People Still Being Paid Not To Work
Dear Editor,
The federal government kicking in extra money for unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis to some extent made sense as a temporary form of assistance while the country came close to closing down at the height of the pandemic in this country.
The problem is, things are coming back under control. We are getting back to some semblance of normality. You have employers trying to re-staff but can’t seem to find people. Why? Maybe because they are making more money on unemployment then they would if they went back to work.
More and more states are opting out of the federal assistance program and cutting unemployment payments back to what they were. And as they do, people see they can’t keep up their lifestyle while they sat through the crisis and are starting to return to the workplace. But there are still states that have not opted out of the federal assistance programs, North Carolina being one of them.
With the economy acting like it is, I can’t blame people, to some extent, for opting for the more financially secure path, but there are limits. And it doesn’t help when Duke Cooper won’t end participation in the federal program. I would love to know why, but to my knowledge nobody has asked him.
The Michigan governor has added another level to this whole thing, telling people if they go back to work they will still be able to draw unemployment, albeit at a lower rate, until the situation stabilizes. I’m sure there are limits on how much one can make before losing that extra income, along with a time limit. But the point is either you are working and earning a paycheck or you’re drawing a check from the state. And I would like to know things like is there a time limit on this. How much can you make before you lose the state check? This is going to be interesting to watch.
In my opinion, this whole situation has given us a very small glance at what the extreme left would love to see happen, that being this country sliding into socialism. Fortunately more and more states are opting out of the federal assistance program and I want to see how many of those are run by Republican majority versus Democrat.
2022 can’t get here soon enough.
Alan Marshall
Minimum wage is about $14,500 a year pretax working 40 hours a week, and $29,000 if you are able to find two full-time jobs that don’t have conflicting hours.
The cost of daycare in GSO is typically more than $7.25 an hour. You do the math.
If you want to hire people you have to offer them a reasonable wage. It doesn’t cost $30,000 to buy a home any more. Many people aren’t living in their hand-me-down no mortgage home that the generations before them paid off by taking advantage of whites only benefits (see the GI bill in practice). Why aren’t you blaming the capitalists? We are a capitalist society, so the businesses need to support the country they want. Sadly, they give less than zero about our country, just the profits they can make off of you and people like you thinking that poor people that won’t work for poor person wages are worthless.
This entire problem could be solved, without government interference, if corporations paid a living wage because it’s the right thing to do, not to mention a great way to recruit qualified employees.
Oh Alan, back at the fear monger well again.
Are you still searching for the welfare queen Regan mythicized about when promoting cutting benefits to low income citizens? (I am afraid I bought into that lie when I was younger) The biggest impact to employment during Covid19 was to working mothers. Many felt pushed out of the workforce when childcare services were cut off, public schools only returning at a 4 day schedule, etc… Many permanently left the workforce as a result. Facing the decision of caring for your children during these difficult times or working for less than $10 dollars an hour…not a complicated choice.
This is only one of the many complications facing re-employment numbers as we recover from Covid impacts. But you keep searching for the welfare queen and let the adults work on addressing the real issues facing this country.
Biggest welfare royalty in American history is white farmers. Just called it a different name.