What's the matter, chum? Make an impolitic remark about the California AG? Did you accidentally claim "single mother" status? Find yourself without a whit of interest in this weekend's Final Four (me)?Share, friends. Share.
Diet Start (19 March): 196.4
Last Friday: 192.8
Today: 191.2
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5 comments:
On Drudge this AM it's reported 90 million Americans are out of the labor force.
"The unemployment rate declined to 7.6%, but this was due entirely to the collapse in the labor force participation rate, which declined by 20 bps to 63.3%, a new 30 year low."
How the hell can we continue like this? These people are just kiting checks, taking monetary mischief to new levels. Is Bernanke and the banks (who own the Federal Reserve) and the Democrats and whomever the hell else may be involved, are they ignorant to this insanity or is there an end game? I cannot believe they are just oblivious to the destruction they're doing. They must have a plan.
Recently we've been told the federal government is buying enough ammo to refight WWII (on both sides) along with APCs etc. They're starting a domestic drone operation. Why would a domestic agency or department be buying military weapons and running military style operations? Am I being paranoid because if I am please tell me how? This shit just keeps getting crazier and nobody seems to give a good Goddamn.
Part of those no longer working are recieving disability benefits.
Hour-long episode on This American Life, http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/490/trends-with-benefits
also seen here in text:
http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/
Summary:
Quietly, off the radar (numbers aren't part of unemployment stats) - 14 million Americans are now on disability. In some towns and counties, it is 25% of all people.
"The federal government spends more money each year on cash payments for disabled former workers than it spends on food stamps and welfare combined. Yet people relying on disability payments are often overlooked in discussions of the social safety net. People on federal disability do not work. Yet because they are not technically part of the labor force, they are not counted among the unemployed."
Multiple causes:
- Some are scammers
- Doctors recommend it - knowing their patients are poorly educated, and work is purely physical, and probably can't find much else - there are no 'desk' jobs.
- "Welfare to work" really meant, in many cases, shifting welfare load (paid by states) to disability (paid by Fed)
- Lawyers who "fight" for disability are paid 25% of the back benefits - and there is nobody contesting on the government's side against
- Data mining companies that help states cull their welfare roles for disability candidates - and help get those people to file for fed disability
- Parents have lots of incentives to get their kids "disabled"
They aren't getting rich - it's about $1000 per month, plus health insurance - but it's a better deal than a minimum-wage job. And for older workers when the plant shuts down - as one worker profiled discussed - it was a way out.
Bottom line - this has happened, under the radar, and now we have 14 million people who will likely never work again.
nice job on the weight!
What better reason be debt free in one's 50s than the facts that NavyAustin provides. My wife and I could both go on disability and collect $2000 - $3000 /month with medical benefits? I'm not a huge spender, I could get by without having to work another day for the rest of my life. My apologies to the hard working conservatives who will share in my support, but for the CW's more liberal friends... Thanks chumps!
I'm "gunning" for you CW...only 28lbs away!
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