2

3/25/2011 10:17:06 AM

also, didnt see it mentioned. unemployment income is taxed.

3/25/2011 10:21:13 AM

make the unemployed who can't get jobs work road construction.

3/25/2011 10:22:52 AM

^uhhhhh...that's not cute

3/25/2011 10:31:26 AM

i had two "friends", and i use that term loosely, on unemployment for two years each, their "job searching" was putting out lackluster resumes to jobs they were hugely underqualified for to keep bringing in like $700/week

i know some people are trying to legitimately find jobs, but then i see people like that and think putting them on a road crew would make them try a hell of a lot harder

3/25/2011 10:33:09 AM

Well if I had gotten $700 a week, I'd prob find ways to keep that coming in too.

Maybe that's why they only give you a small percentage of what you made.

3/25/2011 10:34:40 AM

Unemployed 10 mo...d7 w/ nail on head.

3/25/2011 10:38:56 AM

i have a lot of other thoughts about this topic that i'll refrain on, since this isn't the soap box and gets into more political mindedness than i care to

3/25/2011 10:41:29 AM

Quote :

"as someone who was unemployed for a year, i'll give my $0.02. you should not have to pay back unemployment benefits. there is a reason that money is there, and because people abuse the system, i should not be punished. i don't care about all your grandiose plans to eliminate/reduce business unemployment tax. personally, i think the companies that make millions/billions of dollars a year should chip in and pay when the economy goes south and they cut workers just to keep margins up and please stockholders. i never once treated unemployment like a luxury. that is just fucking ludicrous. this argument obviously comes from someone looking to argue on the internet. if you think all people on unemployment are sitting around playing xbox in their boxers all day not giving a shit about finding a job, you either have done that yourself, or have deadbeat freeloader friends that have given you that info first hand. being unemployed was one of the most stressful times of my life. while unemployed, i looked for a job as hard as i could, applied for jobs well below my qualifications (and was subsequently told i was over qualified), applied for jobs i had no interest in, and even tried to get government jobs. i couldn't get a fucking job at harris teeter or lowe's. after receiving 6 months worth of benefits stretched over 9 months, i worked odd jobs to pay my bills. not all people have options like i do to make that money. this is obviously a troll thread and a troll argument, so i'm not responding to anything else in here. that's my thoughts. "

completely agreed...

In the year i was out of a job i blew through 16k i had saved while i did have a job just to frigging pay bills and have my credit survive. I tried to get ride of my condo as fast as possible but ended up with a renter (again doing the best i could to get the job done) who ruined my apartment and then got arrested leaving all his crap in my apt and owing me 3k in rent. then i had to wait for a mandatory period before i could do anything with his stuff.. which he had his friends pick up everything worth anything i could re-sell to recoup losses and left me with a trashed condo full of junk and with no money left as a contingency. The job search as D7 mentioned to any upstanding individual is incredibly stressful. I'm a person who doesn't like feeling useless while being paid let alone being useless and not being able to support myself either.
But, No one wants to hire someone they know will leave when everything comes back to normal and can get their real salary back. And places like walmart/target etc. know anyone who's ever had a real job i s a frigging ticking time bomb and feels completely humiliated working there thus they don't want your help.

If you take some piddly little job like working at the golf course i did in high school you risk losing your unemployment if they want you to work extra. Which unemployment by the way is about as much money as i made when i was in high school working full time at said golf course. (not the 60k required to pay my bills and live comfortably at the time)

Its frigging hell ...
If you were stretched due to the economy before you lost your job all unemployment does is cut your rate of decent into financial hell in half but certainly doesn't stop it.

I could only imagine if you had kids or a family....

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 10:45 AM. Reason : .]

3/25/2011 10:42:04 AM

for a long time I was unemployed without the option of receiving unemployment

that blew

now I'm just underemployed

3/25/2011 10:44:04 AM

congratulations, TWW, you only used the word troll 2 times in 1.5 pages

3/25/2011 10:44:37 AM

Quote :

"i had two "friends", and i use that term loosely, on unemployment for two years each, their "job searching" was putting out lackluster resumes to jobs they were hugely underqualified for to keep bringing in like $700/week"

Unemployment in NC is capped at $505 according to a quick google search (might not be 100% accurate, but should be close.) Tax that and you're looking at what, $375-$400 take home pay? For a person earning $39,500 a year that's about a 33% pre-tax cut. Needless to say many professionals get hit pretty hard by the $505/week paycheck.

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 11:22 AM. Reason : s]

3/25/2011 11:21:31 AM

The majority of Americans could live on that amount, could being the operative word. Its when you bring kids and dependants into the mix that make it seem like so little.

3/25/2011 11:22:58 AM

^^ perhaps they lied, which would not be out of the question for them, and they were getting supplementary income from family members, all i was told is that it was around that much, post-taxes, which was quite sad to hear about

3/25/2011 11:25:34 AM

My friend just called and told me he is getting over 3k back in taxes and I know he was on unemployment for a good part of last year and still currently on it. He doesnt own a house or any of that jazz. In my opinion if you are drawing unemployment for more than a few weeks you should be exempt automatically from any tax returns. This way at least you are helping to pay for the system you are using.

3/25/2011 11:36:32 AM

What a failed understanding of how withholdings work.

3/25/2011 11:40:40 AM

lol. Sounds like he either found a lot of deductions or was overwithholding like crazy when he had a job

3/25/2011 11:42:34 AM

The guy basically gave the government an interest free loan. I don't see why the government wouldn't effectively default on that loan. That's what we encourage these days, right?

3/25/2011 11:52:57 AM

And a failed understanding of where unemployment is funded from... its more like early social security then the welfare you dumbasses make it out to be.

i think after taxes i got something along the lines of $398 which IS possible to live on.. but not when you have a mortgage for a condo you can't sell without owning the bank 20k because not only did the market kill your 20% equity in your home... but it took another 10% just to make sure you're really effed. + all the other contracts you have cell phones etc... its just not possible...

I did the math once... i had a $1500 mortgage leaving me with $100 left to live off of... if i didn't have a smart phone that i had so i was now into the negative if i had to buy food... pay credit card... power/water/internet.
suddenly my new car fund became a survive fund. I was losing over $1000 per month just to live and that was without cable/booze/travel etc because it simply wasn't possible.

3/25/2011 11:55:36 AM

Ths thread is a fucking abortion full of shitty opinions.

3/25/2011 11:56:52 AM

including yours

3/25/2011 12:22:59 PM

people in this thread have poor planning and live beyond their means if they can't cut it with 400/week ( this is not including those with kids ). I dislike this attitude of entitlement and blame everyone but yourself crap.

Grow up, you're not a little kid anymore.

3/25/2011 12:31:53 PM

3/25/2011 12:33:57 PM

Quote :

""Haha how are they gonna pay it back when they haven't had a job for months? What happens when they can't? Throw them in jail?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Besides all the other logical arguments already made, this was the first thing that popped into my head. "

I suppose you guys didn't even read the opening post.

Quote :

"Details: -Unemployment money will last no longer than 6 months. -The repaid money will help other people support themselves between jobs. -Freeloading (those who never repay) is only possible once in this system. Any person who does not repay their money will be ineligible for any money in the future. -Money lost by freeloading will be replaced by our current method of funding the system: business unemployment taxes. -Business unemployment tax will be 80% lower, based on the prediction that 20% of participants will become freeloaders and 80% of the taxpayer burden will be lifted."

After the time expires for them to get a job, unemployment money stops. They have unlimited time to pay it back. However, they won't be able to get unemployment a second time without paying the first one back.

When they do get a job, the government can garnish their wages... just like they do in any other case where there is a judgment against you in a money case.

The law states you can't garnish wages if the person lives below poverty. There is no excuse for garnishing people that don't.

This is very simple logic that any college student should be able to understand, this is why college shouldn't be an equal opportunity when it's obvious you didn't pay attention in High School.

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 1:00 PM. Reason : .]

3/25/2011 12:58:16 PM

GeniuSxBoY

i kind of like where you're going with this

3/25/2011 1:13:18 PM

I am fighting the urge to get sucked into this thread

3/25/2011 1:21:55 PM

The best thing you could have done with that pizza place was sharpen one of those pizza cutters and stuck it into your neck.

3/25/2011 1:27:51 PM

If people were to pay back unemployment then they could just use credit cards instead.

That being said, I lost my job February 12th, 2010. I came home and immediately looked for a job, with all my efforts. I did not go out with my friends and even dropped some of my cable package. i cut expenses at any and every opportunity. Through due diligence and an intelligent job search approach I netted 4 interviews for jobs that were in my area and were an increase in pay from my previous position. The hunt was about quality over quantity. I probably applied to far fewer jobs than most, but I made that up by spending more time tweaking my resume and writing tailored cover letters more than most. By April 28th, I was offered a job that I wanted and started by May 5th.

The money I pulled on unemployment was ample to help me sustain my mortgage and buy food for the month. My other expenses required only minimum help from my savings.

Unemployment was very stressful and exhausting for me but only because I have a degree of character that strongly desires financial stability. It is this same character that got me those interviews and my job offer. If I had a spouse and no children, the experience would have been much less stressful; however, if I had any kids and a spouse to support the 3 months would have driven me mad.

I know I've typed a lot, probably more than most will read. Hell, I haven't even really made any point so here it is.... Unemployment is situational. Had I not had a good degree and lived in techcentric area my search would have been much less fruitful. If I had more than myself to feed and take care of I would have needed more money on which to survive. That being said, I believe unemployment should be need based. If you are single, have a mortgage and know how to live within your means then a $250/week maximum would be sufficient. If you have a family of two dependents then, perhaps, 600-700week would be more appropriate. While unemployment definitely needs to see distribution reforms, those reforms go far beyond distributive means. The biggest reform is in the population. People need to plan better from the start. When you go to college, do not major in interpretative dance. When you gross $2,500/month do not spend $2,500/month. Don't buy a 1600/month home on a 40K a year income and then complain you need to pay for your home. Finally, when you look for a job, do it right and look for it, not just apply and see what sticks. It takes far more effort to apply to 20 jobs the correct way than to apply to 200 jobs the wrong way. I woke up applied to companies, tracked down who worked there, made connections, drove there and introduced myself to show initiative, asked to tour the office and get a feel for it, etc...

Unemployment may not be any cakewalk, but it is just like everything else in life, exactly what you make for it to be

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 3:16 PM. Reason : b]

3/25/2011 3:13:07 PM

Quote :

"If people were to pay back unemployment then they could just use credit cards instead. "

Let me show you this difference:

Quote :

" Details: -Unemployment money will last no longer than 6 months. -The repaid money will help other people support themselves between jobs. -Freeloading (those who never repay) is only possible once in this system. Any person who does not repay their money will be ineligible for any money in the future. -Money lost by freeloading will be replaced by our current method of funding the system: business unemployment taxes. -Business unemployment tax will be 80% lower, based on the prediction that 20% of participants will become freeloaders and 80% of the taxpayer burden will be lifted. "

You can use unemployment for FREE - ONE TIME - like you did. You don't have to pay it back! BUT if you want unemployment a SECOND TIME, you should repay unemployment from the FIRST TIME.

UNLIKE CREDIT CARDS, there will be no interest on the balance. You can pay on it for the rest of your life if you want to. You just can't get unemployment a second time without paying the first time off.

I don't know how to make this clearer.

Let me ask you. Now that you have a NEW job, is there any reason why you can't pay back the money for expenses you would have ordinarily made if you had kept your old job?

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 4:03 PM. Reason : .]

3/25/2011 4:01:50 PM

Any reason why I couldn't? No, not at all. I could have paid back every bit of what I withdrew in cash the day I got my job. So that really isn't a good example. Are their other people who couldn't- probably. If you're on unemployment for 2 years and, due to you circumstances, the money was sufficient to prevent credit card debt then you may not be able to.

Its impossible to say, really.

3/25/2011 4:28:26 PM

This might be the dumbest thread I have ever read

and I have read a lot of Bubble Bobble's threads

3/25/2011 5:53:11 PM

Quote :

"People who file unemployment would be in a hurry to find a job in order to reduce the amount borrowed. "

You're assuming that there are enough jobs to meet the demand for employees.

Quote :

"Unemployment money will no longer viewed as a luxury, but a service for those in dire need of the service."

I know very few people who view it as a luxury. Are you sure that you're not trying to apply a fix to a problem that hasn't been blown out of proportion by right wing pundits and conservative pundits?


But I'm sure you're just trolling.

3/25/2011 5:56:28 PM

Quote :

"I know very few people who view it as a luxury. Are you sure that you're not trying to apply a fix to a problem that hasn't been blown out of proportion by right wing pundits and conservative pundits? "

What's funny is that you know very few people.

3/25/2011 6:02:31 PM

^BOOM! thats how you roast someone on teh intarweb

3/25/2011 7:34:44 PM

Quote :

"make the unemployed who can't get jobs work road construction."

Why wouldn't we do this? Keep people in the flow of working, still have a reason to get up. Obviously encourage employees to find work, accomadate any interviews or job related searching, and have a career councilor there helping. I don't mean road work, more low level office clerical type stuff, shit people are getting paid way more to perform in the current government. It's a way to help people sharpen there skills in a business run by grad students? Promote capitilitism, put help train your workforce. Builder better buisnisessmen, THIS IS AMERICA,!, GRRAGGRL !, give jobs go.!

3/25/2011 8:58:03 PM

Why wouldn't we do this? Keep people in the flow of working, still have a reason to get up. Obviously encourage employees to find work, accomadate any interviews or job related searching, and have a career clerical type stuff, shit people are getting paid way more to perform in the current government. It's a way to help people sharpen there skills the current government. It's a way to help people sharpen there skills in a business run by grad students? Promote capitilitism, put help train your workforce. Builder better buisnisessmen, THIS IS AMERICA,!, GRRAGGRL !, give jobs go.! n a business run by grad students? Promote capitilitism, put help train in a business run by grad students? Promote capitilitism, put help train your workforce. Builder better buisnisessmen, THIS IS AMERICA,! GRRAGGRL !, give jobs go.! hit Chat » Unemployment Money

3/25/2011 11:20:36 PM

Quote :

"i think after taxes i got something along the lines of $398 which IS possible to live on.. but not when you have a mortgage for a condo you can't sell without owning the bank 20k because not only did the market kill your 20% equity in your home... but it took another 10% just to make sure you're really effed. + all the other contracts you have cell phones etc... its just not possible... I did the math once... i had a $1500 mortgage leaving me with $100 left to live off of... if i didn't have a smart phone that i had so i was now into the negative if i had to buy food... pay credit card... power/water/internet. suddenly my new car fund became a survive fund. I was losing over $1000 per month just to live and that was without cable/booze/travel etc because it simply wasn't possible."

hmm bought a condo and the market shit out. Not my fault maybe you shouldn't have bought a condo. And who says you need a cell phone to live. Hell I make good money and thinking about getting rid of my cell phone becuase it cost to much. $80+ a month for a smart phone is stupid. If you sign a two year contract guaranteeing $80 a month you are stupid. Oh no!! no cable/booze/travel? How can you live without those. I also don't have cable because its an extra $50 a month that i don't want to pay. Travel?? are you seriously complaining about that? All i have to say is it seems like you have a sense of entitlement out the ass.

Quote :

"people in this thread have poor planning and live beyond their means if they can't cut it with 400/week"

I support this man opinion. You do know some people can barely afford food. I am happy I have a place to live and I feel blessed to have a car with 4 wheels and moves. Extra blessed that it has A/C. Where was your oh shit I don't have a job fund? That should come before your "new car fund"


[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 11:47 PM. Reason : `]

3/25/2011 11:22:07 PM

unemployment pay is not a right. it's a luxury service that burdens businesses and the people, because in the end, the people pay for it. there should be strict limits on this luxury since the government, via businesses, via the general public is funding it. I'm all for making this into a loan situation.

3/25/2011 11:26:48 PM

Promote capitilitism, put help train in a business run by grad students? Promote capitilitism, put help train your workforce. Builder better buisnisessmen, THIS IS AMERICA,! GRRAGGRL !, give jobs go.!

[Edited on March 25, 2011 at 11:31 PM. Reason : B\=b]

3/25/2011 11:31:10 PM

Quote :

"UNLIKE CREDIT CARDS, there will be no interest on the balance. You can pay on it for the rest of your life if you want to. You just can't get unemployment a second time without paying the first time off."

Hold on GeniuSxBoY, repayment is voluntary? No garnished wages or anything?

3/26/2011 9:24:19 AM

Quote :

"there is a reason that money is there, and because people abuse the system, i should not be punished. "

and the general public shouldn't be punished because you couldn't keep a job. an interest-free loan hurts you in no way; in fact, it's a great thing for you.

3/26/2011 9:31:24 AM

Quote :

"that burdens businesses "

You know what else burdens a business? Wages. They really hate paying that shit out.

3/26/2011 9:33:40 AM

You wanna know what doesn't burden a business? The unemployed spending their UEC checks at businesses. They really love that.

3/26/2011 9:34:39 AM

come back with something of forced taxes by the government and not private industry wages. completely different.

3/26/2011 9:39:16 AM

I have no fucking idea what you just babbled about.

3/26/2011 9:46:43 AM

i spy someone who has been working for his daddy.

3/26/2011 9:55:52 AM

hope you're not talking to me

3/26/2011 10:28:54 AM

Again you have no idea how unemployment is funded...

3/26/2011 10:42:47 AM

who me? I certainly do.

3/26/2011 10:45:53 AM

then you know that its paid by insurance which is funded by your companies taxes and the account balance ends up being more like social security money being funded on your behalf than it is consuming other peoples tax money...

Now... when their account runs dry.... that's another story.

[Edited on March 26, 2011 at 10:56 AM. Reason : .]

3/26/2011 10:56:13 AM