The Line Between Jobless Benefits, and Welfare

[Texas Contrarian]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

@OH - what do you think the stimulus program was supposed to be????

It did a bangup job of stimulating the size of the deficit and the angst of a number of PBOC officials!

The intended target? Well, not so much.

But tread carefully if you "dis" the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009! (When I did so in the Houston Political Forum of the now-defunct site, I hurt the tender feelings of a couple of sensitive liberals. Of course, in the interest of discretion I shall not mention any names.)

[discreetgent]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Listen folks -- there ain't shit happening between now and November.......

Well, the unemployment extension will happen. Republicans want to get re-elected as well and they all saw how Jim Bunning fared.

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

Well, the unemployment extension will happen. Republicans want to get re-elected as well and they all saw how Jim Bunning fared.

Fair point - I should have said nothing new or game changing.

[guest041110]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

Well, the unemployment extension will happen. Republicans want to get re-elected as well and they all saw how Jim Bunning fared.

Like atl, I will admit that is very true DG. Unfortuante but true however I jsut wish both parties world come up with something far better like reducing government size.... wait, nevermind.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by LonesomeDove

Like atl, I will admit that is very true DG. Unfortuante but true however I jsut wish both parties world come up with something far better like reducing government size.... wait, nevermind.

Well they are cutting NASA and people are up in arms here in Houston.

That is the problem....people want to cut other people's benifits. But when it comes to theirs they scream bloody murder.

[EmilyHemingway]

Npita, I have very little faith in the average American voter. One out of six American workers is currently unemployed (y'know, the actual definition) or underemployed. That still leaves the other five. It would take little, by historic demonstration, to tell those five Joe the Plumber has lost his job, and why? They haven't lost their jobs, now have they, so what did Joe do? And what is Joe doing now? Why is he still sucking off the teat of the real American worker all these months later? Insert a few interviews with people on unemployment who live in nice houses, a picture of Joe relaxing on his porch with a can of beer in his hand (Hmmmph, thinks average American voter, I don't have a house that nice, I don't get to relax on my porch with a beer...) Et voila! The millions of unemployed are now not middle-class skilled Americans like you or me, caught in the morass caused by inept federal agencies and rampant private sector greed bordering on fraud, they are lazy leeches on society who like living off welfare because it's easier than getting off their collective butts and getting a job. Plus, the unemployment figures are now no longer the administration's problem. Nosir, clearly we have 16.7% underemployment because fat Americans got lazy when things got just a leetle tough.

And that's how easy it would be. You know you've seen it done before. The precursors can be read in the original article quite readily, even. The mentions of "Why don't they get a job". That the guy interviewed has to explain why he hasn't looked for a minimum wage job. Such things are spin, not news.

Not that I'm saying "unemployment reform" definitely going to happen. Only that I could see it happening.

...especially since $10 billion/month pales in comparison to the money provided to bail out industries which were fiscally irresponsible

Traditionally, both the media and voters ignore corporate welfare. Getting them to swallow it this time around was a problem only due to the scope. Bread and circuses. Give the public a big enough media circus and they'll forget all about TARP.

[guest041110]

Originally Posted by WTF

Well they are cutting NASA and people are up in arms here in Houston.

That is the problem....people want to cut other people's benifits. But when it comes to theirs they scream bloody murder.

I will write that cutting NASA is one of the stupidest things BO has proposed. He is an absolute fool for even suggesting it much less taking action on it. The repercussions across the entire world will be felt for generations if that goes through. Yes, NASA has that kind of reach and it is the short-sighted people that don't get it and never will. Keep in mind that it is not just JSC that will be affected but ALL of NASA which also covers the entire Aerospace industry and a great many Universities.

Stupid plan…a very, very stupid idea but it is just in line with the limited abilities of BO and his administration. I guess they have to cut the budget somewhere although after a burn rate of greater than 650Billion the first six months of their administration. NASA is the last agency these idiots should be targeting. However, being they are just community organizers from Chicago who are lagging in the polls I guess they think this is the best they can do. Stupid and it will come back to bite them in the ass.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by LonesomeDove

I will write that cutting NASA is one of the stupidest things BO has proposed. He is an absolute fool for even suggesting it much less taking action on it. The repercussions across the entire world will be felt for generations if that goes through. Yes, NASA has that kind of reach and it is the short-sighted people that don't get it and never will. Keep in mind that it is not just JSC that will be affected but ALL of NASA which also covers the entire Aerospace industry and a great many Universities.

Stupid plan…a very, very stupid idea but it is just in line with the limited abilities of BO and his administration. I guess they have to cut the budget somewhere although after a burn rate of greater than 650Billion the first six months of their administration. NASA is the last agency these idiots should be targeting. However, being they are just community organizers from Chicago who are lagging in the polls I guess they think this is the best they can do. Stupid and it will come back to bite them in the ass.

Well at least you make no bones about not wanting to cut YOUR favorite government program.

[guest051510-1]

If they cut NASA, I will never get to Heaven.

[guest051510-1]

I got this in an email and haven't fact checked it yet:

I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again
until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of
reading them. I have included the URL's for verification of the
following facts.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens
each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs
such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal
aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal
aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary
school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a
word of English! http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ ldt.0.html

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the
American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare
& social services by the American taxpayers.
http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are
caused by the illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's
two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In
particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional
crime problem in the US
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...12/ldt.01.html

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal
aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500
illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of
drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S
from the Southern border. Homeland Security Report: http:// <http:///> tinyurl.com/t9sht <http://tinyurl.com/t9sht>

12. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of
mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an
average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five
year period." http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/ deportation.pdf

13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back
to their countries of origin. http://www.rense.com/general75/ niht.htm

14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex
Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ".
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

The total cost is a whooping .
$ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR

[guest041110]

Originally Posted by WTF

Well at least you make no bones about not wanting to cut YOUR favorite government program.

No WTF, NASA has its issues and it is not MY government program but it is a favorite since I, at one time, was studying to be an Astronaut after I went through my USAF pilot training but I got sidetracked due to diabetes. I just see the big picture unlike a lot here and I know what the potential damage will be should that program get screwed with like your boy is talking about doing.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Originally Posted by LonesomeDove

No WTF, NASA has its issues and it is not MY government program but it is a favorite since I, at one time, was studying to be an Astronaut after I went through my USAF pilot training but I got sidetracked due to diabetes. I just see the big picture unlike a lot here and I know what the potential damage will be should that program get screwed with like your boy is talking about doing.

I'm with supporting NASA as well.
I never made it to the space program because I went the civilian route.
20,000+ hours and most of it in commercial jets. Come to find out, things done with and in the space station could be done cheaper with low orbiters for a lot less money but pride and pork go together.

[Guest042611]

I have friends who have been living off unemployment checks for years, and making no attempts at all to look for work.

Most of society sees this to have vast moral superiority over what I do to make a living.

[discreetgent]

Originally Posted by Natalie

I have friends who have been living off unemployment checks for years, and making no attempts at all to look for work.

Most of society sees this to have vast moral superiority over what I do to make a living.

Too true unfortunately.

As far as living off of unemployment for years I am puzzled how. Unemployment benefits lasted 26 weeks. There were occasional extensions in the 82-83 recession and then again in 91-92 but that was it.

[charlestudor2005]

Fact-checking first would have been good. Just because there is a URL doesn't mean the "fact" is true. Anyone can write anything and post it to the web. And CIS is a (mostly) right wing supported organization (you just have to look at the people who give them kudos). Here are my "not-fact-checked" reactions (in red).

BTW, ladies, do you screen clients according to their citizenship? Or are you an equal opportunity provider?

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

I got this in an email and haven't fact checked it yet:

I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again
until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of
reading them. I have included the URL's for verification of the
following facts.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens
each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77
In the Workfare amendments passed and signed by Clinton, only U.S. citizens can collect welfare.

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs
such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal
aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
Food stamps and WIC go only to U.S. citizens. School lunches are distributed to schools and not to individual students, so it is hard to figure out how this could be quantified.

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal
aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
Depends on how you figure it.

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary
school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a
word of English! http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ ldt.0.html
I might agree a large number of children who are undocumented immigrants are going to school here. I DO NOT agree all cannot speak English, especially a word of English. Most speak English either very well or haltingly. They learn quickly from the other kids, not from the school.

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the
American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html
Actually, these children are known as U.S. Citizens. They get citizenship by being born in the U.S. It is the law.

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html
It's probably more. But this is a decision by the states. Instead of incarcerating the convicted person (or even prosecuting them) they could just deport them.

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html
This is probably not true. Probably less. Even if it is, the feds could have deported them, but chose to incarcerate. Complain to them.

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare
& social services by the American taxpayers.
http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
Is this in addition to #1 above, or does it include it? The laws probably prevent this since during the Clinton administration funds like this could only go to U.S. citizens.

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are
caused by the illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...01/ldt.01.html
I doubt this. Undocumented immigrants take the manual labor jobs doing skut work that most U.S. citizens won't do.

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's
two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In
particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional
crime problem in the US
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...12/ldt.01.html
If you're going to compare crime rates, do them all. I think we'll find that just comparing undocumented immigrants to "white" citizens is not the right comparison.

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal
aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500
illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of
drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S
from the Southern border. Homeland Security Report: http:// <http:///> tinyurl.com/t9sht <http://tinyurl.com/t9sht>
Outrageous statistic since, at the time of the Presidential election, it was widely estimated that there were 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. And that was the accumulated number. So, to say that 4-10 million came in just the year 2005 is ludicrous. Secondly, it is hard to know exactly what "terrorist countries" are, and even if they are identified, how you count the 19,500 that came from there.

12. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of
mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an
average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five
year period." http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/ deportation.pdf
????

13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back
to their countries of origin. http://www.rense.com/general75/ niht.htm
People aren't supposed to support their familes??? After all, that's what we do, and that's why people come to this country.

14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex
Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ".
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
We'd all like to get rid of sex crimes, but it doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon.

The total cost is a whooping .
$ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR