Penalty for Working
Find a Conversation
Penalty for Working
| Fri, 02-13-2009 - 12:03pm |
I was reading the Stimulus Plan and looking around lately and I tell you, I think we just penalize work in this country.
Apparenlty there is an $800 payment that will be made to all who are unemployed - I know it is tough out there, and many people need this money to survive right now, but follow my logic for a moment.
The $800 will go to the unemployed in a lump sum check.


Pages
Marie,
I appreciate your position...I really do.
I haven't had time to read through all the posts yet, but my first impression is, while there are people that do take advantage of the system, as you have described your ex, there are many many more that are unemployed through no fault of their own and in fact work their butts off each and every day looking for new employment.
My 22 year old brother was laid off from his job, as were 14 others at the manufacturing place my father works. Luckily my father won't be let go, but I know my brother goes out day in and day out filling out applications looking for something to do. My FIL, in his late 40's was disabled on the job about 5 years ago, is just finally getting his disability benefits, had to go through retraining and joined the union and did work for about 6 months, but again is laid off and looking for a job. He even came down here to Texas for a month looking for jobs down here, and our economy is a heck of a lot better than it is in Michigan.
I do understand what you are saying, but unfortunately there isn't a way to distinguish between the ones taking advantage of the situation and ones that are truly doing the best they can to make things work.
Then how do you decide who deserves money and who doesn't?
I agree with you. We're heading toward socialism at an astounding pace. It takes one's breath away. The stimulus plan has very little stimulus and a LOT of government spending. I just read today that the amount they're considering is enough money to do completely away with payroll taxes for the rest of the year. Just think about it. No taxes taken out of your paycheck for the rest of the year. You could spend your own money instead of the government deciding what to do with it. But that's too easy and those in charge think we're all to stupid to know what to do with our own money, so we end up with a bloated, big government, wasteful spending package that our great-grand children will be paying for.
Well we're getting what we asked for aren't we? People want the government to find them jobs, they want new houses and new cars, and they want the government to bail them out of the messes they have created for themselves.
What the heck happened to personal responsibility? We have become a nation of moochers. Is anyone else concerned about the direction we're heading?
Sue
From our Congressman today:
I know Michigan is hurting. I fully support a robust stimulus plan but cannot support the spending bill that passed the U.S. House today. This bill, which costs over $1 trillion including interest, provides less than seven percent of the cost to build new roads and bridges, and less than one percent of the bill goes to help small businesses create jobs.
To make matters worse, we do not have the money in our own struggling economy to pay the bill. So we will be forced to borrow from other countries like China and Saudi Arabia, forcing us to pay higher and higher interest rates. This will drive up the cost of credit for the American people and American employers, making everything we buy cost more, and creating barriers to buy cars, student loans, and home mortgages. It also likely will increase inflation, making our savings worth less.
Here are just a few of the outrageous earmarks we will be borrowing money to pay for:
$30 million to save a mouse habitat in San Francisco
$8 billion to create a high speed rail system between Los Angeles and Las Vegas and a second one somewhere in the Mid-West.
$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
$2 billion for neighborhood organizations including ACORN which has been accused of unlawful voter registration.
$1 billion for a prevention and wellness fund available for sexually transmitted disease education and prevention
The legislation even removes the new tax cut for the purchase of an automobile that the Senate had added to the plan, an additional body blow for Michigan.
Come on a MOUSE HABITAT?
Carolyn,
I enjoy your thoughtful (albeit feisty) posts!
Absolutely! And again...Absolutely! I am so concerned with the direction we are heading. Big government, in my opinion, is never the answer.
I don't think this stimulus plan will stimulate much of anything. I think the amount we will see in our checks is an extra 13 dollars if you make under 75K. This will not stimulate me whatsoever! Why are they doing it this way? If I would have received the lump sum of 600 or 800 or whatever it is, I really could have done something with that...Like be completely out of debt in a few months! I fear that we are only headed for a downward spiral and who knows where we will end up. I am not that impressed with Obama. I am from the state of NH where Judd Gregg was a former governor. It really says a lot to me that he backed out of the position he was being offered stating he couldn't work with an administration who had such opposing ideas. All I can say is - Scary times...
Your point about becoming sensitive to the loopholes and excesses is 100% true. No one likes the idea that most families are one pay check from living in their cars while Wall Street is sputtering to a stop and our banks are run by those who have an exaggerated sense of entitlement.
Pages