dog-gone-right.com Blog

Attached column by James Bayne
Unemployed and let’s do it again

Did you see the recent story of the misfortunes of a family out in the Midwest? The Washington Post felt it deserved front page attention and devoted about half of the front page to it and then continued on for two more full pages. The story attempted to lead the reader through the plight of a relatively young family consisting of the father, mother, teen age son and toddling daughter.

While I may feel empathy for the fact that this young man has lost his job, apparently due to the downturn in the economy, the story of his family’s plight left me feeling that a good deal of their problem was of his making. It seems that he has been unemployed for about 11 months and his wife lost her job shortly after he did. They have been existing on unemployment benefits and gradually drifting toward being unable to pay their bills as they are reaching the end of those benefits. The story, as recounted in the Washington Post, tells us that he has gained 40 pounds since losing his job and then gives us an accounting of his visit to an ATM because his unemployment check ($390.00) and his wife’s check ($268.00) are automatically deposited to their bank (I’m guessing that unemployment checks are weekly?). At the ATM he withdraws $700.00 and then deposits $500.00 to pay their rent (that is what the story said). At this point it appears that he has $200.00 in hand so he buys a soft drink, 4 packs of cigarettes, and $20.00 in gas, pays his electric bill, buys brake pads for his car and pays the monthly insurance premium for his children which leaves him with $12.00. Now it is admirable that he has met his obligations first although I’d quibble with spending money on cigarettes (and yes I know the difficulties of quitting the smoking habit as I did it 40 years ago) but what follows in the story is unsettling in several ways.

The young man then proceeds, just before noon, to a neighborhood bar to pick up his winnings of $100.00 from a betting pool he has won. Shouldn’t gambling be a no-no when you are stretched for money? And the story becomes more disturbing as the young man spends the afternoon at the bar and consumes, according to the story, 8 beers in less than 4 hours and then gets in his car to drive home (being very careful so that he doesn’t get a ticket). This visit to the bar does not seem to be an unusual occurrence. It was at this point that I could no longer sympathize with the plight of this family. 8 beers, when he is strapped for cash to meet his obligations, and then driving a car to boot is unacceptable behavior.

In a different vein I read where the Department of Energy has awarded contracts to 16 different companies in a total amount of $80 Billion in a program to reduce energy use in federal buildings. This is the same song repeated over and over again. I served in an executive position with the federal government for a number of years and we went through this same exercise time and again. The only effect such expenditures had, and will have, is to keep a large number of people employed pushing numbers around. Meaningful measurable results will not be forthcoming. Remember folks it is your tax dollars being spent on these exercises. It will only end when we are all wearing barrels. END.

WELL I AGREE WITH JAMES IN THAT I HAVE NO EMPATHY FOR FOLKS WHO SMOKE UP AND DRINK UP THEIR FUNDS IN HARD TIMES. But, I have perhaps a different perspective, because My office was closed two weeks before Christmas, and brother, let me tell you, there are no jobs out there! Up until this time in my life, I always believed that a hard working American who lost their job today, could pretty much have a replacement in a few days. That my friends is gone. We let the politicians convince us that Illegals were here to do jobs that Americans would not do. We allowed them to qualify two illegal families for one home, and when it hit the fan they laid their keys on the counter and went to North Carolina or back across the border, leaving the bank to pay their mortgage. Long time employees who would not cave to management have been replaced by workers who do not speak much very good english. So more funds can go across the border each week. Six out of ten homes, it was told to me, in my area that were foreclosed on were on illegals. Chris Dodd and BARNEY FRANK sold us out, and today it was announced that CHRIS DODD WAS NOT GUILTY. The chair of the Senate Banking committee did not know he was getting a sweet deal(even though Countrywide testified he did) so no wonder he would not know we were in trouble for lending to folks who could not pay us back. It is so unbelievable…

But, for the unemployed hope is hard to come by. Unemployment numbers are down, but mostly because a lot of folks benefit packages are running out and they aren’t being counted as looking anymore.

In the old days you would actually go out and meet with prospective employers. Today, you get a cold computer screen and no human contact to tell you that you are un-worthy of a job.
It is a very lonely, hard thing to deal with….but have hope, because God is still in control, and he has a plan for you, my friend. God Bless You and God Bless America! wade.