Once again, I ironically find myself siding with the Republicans on an issue. I believe I have mentioned before in other posts that I tend to be Democratic in thought, but on some issues, I can’t help but consider the Republicans’ side a more reasonable one. Regardless, this particular topic is a difficult one for me to choose a definite side on, but I shall write from the side of the Republican since that is where I feel most certain.
On NPR, I came across this article about an issue that’s causing a lot of trouble amongst the unemployed in the U.S. Congress has once again dead-ended themselves at another due date, and this time, it is the expiration of the extended unemployment benefits program that was started when the recession first hit. While Democrats are arguing that the program ought to be extended further, Republicans are insisting that the program has been extended long enough, and as Republican Rob Woodall of Georgia put it, “It was intended to be a very temporary solution to a very temporary crisis.”
I find it interesting that Congress “intended” the program to be a mere bandaid over the wound that is unemployment and yet inevitably extended it in the past. I understand why they did it. Obviously, the recovery of the economy had not gone as well as they had hoped and people were still vastly unemployed. And I completely understand that finding work in this economy still proves to be difficult. But by now, I myself am beginning to wonder if people still on the unemployment program are simply using it as an excuse to not bother finding work at all.
One reason for long-term unemployment is fatigue from those seeking it. Many try very earnestly and for a very long time to find work, and when none comes, they simply give up. That is an unimaginably discouraging and despairing situation, but by receiving checks in the mail and ceasing their search for work, they are being incredibly dishonorable and ungrateful. Our nation—our people—are providing those checks in hopes that it sustains them until they can support themselves, and by giving up and not working, they’re using all of our daily hard work to take an indeterminately long holiday.
Reading about Linda Sandefur in NPR’s article, a receiver of both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees accompanied by 20 years of work experience and still searching for work, I do fully comprehend how dire and difficult the situation is. However, I am not certain many other people like her are out there. I think there are less people like her with similar accomplishments looking for jobs than there are people who don’t have as high an education or as much work experience. John Boehner’s statement at the end of the article, “We think it would be better for them to focus on helping get our economy moving again so more of the unemployed can find jobs,” was something I completely agree with.
At one point or another, the unemployment program will have to come to an end, and people are going to be upset. If it didn’t end, people would consistently rely on it even after we’ve pulled out of the recession (if that ever does happen). We need to take the training wheels off before the people become completely incapable and unmotivated to look for work themselved. It’s similar to feeding wild animals. It’s easy to feed them to appease their hunger and initial trepidation, but sooner or later, they keep coming back for more, and eventually, they’ll be unable to obtain food on their own.
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