Entitlements
Matt Seinberg

We had a discussion, at work, a couple of weeks ago. The topic was people that didn't work; how they ended up on unemployment or welfare. The question was should they be made to earn that money and benefits or just sit on their butts, doing nothing? I truly believe that if the welfare department pays your rent, bills and to feed your family, you are the prime target to do some work.

There are exceptions.

Of course, what I have to say doesn’t apply to those that are ill or otherwise unable to work for legitimate reasons. Social benefit payments are for those that legitimately need the assistance. My comments aim at those that can work, but don’t.

Think about the cash strapped towns that don't have enough employees to work in their parks and highway departments. Put those on social benefits to work forty hours a week cleaning up parks and roadways.

The choice is clear; if you are of able mind and body, work or lose those entitlements that welfare gives you. Of course, there are exceptions, such as single parents that have nobody to care for their kids.

Solutions wait discovery.

There's a solution for that as well. I'm sure that there are qualified people, such as social workers, former day care workers and teachers, who would be able to run a daycare centre in some unused area of a town or village building.

There are big, strong young men sitting at home, all day; they’re drinking beer or playing video games? Put them out on the road cleaning up the highways and any other roadways that need sprucing up. Put them on trucks with experienced drivers that need extra help for some jobs. Since the town or village isn't paying them, the unions shouldn't have a problem with them filling in.

Heck, if the unions want them to join and become permanent staff, more power to them. Do you want to keep collecting that block of government cheese? Then work for it!

What do you think of this idea? Rather than calling regular working people, first, for jury duty, call the unemployed or retired, first. Let them collect their regular unemployment checks and deduct the jury pay, which isn't much anyway, from their benefits. By having the retired folks called for jury, first, they get to make some extra money and have a greater purpose for getting up in the morning.

As I work full time, the last thing I want is to have to report for jury duty and lose pay. What the New York court system pays, for jury duty, is ridiculous. You can barely buy a meal with their daily stipend.

Earning your way through life is good for your self-esteem.

The final thought is this, if you sit home and collect money, get off your ass and earn it. Let the local governments put these people to work and make something of themselves. It sure beats sitting home and doing nothing.