on millionaires. As always, Republicans are pursuing policies that will hurt the well-being of most Americans.

It's sad to see the Republicans gain power, despite all the damage that they cause.

here's the story about unemployment. A lot of people on unemployment have side jobs; possibly under the table. And, this way, they are still able to collect their full unemployment check. If employment is stopped, then these people who are milking the situation should honestly be out finding a full-time position and not needing unemployment! So if unemployment is stopped, DC people will be forced to find a job. Which by the way, slowly on the increase. Is that because the Republicans are hard at work? Jobs were going down the tubes faster than lightning when the Democrats ruled. Like I said in my last post, we will have to wait and see until after mid-January when the Republicans clean up shop!

phillies4evr wrote:here's the story about unemployment. A lot of people on unemployment have side jobs; possibly under the table. And, this way, they are still able to collect their full unemployment check. If employment is stopped, then these people who are milking the situation should honestly be out finding a full-time position and not needing unemployment!

This is not the story of unemployment, and this post enrages me. Of course there will always be those who take advantage of unemployment benifits, but there are also those who take advantage of disibility benefits as well. You cannot call out one group of people, without calling out the other. Many unemployed people are accepting positions that pay well beneath their education and skill level. Employers take advantage of this. I am an unemployed paralegal, and I am now forced to apply to jobs that pay half of what I made a year ago. And, I must say, I will be happy to get any of them. Employers realize that benefits are ending, and feel that something is better than nothing. The majority of people want to work, I am one of them.

Now you must excuse me, I have an interview for a position I am over qualifed for which pays dirt. But I will be happy to get it, because I like my house and want to keep it!

Suzanne wrote:

phillies4evr wrote:here's the story about unemployment. A lot of people on unemployment have side jobs; possibly under the table. And, this way, they are still able to collect their full unemployment check. If employment is stopped, then these people who are milking the situation should honestly be out finding a full-time position and not needing unemployment!

This is not the story of unemployment, and this post enrages me. Of course there will always be those who take advantage of unemployment benifits, but there are also those who take advantage of disibility benefits as well. You cannot call out one group of people, without calling out the other. Many unemployed people are accepting positions that pay well beneath their education and skill level. Employers take advantage of this. I am an unemployed paralegal, and I am now forced to apply to jobs that pay half of what I made a year ago. And, I must say, I will be happy to get any of them. Employers realize that benefits are ending, and feel that something is better than nothing. The majority of people want to work, I am one of them.

Now you must excuse me, I have an interview for a position I am over qualifed for which pays dirt. But I will be happy to get it, because I like my house and want to keep it!

i know of quite a few people who have taken both full time and part time jobs just so they have money coming in. You have to take what you can get. I do not believe that people are taking advantage of their disability benefits because disability screens all the people who deserve to be on disability and Medicare. I am so sorry that you are unemployed because of a government cuts in spending. My husband is a good example. He worked for a company, a fairly large company, who had to close its doors after filing for bankruptcy. He had to take a job where the salary was much less than what he was getting in his other job. He wanted to get off of unemployment because he was afraid that something like this would happen....... that the money for unemployment would run out. Since he is the breadwinner in this family and we have two children, one in community college now and the other will be in community college next year because we honestly don't have the money right now to send them to a four-year institution. This is what the government as it stands today, has done to the economy of this country! Of course I am angry that my kids had to start out their college years and which should be the best times of their life, but because there is not a lot of government money out there, they have no choice but to neglect all the kids who want to spend their entire college experience in a community college.

My youngest child has to go to school for eight years because of what she is majoring in. I hope and pray that in two years things will turn around. I do not want my daughter to suffer because of the fact that after community college will have to figure out a way to make her dream happen. Maybe by then there'll be more help from the government for people like us.

I am sorry for people who have such job insecurity just now. Since we are retired and live simply, even the lack of an increase in Soc Sec benefits for the past two years does not impact us too much. However I have a friend who is 77 and owns her own business (for the past 40 years) it is a small business dealing in non essential things. She is really struggling. It is obvious from closings of small stores and restaurants how difficult this economy is. One of my sisters volunteers at a food pantry and she has seen a big increase in customers.
I think there probably is some scamming of the system. Certainly back in my employment days when I processed Medicare claims and at another job that was a school for troubled youths, there was many a fraudulent claim made, in the first case by doctors and in the second (and very disappointing to realize) by the director and founder of the school, who was filing for counseling sessions when in fact at the time he was vacationing in Florida!

Of course I am angry that my kids had to start out their college years and which should be the best times of their life, but because there is not a lot of government money out there, they have no choice but to neglect all the kids who want to spend their entire college experience in a community college.

Phillies, I am really confused by what you stand for. You are a fan of the tea party, which is basically just a group of republicans, yet you want the government to pay for your kids' college education. Do you want less government or more? The republicans do not care one way or the other whether your kids are educated or not. In fact, they are very happy keeping the majority of us uneducated and beholden to the rich and powerful for whatever scraps they choose to drop us. If you are going to vote for Republicans, be prepared to pay for your childrens' education. That is what Republicans stand for. I think that we as a community should take care of each other; but the Republicans do not believe that. It is every man (and I do mean man) for himself. That is what you are supporting.

seespotrun2008 wrote:

Of course I am angry that my kids had to start out their college years and which should be the best times of their life, but because there is not a lot of government money out there, they have no choice but to neglect all the kids who want to spend their entire college experience in a community college.

Phillies, I am really confused by what you stand for. You are a fan of the tea party, which is basically just a group of republicans, yet you want the government to pay for your kids' college education. Do you want less government or more? The republicans do not care one way or the other whether your kids are educated or not. In fact, they are very happy keeping the majority of us uneducated and beholden to the rich and powerful for whatever scraps they choose to drop us. If you are going to vote for Republicans, be prepared to pay for your childrens' education. That is what Republicans stand for. I think that we as a community should take care of each other; but the Republicans do not believe that. It is every man (and I do mean man) for himself. That is what you are supporting.

yes, I do believe that every man, woman and child should fend for themselves. All of us are under government rules and it is becoming more like a dictatorship than anything else. Take the health care issue for example. Do you want the government to know your personal health history? I sure as hell don't. As for education, anything is better then what we are not getting now. I am definitely a Republican and definitely a tea party activist.

phillies4evr wrote: yes, I do believe that every man, woman and child should fend for themselves.

Really? You think a five-year old child should find a job, and if she's unable to do so she should live on the streets until she starves to death? That's what you seem to be saying, but I didn't think that anyone, even a Tea Party activist, was that heartless.

In the real world, there are several million more people who want jobs, compared to the number of job that are available. With a lousy job market, a vast number of people will be jobless; the only question is who. Extending unemployment benefits is much more humane than letting millions of Americans, of all ages, suffer. Unfortunately, Republicans don't seem to care about the well-being of the population.

JulianTheApostate wrote:

phillies4evr wrote: yes, I do believe that every man, woman and child should fend for themselves.

Really? You think a five-year old child should find a job, and if she's unable to do so she should live on the streets until she starves to death? That's what you seem to be saying, but I didn't think that anyone, even a Tea Party activist, was that heartless.

In the real world, there are several million more people who want jobs, compared to the number of job that are available. With a lousy job market, a vast number of people will be jobless; the only question is who. Extending unemployment benefits is much more humane than letting millions of Americans, of all ages, suffer. Unfortunately, Republicans don't seem to care about the well-being of the population.

I did not mean that children had to go to work.......but it is obama that made the US so horrible to live in......there are way too many immigrants getting jobs. That has to stopped!!!!!!

phillies4evr wrote:My youngest child has to go to school for eight years because of what she is majoring in. I hope and pray that in two years things will turn around. I do not want my daughter to suffer because of the fact that after community college will have to figure out a way to make her dream happen. Maybe by then there'll be more help from the government for people like us.

Are you seriously proposing that the government should give your children a free education? The message that I am receiving from you is: unless the government steps in and hands you money, your children will not receive a decent education. I don't get it, I really don't. Dreams come true due to hard work, not hand outs.

I'm starting to associate the tea party with a pity party.

yes, I do believe that every man, woman and child should fend for themselves.

Then you cannot ask the government to do anything for you. Including education.

All of us are under government rules and it is becoming more like a dictatorship than anything else.

Don't be melodramatic. We do not live in a dictatorship.

Take the health care issue for example. Do you want the government to know your personal health history?

Where in the bill does it say that? And do not tell me that the government is keeping that information from you because that is not true. If you go to Congress' website you can search for bills that have moved or are currently moving through congress. The challenge is finding the exact bill that you want sometimes but you can do it.

As for education, anything is better then what we are not getting now. I am definitely a Republican and definitely a tea party activist.

Well, what do you think that the republicans are going to do for your family's education? You are going to continue to not get anything and if they have their way you will get even less. So tell me how you will benefit from having Republicans running the government.