More jobless checks a cure for economy?

[Night Fire]

Why are so many republican legislators against something that will help the economy?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080203/...bless_benefits

[ligonierian]

Why is it the government's responsibilty to make sure everyone has money? Redistributing money through taxes is no different than taking my wallet and giving half of what's in it to my neighbor.

[flatbird1]

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

[Night Fire]

Why is it the government's responsibilty to make sure everyone has money? Redistributing money through taxes is no different than taking my wallet and giving half of what's in it to my neighbor.

Unemployment insurance, it is not really a give away, you paid for it by working, It is a perk of having worked for a living over a period of time that makes you eligible-

When you are working your employer is required to pay into this government insurance fund for the possibility that one day you may be unemployed. The idea is that you will have an income until you can again be employed.

[james_t]

There are 50 state programs of Unemployment Insurance plus one each in the District of Columbia and in Puerto Rico. Through the Social Security Act of 1935, the Federal Government of the United States effectively coerced the individual states into adopting plans of Unemployment Insurance, by imposing a federal tax (the FUTA tax), the larger share of which would only be rebated to employers if the state operated a UI plan meeting federal standards. Within those constraints, the individual states and territories raise their own contributions and run their own programs. The federal government sets broad guidelines for coverage and eligibility, but states vary in how they determine benefits and eligibility.

...

The federal government lends money to the states for unemployment insurance when the states run short of funds. In general this can happen when the unemployment rate is high. The need for loans can be exacerbated when a state cuts taxes and increases benefits. All loans must be repaid, with interest.

Congressional actions to massively increase penalties for states incurring large debts for unemployment benefits led to state fiscal crises in the 1980s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_insurance

[evilkumquat]

Why are so many republican legislators against something that will help the economy?

Because it would help poor people who need it, and not the rich who don't.

Evil Kumquat

[LuciusBeebe]

Redistributing money through taxes is no different than taking my wallet and giving half of what's in it to my neighbor.

Actually they're quite different.

[james_t]

Actually they're quite different.

True. With directly taking it, your neighbor would actually get half your wallet. With redistribution through taxes, your neighbor gets the half minus the cost of the layers of government bureaucracy in between.

[LuciusBeebe]

I wonder how upset he'd be if he was the neighbor of a guy making more money than him, in that scenario of distribution.

[james_t]

I wonder how upset he'd be if he was the neighbor of a guy making more money than him, in that scenario of distribution.

Don't pre-judge. Some folks are as adamantly against taking a handout as they are giving one.

[Night Fire]

Don't pre-judge. Some folks are as adamantly against taking a handout as they are giving one.

And some people think some things are handouts when they are not.
If you paid for it, it is not a handout
If you got it with nothing in return- it is a handout.
Being the wealthy use more of the governments services, they should have to pay more.

[LuciusBeebe]

Being the wealthy use more of the governments services, they should have to pay more.

Where did you get that idea?

[Night Fire]

Where did you get that idea?

Has the military ever been called out to protect you assets?

[LuciusBeebe]

What are you talking about?

[james_t]

I think Night Fire is saying that the military is regularly called out to protect the assets of rich people.

I'm not sure what specific instances he's thinking of. The National Guard was called out to New Orleans after Katrina, but they were hardly rich and I think they were there more to repair the infrastructure. But maybe there are some other instances I'm not remembering.

[Night Fire]

What are you talking about?

Those who own oils stocks have had their interests protected by the military many times over, those with their wealth in shipping and transport have the navy protecting their interests. The more assets a person accumulates the more of the governments services are required to protect those assets.
BUT
Being on the lower end of the wealth totem pole, when was the last time the military was called out to protect your assets?
So do you use as many of the governments resources as a wealthy person?
Should you be billed for the services to protect their wealth?

[Night Fire]

I think Night Fire is saying that the military is regularly called out to protect the assets of rich people.

I'm not sure what specific instances he's thinking of. The National Guard was called out to New Orleans after Katrina, but they were hardly rich and I think they were there more to repair the infrastructure. But maybe there are some other instances I'm not remembering.

They weren't there to stop the looting of poor peoples homes and businesses were they?

[Night Fire]

The Guard sandbagged the wealthier sections to protect the homes, they declared marshal law and patrolled the upscale neighborhoods to prevent looting ect.
This was at the same time poor people were trapped in their homes unable to get out. A simple system of protect the assets of the wealthy before the lives of the poor.

[LuciusBeebe]

Whatever you say, Night Fire.

[james_t]

The Guard sandbagged the wealthier sections to protect the homes, they declared marshal law and patrolled the upscale neighborhoods to prevent looting ect.
This was at the same time poor people were trapped in their homes unable to get out. A simple system of protect the assets of the wealthy before the lives of the poor.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2005 – Thousands of National Guard troops from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were on duty today as Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans, Gulfport, Miss., and other points on the Gulf Coast with 145-mph winds and torrential rains.

The Louisiana National Guard had called almost 3,500 of its members to state active duty as of 7 a.m. today to assist in missions ranging from assisting law enforcement agencies with traffic control and security; transporting and distributing food, water and ice, conducting searches and rescues; providing generator support; and carrying out other missions to protect life and property.

On Aug. 28, Louisiana Guardsmen conducted security and screening at the emergency shelter set-up at the New Orleans Superdome, where a reported 9,000 to 10,000 local residents reported after heeding the city's mandatory evacuation order issued earlier in the day.

As Katrina threatened to flood the low-lying city with water from the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain, other Louisiana Guardsmen were setting up other shelters, helping state police with evacuations and preparing to support relief operations in the hurricane's aftermath.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/news....aspx?id=16778