"Can't afford to work"

[gam-e]

ever been to a temp agency in michigan?

No, but I have in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina.

All the while I had a SUIT ready for interviews - even for construction and manual labor jobs. I also had plenty of resumes floating about, both hard and electronic copies.

I'm currently enlisted in the military and am pursuing an education concurrently.

Nobody loves you like you and your mom, and if you mom can't pay your bills then you better damn well make sure that you can.

[Lohman446]

I get what you are trying to say, but I think what you mean is with no deficit or surplus, not near bankruptcy.

True, I worded it badly. The point is if they do not look to be in dire circumstances then they are not operating properly.

[Lohman446]

Must have taken you a while to check to make sure that each car belonged to a person collecting unemployment and to verify that those people were in fact using unemployment unfairly to own said cars. Because you did that, right?

You're kidding right? Because people always just park at the agency and walk elsewhere? Even if only half the cars belonged to those collecting he has a valid point.

[Lohman446]

You have more say in public insurance than you have in private ones, as a member of the board, essentially.

What? At best as a .001% shareholder. Member of the board implies at least a large direct voting stake, and you don't have that.

[teufelhunden]

You have more say in public insurance than you have in private ones, as a member of the board, essentially.

Really? Because I can speak with my dollars to private insurance companies, can't do that to Obamacare.

I disagree with your joke because: those involved in a ponzi scheme had a choice. They chose (or their agents chose) to give their money to someone based on false promises.

You say that like the investors were aware that they are scams - pretty sure that's not generally the case. One can take a measured look and try to determine if something fishy is going on, but that's about it. Especially when these ponzi schemes are coming back with clean audit opinions - a prospective investor has nowhere else to look.

If you want to make the point about "why the poop would you put all of your money with one manager" that's a valid one. People need to learn that diversify means to do more than buy a little of Microsoft, a little of Caterpillar, and a little of Pfizer.

[CaptainMorgan13]

Must have taken you a while to check to make sure that each car belonged to a person collecting unemployment and to verify that those people were in fact using unemployment unfairly to own said cars. Because you did that, right?

No I couldn't, some of us actaully have to work and that would take time...

[Mechanic79]

Interesting - I am in a state with tremendous unemployment. Had a job opening and posted it, got a dozen or so replies (skilled trade, that does not include those who were not really considered).

I pay pretty well - better than most other jobs in the area and better than the vast majority of those in this field.

All that said I had many of the applicants flat out state they could not afford to take a job when they factored in unemployment benefits + health care benefits + cost of working (gas, lunch, etc).

Thoughts?

they probably owe back child support!

[SCpoloRicker]

Must have taken you a while to check to make sure that each car belonged to a person collecting unemployment and to verify that those people were in fact using unemployment unfairly to own said cars. Because you did that, right?

Philosophy or Sociology degree?

[Lohman446]

Philosophy or Sociology degree?

Not philosophy The debate style would be... different.

[vf-xx]

You have more say in public insurance than you have in private ones, as a member of the board, essentially.

Nah, I have ultimate say in Private insurance company. I can take my business elsewhere.

[drg]

Nah, I have ultimate say in Private insurance company. I can take my business elsewhere.

Well you could technically do that with any American government program as well. "Love it or leave it" ... "feel free to move" ...

What? At best as a .001% shareholder. Member of the board implies at least a large direct voting stake, and you don't have that.

You do have a direct voting stake. It's a large board, so your vote is commensurate with its size, but you do in fact have a direct vote on the administrators of the plan. You get no such thing with private insurance and with most companies your money doesn't amount to much of a share either.

[Lohman446]

Well you could technically do that with any American government program as well. "Love it or leave it" ... "feel free to move" ...



You do have a direct voting stake. It's a large board, so your vote is commensurate with its size, but you do in fact have a direct vote on the administrators of the plan. You get no such thing with private insurance and with most companies your money doesn't amount to much of a share either.

At best I have a representative voting stake as we do not live in a direct democracy.

[teufelhunden]

Well you could technically do that with any American government program as well. "Love it or leave it" ... "feel free to move" ...



You do have a direct voting stake. It's a large board, so your vote is commensurate with its size, but you do in fact have a direct vote on the administrators of the plan. You get no such thing with private insurance and with most companies your money doesn't amount to much of a share either.

I could acquire a voting stake if I was interested, and it would be larger than my voting stake in a government plan (for arguments sake, say 54% of the population voted [source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7144152AAxw6n2 2nd answer who quotes sources which I checked out, seemed reasonable] - 300,000,000x.54=162,000,000 people voted) - I'd have a voting stake roughly equal to .0000000061728395061728395%. Wellpoint Inc. has the most members of US health insurers (src http://www.medibix.com/company.jsp?company_id=10012588). WLP has 484,640,000 shares outstanding and costs $54.38/share as of close today (src: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=WLP). That means I would have to buy three shares of common stock to equal my voting influence on the federal government, at a cost of less than $165. A lot cheaper than government healthcare. Plus, I could increase my voting stake if I so choose. Oh, and that voting stake has the potential to earn me money.

[drg]

At best I have a representative voting stake as we do not live in a direct democracy.

I dunno about your state but in my state we directly elect our congressmembers. Straight up popular vote.

I could acquire a voting stake if I was interested, and it would be larger than my voting stake in a government plan (for arguments sake, say 54% of the population voted [source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7144152AAxw6n2 2nd answer who quotes sources which I checked out, seemed reasonable] - 300,000,000x.54=162,000,000 people voted) - I'd have a voting stake roughly equal to .0000000061728395061728395%. Wellpoint Inc. has the most members of US health insurers (src http://www.medibix.com/company.jsp?company_id=10012588). WLP has 484,640,000 shares outstanding and costs $54.38/share as of close today (src: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=WLP). That means I would have to buy three shares of common stock to equal my voting influence on the federal government, at a cost of less than $165. A lot cheaper than government healthcare. Plus, I could increase my voting stake if I so choose. Oh, and that voting stake has the potential to earn me money.

Not all insurers are publicly traded, and it's not cheaper than your voting share in government healthcare, which is free. You can of course increase your voting influence as well, via being political active, donating, lobbying, etc.

[Miltonyz]

Michigan unemployment is capped at 362 weekly. On a 40 hour week that works out to 9.05 an hour. So either they were full of crap and using that for negotiation or you don't pay as well as you think. Especially if you offer any kind of benefits at all. When I got laid off my cobra payments would have been 120ish a month for a single guy with a cheapy plan.