Scott got a job on a paint crew at an RV plant, and by the end of 2007 his income had climbed to $53,000, more than he had ever earned. After work he was the man at the bar with the thick roll of bills, the man he had always wanted to be, buying round after round for himself and his friends. The man with "the full pocket," as he liked to say. He took his son on a fishing trip. He took his family out to eat and told them to order whatever they wanted.
...
When he lost his job, Scott had no savings, his primary objective always having been to earn enough to cover the rent, eat an occasional steak, feed and clothe their children, ride his dirt bike, fish, golf, play poker, buy lottery tickets, and drink Bud Light.
They would sleep in her basement jammed with forgotten furniture, a few steps from a pair of cat litter boxes and below three narrow windows blocked by insulation.
After work he was the man at the bar with the thick roll of bills, the man he had always wanted to be, buying round after round for himself and his friends. The man with "the full pocket," as he liked to say. He took his son on a fishing trip. He took his family out to eat and told them to order whatever they wanted.
"It's 28 hours, eight bucks an hour," she says. No benefits, she adds.
"You say, 'Thank you, but -- '?"
"Yup," she says. "I make more on unemployment."
I've been thinking lately - is "unemployment insurance" doing more harm than good? Maybe if that safety net was not there, and 1/10 that amount of money was used on education regarding "emergency funds", people would plan for themselves. Maybe there would be *less* suffering overall?
Even as they have fallen on hard times, note how he spent their unemployment checks.
....
Certainly so. Why bother saving when ole Uncle is just going to pay us if we lose our jobs?
As far as his drinking, it's what men do when they no longer feel like men.
Ha
We're supposed to feel sorry for the "reporter" who had to interview and write up this dreck on deadline...I can't feel sorry for them.
Yeah right...like all of us here agree on ss, investing, mortgages, children, health care...the list goes on. I'd hate to have to wait until everyone agreed until I could put supper on the table because I had made some mistakes and lost my job.BbbamI,
I disagree. If they are going to take Our money, then they should be willing to handle their money by 'our standard'. Look at it this way. We are paying them, should not we be required to set the rules for them to receive this pay.
Excellent post.Unemployment insurance is a really important safety net and I don't understand how it interferes with private business. The purpose it serves is to allow people to have a bit of money for food, hopefully stay in their homes for a while and time to job hunt. Don't knock it just because you have ever needed it. I was laid off in 1975 and it took me about 4 months to find a job. We had to move, but that was OK. With a wife and 2 little kids, the UI coupled with our savings kept us from having to live on the street and allowed me to have a focused job hunt. My plan was to take anything I could get once we were within one month of it running out, but with an MBA, I figured I just needed some time to work through the interviews. And that's exactly what happened. I received several offers and took the one that suited us best.
I am thankful that I never needed to use it again, but one of our grown kids has been laid off several times, never for very long, but the UI allowed her to focus on getting a new job and not worry about the rent. In her case, even a MBA can't guarantee that a failing company won't shed workers. Also, working for newspapers is probably not the most stable job in the world these days .
I sure hope St. Peter is less strict than many of you ladies and gentlemen.
Ha
I sure hope St. Peter is less strict than many of you ladies and gentlemen.
Ha