Yesterday a bill to extend unemployment benefits by another 20 weeks sailed through the U.S. Senate, and will sail through the House as well. Both Republicans and Democrats are falling all over each other to “help” unemployed Americans. As with most enablers, they have good intentions, but end up harming the very people they thought they were helping.
I have lost most of my empathy for people who swear they “can’t” find a job, because I continue to meet thousands of managers all over America who still can’t find people to hire, and personally encounter so many people who just won’t hustle.
My beautiful bride and I have postponed buying a new house until after Christmas, in large part because so many unmotivated real agents make us nauseas. While we found an agent to represent us as the buyers’ agent, the seller’s agent will still get a commission of around $12,000, and most act like we’re inconveniencing them. Even though the money technically comes out of the seller’s proceeds, I detest the idea of knowing that money that I worked very hard to earn will end up in the hands of a lazy, unmotivated person.
Last month I tried to buy Toyota Sienna, but the salesman was too lazy to find one in the color I wanted.
It is my belief that the reason many of the nearly 10% of Americans who are unemployed, remain unemployed, is because they won’t get out there and work to find a job. Now that Uncle Sam is going to support them for another 20 weeks, they’ll have even less incentive to find work.
Every time I write something like this, someone sends a nasty email about how I don’t understand how hard it is to find a job where they live, such as in Detroit, and how there’s “nothing they can do”. Yes there is – MOVE to where the jobs are. I’ve done it. It’s how I first came to Nashville.
But why would anyone move to where the jobs are when they can stay where they’re at and wait another 20 weeks before they get serious about finding work?
