The Democrats Are Enabling The Unemployed With Continued Weekly Benefits

THE DOCTOR IS IN
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LAS VEGAS- Hello America, and how is the world treating you?

Rep. Shelly Berkley, D-Nev submitted a bill to lawmakers relating to extended unemployment benefits. This bill would create a "fifth tier" of benefits offering 20 more weeks to those people who have exhausted the 99 weeks (approximately 2 years) of unemployment benefits.

Where does this government handout stop? I have voted for Democrats as well as Republicans and Independents. I generally vote for those politicians that I feel will do the best job for the country regardless of their political party but I have to say that since the last presidential election the Democrats have been spending our money like a bunch of drunken sailors.

This bill by Berkley just adds to the billions of dollars that are being squandered. These Democrats that continue to pass legislation to pay benefits for the unemployed who have not worked in or over two years is unwarranted. It wasn't too long ago that the Congress extended the unemployment benefits and Senator Reid said that he would also continue to pass legislation that extended unemployment benefits still further.

People, it costs at least 33 million dollars for each and every 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits. We taxpayers who are working are picking up the freight for these unemployed people. It appears the Democrats like Reid and Berkley want to have a perpetual stream of income for unemployed people so that they do not have to work at any gainful employment.

The unemployed people are receiving close to $400 a week for not going out to a job site. This $1200 a month of "free" money well exceeds(I'll call him John Doe) social security check of $380.20 a month. Where's the justice? John Doe worked all of his life and now currently receives $380.20 a month in social security benefits but the unemployed people who have not worked in over TWO YEARS (and counting) receive approximately $1200.00 a month.

There has to be a stop to extending unemployment benefits for individuals over and over and over again. As I said in prior articles and blogs: Any unemployed person should be able to collect unemployment benefits for the original 13 weeks and then they should receive an extension of an additional 13 weeks. After that the benefits should cease. They should be stopped, period.

I suggest that a person can find some type of employment within (6 months). Six months is a long time to be out of work and it is apparent there is some employment out there for that unemployed person to take. The individual just has to accept the fact that they will possibly have to work for less money than they were making prior to being laid off or fired. They may also have to work in another field and/or occupation other than the one they held before losing their job. I would offer: There is no disgrace in that, it's work, it's a job.

There are many jobs available that pay exactly what that unemployed person is making on unemployment. I say to them, take the job and work for your money instead of saying, "why should I work on a job for the same money I can get on unemployment?" To those people I would respond: " your dignity, your pride, and the satisfaction that you are contributing to society."

These continual extensions of unemployment benefits year after year only enable the person to malinger and lose all incentive of going back on a job and earn their daily bread. Congress, use some tough love. After (6 months) of unemployment benefits cut the person off. When that unemployed person knows that there will be no more "free" money coming in I predict they will find some type of employment even though it may not meet their expectations. After six months of unemployment benefits that person can either find some type of job or look to family and relatives and "not the taxpayer."

An example of why extended unemployment benefits should be stopped is because in a majority of cases it is going to people that say they cannot work or survive but in reality, they can. This was clearly illustrated on a television segment news program a few weeks ago. The reporter interviewed a number of people in the state of Ohio that was saying they were out of work. Some said they haven't worked in over two years and one couple that was interviewed said they had no money coming in and also said that they were selling some of their items and personal property from around the house to buy food and claimed they had no other items to sell. Folks, the family had a roof over their head and the man of the family that said he couldn't work and didn't have anything else from around the house to sell was wearing a very heavy "gold" necklace, probably worth a couple thousand dollars with the current gold prices out there. If I were claiming poverty I clearly would have sold my gold necklace long ago to buy food. In fact, a couple of weeks after the program the reporter returned to the same town and the same people to see if there were any changes. Guess what, many of the families said that people from around the country contributed to their plight and believe it or not, the same guy that received help because of the television program and who said he was still out of work was still wearing the heavy gold necklace. My question to some of these unemployed people: Where are your priorities? Are you spending money on food and necessities or buying gold necklaces?

Stop these inappropriate extended unemployment benefits lawmakers! And, that's my opinion. Make your own decisions. You decide.

Bradley W. Kuhns, Ph.D., O.M.D.
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Dr. Kuhns can be reached by e-mail at:
bradleykuhns@gmail.com