…when you just feel the grip of despair around your neck?
For whatever reason feeling that D-Day is coming seems particularly acute today. Not particularly sure why.
I guess I’d better spend less time worrying and more time hussling.
Posts Tagged ‘unemployment’
Ever have one of those days…
Posted: April 1, 2010 by datechguy in employmentTags: economy, unemployment
What is waiting for America…
Posted: March 24, 2010 by datechguy in employment, opinion/newsTags: economics, economy, I wish I said that, just deserts, obamacare, unemployment
Via Dan Collins (buy his book) Dennis the Peasant gets to the heart of the problem:
And because Obamacare incentivizes non-coverage by imposing employer fines for non-coverage that are far less than the cost of offering health insurance, there’s an excellent chance (in this economy of roughly 17%-18% actual unemployment) that companies will be dropping health benefits rather than adding them. Employers can afford to; they have highly skilled workers waiting in line to beg for a job with or without health insurance.
Remember it is a lot cheaper to pay the fine than to actually cover the employee, so who is going to have to pay that cost? Back to Dennis:
Next year you’re going to have to purchase the insurance yourself or pay a large fine and face the possibility of prosecution and imprisonment.
So the end result thousands of dollars spent by people on health insurance that will not be spent on other things, like vacations, or restaurants, or that x-box 360 or COLLEGE or the MORTGAGE. Since it is Dennis’ piece I’ll give him the last word:
Ignore the above at your own risk, Democrats. I’ve been dealing with people and their money on a professional basis for over 25 years. The fastest way to enrage the average American is to try to force them to reduce their standard of living. People will lie, cheat, steal, and kill to continue to live in the manner to which they are accustomed. That’s just the way it is. And that is the fatal flaw in The Plan… When it comes down to it, the political will to force the electorate to be poorer will not be there.
I wish I wrote that.
Around the blogroll St. Patrick’s day edition
Posted: March 17, 2010 by datechguy in fun, internet/free speech, opinion/newsTags: 20/40, blogs, conservatism fights back, prayer request, rule 5, unemployment
Spent the night working on my taxes and at a hospitality meeting for my church.
Meanwhile in at a blog near you see see the following:
Camp of the Saints celebrates St. Patrick’s day by bringing on Rule 5 a few days early as he puts it “Erin go braless”.
How is it that visiting the camp of the saints tend to make a person want to sin?
Over at the DaHospitalityGuy’s place he talks on a much more serious note about anti-depressants and unemployment:
Am I depressed? Of course I am. Naturally who wouldn’t be? I’m without a job. I’m without my family. I miss reading to my daughter. I miss playing with my son. I miss giving hugs and kisses and hearing them say I love you daddy.
Do I need a pill to take those feelings away? No. I want to miss my children. I want to care. I have a purpose. I don’t want a pill to cover that up and make me feel artificially better.
I know things have been hard for me but If you have some prayers to offer, I’d send them his way first.
Meanwhile at Haemet the charming Roxeanne (yet another example of 20/40) reminds of that we conservatives have been declared defeated many times before:
In the fifteen months since the Left declared us to be a waning political group and a thing of the past, we’ve seen:
* The popularity of conservatism eclipse that of liberalism;
* “Swing state” Virginia elect a hard-core conservative a twenty-point margin;
* New Jersey elect a conservative governor;
* Prius-driving Bostonians go crazy over Scott Brown, who campaigned on the promise of stopping the liberals in DC; and
* Barack Obama’s approval ratings drop to the lowest point of any sitting President at this time in an administration.Running score: Leftists, 0; conservatives, 1.
Have of the battle is the willingness to keep fighting.
Unemployment waits and tax rates
Posted: February 8, 2010 by datechguy in personalTags: taxes, unemployment
It has been proven axiomatic that when tax rates are too high you can increase revenue by dropping tax rates thus producing more economic activity and because of it more overall tax revenue. This is the basis for many conservative arguments on taxation.
For tax rates there is a “sweet spot”. That is the point where both raising taxes decreases revenue (due to less taxable activity). and lowering taxes decreases revenue (because the drop can’t stimulate more taxable activity). If a taxes’ goal is revenue based, your goal is to find that sweet spot and keep your tax rate there.
Going to the unemployment office in Massachusetts apparently works under the same principle. The Office starts servicing customers at 8:30 a.m. but the doors of the office are unlocked as soon as the first employee shows up (Usually around 7:30-7:40 a.m.) If you want to avoid a 2 hour + wait you need to get there as soon as possible so you need to turn up before the “official” opening time of 8:30 a.m.
On the other hand if you end up showing up an hour before the place opens and wait an hour to be seen, you are still waiting 2 hours. The trick seems to be to find that “sweet spot” where you show up early enough to be seen to get ahead of the massive crowd that comes after opening while not spending the same amount of time waiting before they open as you would after.
Today I showed up at 8:05 a.m., it is the earliest I ever came and was totally surprised to be #11. Ten people already there ahead of me taking numbers. At precisely 8:30 the people who have taken numbers are invited 2 at a time in order to sign in to the relevant list to be seen by someone.
Apparently between 8:00 & 8:05 is the “sweet spot” or pretty close. I was seen in just under 90 minutes. I was early enough to get a good parking space and beat the crowd but late enough to still do part of my normal morning routine.
I was told that my benefits for the next 3 weeks (and last week) will turn up as a lump in about two weeks and I should ignore the phone message concerning benefits as the computers haven’t been updated yet.
My bills tend to fall due between the end of the previous month and the 15th of the month. I always pay them 10 business days early for mailed bills and at least 2 days early for in person bills. (Whenever possible I always pay in person. You are not a number in that case.) I tend to pay them between the 20th and the 31st. Due to sheer luck the “lump day” falls just as I will be starting to pay. This means with the wife’s pay I can handle the early bills and will still have something left to pay the late ones.
If it turns out that they are late, then I have to go to my reserve but that reserve is not large these days.
I’ve not reached the panic point but it is never far away and I’m better off than many.
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