Tom Delay: People Are Unemployed Because They Want To Be

[als463]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

OK...here's my advice to the currently unemployed:

Keep the faith, stay positive, and keep your networks and options open.

Keep your resume` (or c.v.) updated and email it to people who may be "in the know" and send it to different employers.

Worse comes to worse, there are a lot of jobs where you can bust your ass for about $10 an hour without benefits and end up struggling at the end up every month despite working double shifts.

I hope none of you found this "no shit, sherlock" or condescending to a group of college-educated (and beyond) people who consider themselves hardworking and nonidiotic. The minion als463 wanted me to post advice that all of you know already.

Well, posting advice is much better than going around and telling people that their accomplishments mean nothing because they were hired after graduating from college, when people are upset they can't get jobs.

As far as calling me a minion, I could say the same about you and some of your "followers" as well. It seems that, lately, if I say something that upsets some of you and your "friends" you all "follow" each other and start name-calling or harassing because someone has a different opinion. It is like the pot calling the kettle black, in this situation. Don't try and use words like that to talk down to me. I'm very intelligent and I don't need some random person, who doesn't personally know me, try to act like they are above me. I've talked about what I've done in life, as a means of showing that there are options out there, yet you refuse to discuss what kind of careers you have had. Then, you proceed to talk to me like I'm a moron.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by als463

Well, posting advice is much better than going around and telling people that their accomplishments mean nothing because they were hired after graduating from college, when people are upset they can't get jobs.

Don't post to me again until you plug your brain up.

Originally Posted by als463

As far as calling me a minion, I could say the same about you and some of your "followers" as well.

I don't care, but thanks for putting way too much concern and effort in this. As you always do.

[dreamseeker]

who elected Dr. Phil leader?

i demand a recount!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by dreamseeker

who elected Dr. Phil leader?

i demand a recount!

Her imagination.

It would've been funnier if she had called me someone's minion.

I apologize to anyone who gave a darn about this thread and wanted to continue the original discussion. It's more entertaining this way.

[als463]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Her imagination.

It would've been funnier if she had called me someone's minion.

I apologize to anyone who gave a darn about this thread and wanted to continue the original discussion. It's more entertaining this way.

You are right, it is so much more entertaining now. Now, you can ruin another thread with name-calling, instead of discussing the topic at hand. Don't pretend that this thread was on topic before I posted. As soon as Kevin agreed with the topic, he was a "horrible" person, remember? It is "unfortunate" that there are people out there like me and Kevin who think some people just play the system, I guess-right?

It is sad and disturbing to me that you think everyone who is in this position is in the position of being unemployed (and I don't mean subbing as a teacher because that is a job and I respect those who are willing to do that) because it is hard for them to find work. Okay. We can all sit here and pretend.

It is like Kevin asked earlier, when do people start to take responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming other people for their problems? If it was up to you and your "minions" we would feel sorry for every person who was too-good for flipping burgers, joining the military, going back to school, mowing lawns, etc.

[AGDee]

A lot of the "advice" being given may apply to a young person who can live with their parents or live in a studio apartment and eat ramen noodles and boxed mac n cheese everyday. It does NOT apply to a 40/50 something with a home, a car payment, and two kids to support who has a master's degree and who, until the past year, was gainfully employed for more than 20 years in their profession in a state where the unemployment rate is 14.9%. The military doesn't take asthmatics who have vertigo and high blood pressure. What would one do with their teenagers while they were in basic training, even if they did? When you work jobs like cleaning houses, etc, there are no benefits, hence, no health insurance, so when your child gets sicks, it costs more than a week's pay to get them in to see a doctor. Going back to school costs money. So now, in addition to the mortgage, car payment, food and kids' needs, you have to come up with money for tuition? Neat trick. For what it's worth, my department is hiring the following in the near future: phlebotomists experienced with drawing blood on kids and infants at about $10/hr, epidemiologists (masters or PhD with grant funding in place or pending), biostatisticians (Masters or PhD, recent grads welcome), and an experienced .NET web programmer. You could learn phlebotomy in the 26 weeks that you get unemployment, sure. The rest take YEARS of schooling.

We ARE in a crisis. I don't think anybody is saying that people should just be paid unemployment forever. However, until we pull out of this recession, the humane thing to do is to help people until they can get back on their feet. The number of people who show up at my door to see if I will pay them to shovel my snow each time we get a snow fall is incredible. I see people trying to do anything they can each and every day. There will always be some people who use and abuse the system, but this situation right now, today, is the worst it has been since the depression. Charities are overwhelmed, animal shelters are overwhelmed, small businesses are closing right and left. It's a crisis situation and there are NOT enough jobs for everybody who wants one.

Many of us who ARE employed have lost retirement matching, vacation time, have had no pay increases for a couple years now or have experienced pay cuts. Many who are NOT unemployed have had their hours cut. The amount of money available to spend on services has diminished. The things people cut out first are the luxuries: paying somebody to clean their house or shovel their snow, going out to eat, getting their nails done or their hair dyed, purchasing anything other than necessities, elective medical procedures, etc. This trickles down through the whole economy. When your unemployment rate increases to 15%, your tax base erodes leading to cuts in education (usually in the form of teacher layoffs), public servants, scholarship money, etc. It trickles further and further into every facet of our society.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by AGDee

A lot of the "advice" being given may apply to a young person who can live with their parents or live in a studio apartment and eat ramen noodles and boxed mac n cheese everyday. It does NOT apply to a 40/50 something with a home, a car payment, and two kids to support...

This advice applies to EVERYONE, regardless of situation. If you have a marketable skill, this applies to you.

When you work jobs like cleaning houses, etc, there are no benefits, hence, no health insurance, so when your child gets sicks, it costs more than a week's pay to get them in to see a doctor.

That's a weak argument, because even if you were cleaning houses, you are making money, therefore you can buy your own self-employed benefits. I have my own health insurance policy, my own disability insurance policy, and if you want a retirement plan, you can get a SEP. And best of all they are all (save for disability insurance) tax deductible, above the line (reduces your AGI).

Going back to school costs money.

Then forego school until you can afford it. FWIW, it should be obvious just by the volume of unemployed "educated" people here that for the most part, college has ran a scam on a lot of folks, and pocketed a ton of cash in the process. Remember when I said that money doesn't disappear, it only gets transferred to those with a better hustle? This is a prime example.

We ARE in a crisis. I don't think anybody is saying that people should just be paid unemployment forever. However, until we pull out of this recession, the humane thing to do is to help people until they can get back on their feet.

Ok, as long as the individuals are doing it out of their own volition, I have no problem with that. However, the government should stay out of this because they cannot afford to continue doing this; they do not have the money available to do it. Period, pointblank.

[RU OX Alum]

The job market is brutal too. Even if you have expeirence, the next guy has more. If you have five years, with two at the management level, some will have ten, with four, and then people will think that you will never be satisfied with your position, and will always be gunning for the next (the person's who is interviewing you) job. Even if you're not, that is what they will think. Too much too soon can hurt your case. And people tend to hire within their own age group. If you look too young or too old, they will be holding out for another candidate.

[DaemonSeid]

This thread is a trainwreck for a whole 'nother reason...g' night

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

This thread is a trainwreck for a whole 'nother reason...g' night

That's what threads like this always turn into. Why? Because some people get upset at those who have a different opinion.

...well, anywho, my scrubs are done drying. Gotta go...

[PiKA2001]

KAPital does have a point. My housekeeper is self employed, charges $60 a pop and is so busy that I have to schedule her three weeks in advance. Due to my own trials and tribulations I'm very critical but also empathetic of people who claim to not be able to find a job. I primarily joined the military to pad my resume, not going to lie. I also moved to the opposite side of the country to further my career; it wasn't easy to leave my comfort zone but I did it because I had to. When I see people unemployed who don't seem to have made the same sacrifices I did, I tend to think that they are not trying hard enough to make it. Hate me for it if you want, but it's my life experiences that brought me here. Degrees don't equal skills, I'm sorry. I like to ask unemployed grads what they studied in school, and it's usually something along the lines of art history or Chicano studies. That's great if you want to study that for personal enrichment but to expect to get a viable career out of it is unrealistic in my mind.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

KAPital does have a point. My housekeeper is self employed, charges $60 a pop and is so busy that I have to schedule her three weeks in advance. Due to my own trials and tribulations I'm very critical but also empathetic of people who claim to not be able to find a job. I primarily joined the military to pad my resume, not going to lie. I also moved to the opposite side of the country to further my career; it wasn't easy to leave my comfort zone but I did it because I had to. When I see people unemployed who don't seem to have made the same sacrifices I did, I tend to think that they are not trying hard enough to make it. Hate me for it if you want, but it's my life experiences that brought me here. Degrees don't equal skills, I'm sorry. I like to ask unemployed grads what they studied in school, and it's usually something along the lines of art history or Chicano studies. That's great if you want to study that for personal enrichment but to expect to get a viable career out of it is unrealistic in my mind.

Yes but every case is different. I'm 25 and not employed in my optimal career field, but I am employed and could move if I so chose or found better work elsewhere, because I don't have kids/ailing parents/familial responsibilities. Parents don't have that mobility, and people with sick/dying parents don't have that mobility. There are tons of reasons why someone wouldn't be able to move - not just not want to, but are actually unable to move.

In general, and not really directed toward you, PiKA:
I also don't think it's particularly fair to bash people for getting on facebook or what have you. When I was unemployed, I did the bulk of my resume sending in the evenings/late at night. I would spend pleeeeenty of time online doing other things (greekchat, facebook, twitter, whatever) because there's only so much TV you can watch in a day. Also, I think people downplay multitasking. How long does it take to update a facebook status? 5-30 seconds? Does that really take a super huge chunk out of applying time?

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by agzg

Yes but every case is different. I'm 25 and not employed in my optimal career field, but I am employed and could move if I so chose or found better work elsewhere, because I don't have kids/ailing parents/familial responsibilities.

In general, and not really directed toward you, PiKA:
I also don't think it's particularly fair to bash people for getting on facebook or what have you. When I was unemployed, I did the bulk of my resume sending in the evenings/late at night.

I never mentioned anything about unemployed people on facebook.

[DrPhil]

There is a massive brain fart in this thread and the stinch is coming from the people who are still stuck on the basic understandings that the rest of us acknowledged in our opening posts.

Maybe jogging in circles is fun to them.

[christiangirl]

This needs to be repeated:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

There is a massive brain fart in this thread and the stinch is coming from the people who are still stuck on the basic understandings that the rest of us acknowledged in our opening posts.

Maybe jogging in circles is fun to them.

"How many posts can a poster post if a poster can post posts?"