Be it food stamps, unemployment or welfare, there is one thing missing from the hand to mouth relationship...the relationship between whose hand is feeding whose mouth. There are so many easy heartfelt responses to the needy, and each one includes taking from somebody "fortunate" enough to have a job, and giving to the "less fortunate". Well, i do not see working people as fortunate, they are in a contractual agreement trading their skills and labor for dollars...there is no more luck involved then say...apple is lucky i want an ipad. But are unemployeed unfortunate? Is betamax unfortunate? Or, are unemployeed people saying they dont want to sacrifice their lifestyles by taking lower wage jobs to feed themselves because they are accustomed to their car, nikes, steak, or even directv. I have a way to let them have their lifestyles, and i don't have to be taxed any more to do it. How....
Everyone in this country legally has a social security number. Their SS number is used to track work history, and is a way to set money aside to help with retirement. Let us allow people who lost their jobs to deduct an amount of their choosing every month, because they paid into this, and use that money until they get back on their feet. That way, if someone is actaully spending their own money, they will ration it better than if the money comes from a faceless government employee who took it from someone else. Flawless? No...and here is where that pesky word responsibility comes up. What if this person spends all of it on liquor and gambling and drugs and twinkies? They will be right back to where they were, but now they wont have their retirement in ss left. That is right, they will have proven that they are not able to be productive, and they will be irresponsible no matter what...but at least we found that out on their dime, not ours. The constitution geniously leaves out the clause, "and no man shall go hungry because he is too stupid, lazy or irresponsible".
I was told a story when i was younger, and it stuck. 10 people are picking strawberries (substitute making or harvesting any product) and the quota to get paid is 10 units. If someone does 10, they get paid. If they don't, then they dont. No sliding scale, as the job is 10, and others can do it....this is a business. 9 out of 10 guys complete all 10, but one guy only gets done 9. The boss, makes an exception, and pays the guy because he was called greedy and unfair...so he allows it to happen once...and pays the 10th guy. How many of the guys the next day complete 10? The precident is set, and history proves that people , most people will do just enough to get paid...and the new standard is 9, and we all know there will be a lawsuit if the others dont get paid for 9...so the answer is, dont mistake compassion for compromise. They are different. Maybe the first guy who missed the mark should look for a trade that he isnt inadequate for...because having his job is not his right, and not having it, well, that isn't unfortunate...what is unfortunate is that his employer is abused by people with lower standards than him. After all, if it isnt strawberries, but laser eye surgery equipment...do you want to have your eyes worked on with equipment made by someone who isnt very good at it? Blindness is unfortunate, not unemployment.
Rev
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