House to vote on extending unemployment benefits.....AGAIN!!!!

[jackson64]

I guess that my husband and I that are giving gifts and food to a family of five people whose father has cancer and the mother is on unemployment would be a waste of time after reading the opinions on this thread.

This would be exactly what Christ would do and what people have been doing for eachother for about 6,000 years. We take any work we can to take care of our family and keep our eyes out for our neighbors who are less fortunate or who are in need....

Howdy..May God pour out his blessings for your generous spirit..

[Raphael]

Alternate government plans (none of which will be enacted):

All elected officials LEAD BY EXAMPLE: take a pay cut - and use tourist class when flying. Arrest Charile Rangel.

Reduce taxes for business OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD - temporarily extending a tax cut will NOT eliminate the uncertainty that is now preventing businesses from starting up.

Make it unlawful to bail out incompetent/crooked businesses and quasi-govenment agencies like FNMA and Freddie Mac.

When the economy improves, folks will be more inclined to restore their level of charitible giving, and less inclined to believe that the government will cure all social ills.

[Bernardd]

Maybe we'd be better off if the government gave money to small businesses and had them hire more employees. Why just give it away with no services rendered?

[Blessedhope777]

Bernardd. . . EXACTLY! The problem isn't that we have poor or people without jobs. The problem is that the stupid government has made them poor and without jobs on purpose. They are trying to enslave people to the government through government employed unions, welfare, unemployment, and destroyed small business. People sustained by the government cannot fight back because they have no monetary recourse. The only alternative is to riot in the streets. We still have a semblance of an economy left but every day that goes by that we don't get rid of this government we slide further into helplessness. Let's hope and pray that the food crisis thing does not show up like Beck is predicting and that the new Congress can actually get something done, undo what this last Congress has done, and tie up or get rid of the executive or better yet Yeshua gets us out of here!

[Homesick777]

Maybe we'd be better off if the government gave money to small businesses and had them hire more employees.

Far too logical, although we did have an employee tax credit for businesses at one time. The Fed thinking now, though, is that they can spend money better than businesses can. Call it a deposit on buying votes in 2012.

Why just give it away with no services rendered?

I, too, have wondered why they don't require a days work for a day's wages after the a person uses up the maximum benefit weeks allowed by their state, but I really fear that we would see another Civilian Conservation Corps from the 1930's. In today's employment climate, those workers would quickly be unionized and demand full benefits including Federal pensions.

[Bernardd]

If you're going to give people money, you may as well give it to them with some sort of strings tied to it. It just seems obvious that the government should essentially give the money to successful businesses (perhaps even Wal Mart or Apple) and allow people to get a paycheck while they're not only working, but learning a skill on the job.

Americans are pretty lazy and stupid to have allowed this unemployment/welfare system to grow into what it's become. Of course, it goes on all over the world. Perhaps I should just be ashamed to be a part of the human race.

Where's mine?!
When do I get mine?!
It's all about me!
Gimme something for nothing....because I DESERVE it.

The picture is starting to make sense.

Far too logical, although we did have an employee tax credit for businesses at one time. The Fed thinking now, though, is that they can spend money better than businesses can. Call it a deposit on buying votes in 2012.



I, too, have wondered why they don't require a days work for a day's wages after the a person uses up the maximum benefit weeks allowed by their state, but I really fear that we would see another Civilian Conservation Corps from the 1930's. In today's employment climate, those workers would quickly be unionized and demand full benefits including Federal pensions.

[dlocal]

For that matter, why call the Fire Department when a cat is in a tree? Did you ever see a cat skeleton in a tree?

Of course not, the fire dept gets them down.

[ozdude]

What do you think will happen when hundreds of thousands of people cannot afford to feed their families and see the richest taking even more from the taxpayers?

What would you do if all your income stopped and you had your hungry children looking up at you desperate for food? When the churches have no more to give because so many need?

When people have nothing they have nothing to lose.

[HeIsEnough]

What do you think will happen when hundreds of thousands of people cannot afford to feed their families and see the richest taking even more from the taxpayers?

This has always been the case, except for the last part, it is the government taking from taxpayers, including the rich. You really gotta twist it to say its otherwise.

That is ultimately an ancient fight anyway. The rich, those who define themselves by being rich, can perish with their money. Why are so many concerned about other peoples money? Thats a much more interesting question to me, it puts it directly at your heart, because the rest is just a smokescreen. What if questions don't help much. Even if someone has nothing, they still have something left to lose. Christ spoke directly to your statement about losing, do you recognize what He said? Because its different from what you imply.

The scriptures don't force money from anyones hands, they just warn everyone about what you do with the money in your hands.

Welcome to the board, btw. It would be good for you to introduce yourself to the community in the new member forum, giving your testimony of Christ.

[Anddra]

Welcome to the board, btw. It would be good for you to introduce yourself to the community in the new member forum, giving your testimony of Christ.

Always good to get to know new members ...

[IMSAVED]

What do you think will happen when hundreds of thousands of people cannot afford to feed their families and see the richest taking even more from the taxpayers?

What would you do if all your income stopped and you had your hungry children looking up at you desperate for food? When the churches have no more to give because so many need?

When people have nothing they have nothing to lose.

I don't know that is scary to think about.

[Bernardd]

When have the rich taken from the poor in America?

What do you think will happen when hundreds of thousands of people cannot afford to feed their families and see the richest taking even more from the taxpayers?

What would you do if all your income stopped and you had your hungry children looking up at you desperate for food? When the churches have no more to give because so many need?

When people have nothing they have nothing to lose.

[Raphael]

Bernardd-

Seven posts ago, in your first paragraph, you described a former government program known as Job Corps. This was, IMO, the best government program ever (and there aren't many).

Employers like auto mechanic shop managers were given money to pay new employees who learned how to work on cars. The (formerly unemployed) trainees learned usable skills, and the businesses experienced some growth.

All we have now is the "handout" attitude you describe - not in all citizens, but in Federal government program theory generally. It's as though the government is afraid to help teach people how to do any useful work.

[RRRobert]

There's an economics-related quote that I can't find right now regarding how once the people realized they could elect officials who would give them other people's money, they did so and will continue to do so until the system is bankrupt. They will never do the right thing because people are inherently selfish and even many Christians have been brainwashed by the same liberal redistributive ideology that doesn't work in practice despite how "good" it sounds. They don't stop to consider reality, how government is not a producer nor a revenue generator, it is only a parasite that exists and survives by taking from those who produce. In certain areas like a collective defense, that is a necessary evil. But as always, government quickly grows and tries to take control of the host to ensure its own continued existence.

You can keep voting to take more and more from the productive in society but eventually the productive will either have nothing more to give and your system and lifestyle built upon leeching off their success will collapse, or they will grow tired of carrying your load and attempt to escape, to move to another land beyond your reach. Sadly, we see how crafty government is becoming in that they have given themselves the power to take a significant amount of the assets of anyone trying to leave and are hard at work trying to pass legislation to take even more. A true sign the failed system knows it is corrupt and broken and yet hopes to get away with even more of the same.

Meanwhile, one of the outcomes of such policies is the reduction of charitable deeds and charitable giving by those fortunate, because the government is now taking it from them by force. What would be the God-given blessing of having a productive society has been dulled and curtailed by the forced/mandated taking from the productive. In a way, you can even see how this aspect of leftist economics is a lack of faith (socialism is actually a direct affront to God but that's another topic), in that it is a lack of faith in God to provide for those in poverty through good deeds and charitable giving, which is how it was always done by the church and the wealthy in times past, instead has been replaced by the attitude of "we must have government take from them and provide to us". It is placing one's faith in government and not in God. And this sort of feeds right into what the mods were saying above about reminding folks where their faith should be in difficult times.

[WVBORN56]

When have the rich taken from the poor in America?

$4 for a bottle of water at a football game concession stand...

[Bernardd]

That must be some delicious water.

$4 for a bottle of water at a football game concession stand...

[Acts5:41]

But you could afford to go to the football game.

I don't even have a car. My biggest expense, the $450 mortgage. I ride the bus and other public transit. I walk a lot and use a handcart; and spend probably an average of 1-4 hours A DAY waiting on rides.

To most people, that lifestyle is unthinkable. Not to me. It's what I do.

I could possibly afford more cab rides now and then, though my take-home is solidly in the "Poverty" range. However, that would leave me less money to spend on Bibles.

Since I am on public transit, I see a lot of very poor neighborhoods; the problem with the whole welfare mentality is the idlers. They don't need to work, so they stand around on the corners, idle, drinking, or getting into trouble with gangs. The kids who are out there working 10 hour days don't have the time to get into trouble. They're out there working for a living. They have much more self-confidence. The young man that gets on the "ghetto" bus wearing a work uniform carries himself proudly and avoids conflict and gossip. The kid in the (gang) "Colors" does not.

Recently we went to pick up a disabled woman in the bad part of town. At 9 AM 2 working age adults were sitting in plastic chairs and drinking "40's" (40 ounce bottles of beer). A couple of empties at their feet. They were completely trashed. The client (the third person) was so wasted they cancelled the ride. That's what happens with endless handouts. People start feeling entitled, and I truly believe God created us with a desire to work. When we don't, we feel that lack and suffer.

I was told I would never be able to work outside of a sheltered, supported workshop. For the last 18 years, I have defied expectation and supported myself and assisted my husband with his business.

My husband and I take our motto directly from the Bible "He who will not work, let him also not eat"

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
2 Thessalonians 3:10
Colossians 3:23

For those who bring up the whole "tragedy in the family" - I had one; and I was so happy to get back to work and out of the house. It allowed me to get my mind off my troubles and into a happier place. I have had several tragedies, actually.

[RRRobert]

I love that God gives some folks abundant grace to live lives below their means -- meaning, they live in a prosperous nation/culture and society offers them more and they could have more, but they prefer to live a simple life to the glory of God. Sure, when it becomes an idol of "look at me" as it can if not kept in check, then it's a bad thing. But in general, being one of humble means is a blessing and when they use from their abundance to the glory of God and service for God, their reward will be something special when they enter eternity and meet their Lord face to face. We should all work on cutting out excess in our lives, seeing it as trimming the fat much like cutting off the arm of the flesh and the avenues of attack for the evil one.

[Acts5:41]

Definitely. One of the wierd things for me, even the homeless in Houston have cell phones and ride the bus.

I have a book that profiles every country in the world, the country of the day is UGANDA. Average yearly income $455 - a year. It seems like a vast majority of the world makes a few hundred to few thousand a year; and they have to worry about miltias, etc.

We are so, so, blessed.

[Cindy S.]

I have this feeling Social Security is next......
I know people who have just taken early retirement and are already estimating how
much they will receive in SS benefits.
My gut just says that is not wise.

1Sa 8:11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen; and [some] shall run before his chariots. 1Sa 8:12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.1Sa 8:14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, [even] the best [of them], and give [them] to his servants.1Sa 8:15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 1Sa 8:16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put [them] to his work. 1Sa 8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.