JW> Geez you lot.  Thanks for making me and all the other honestly
JW> unemployed people feel bloody guilty.  I have been on the dole now
JW> for several months because the company I used to work for decided
JW> it could do without its technical arm.  Am I a parasite even though
JW> I have put in an average 10 applications a week since my redundancy?

PE> No, it's crap.

RS> You dont KNOW that, there are is fact quite a bit of evidence
RS> of a parasite mentality, standing around with the hand out.

RSt> 'quite a bit of evidence'? Enlighten me, please,

I was talking about HIS earlier mail. You appear to think I was talking
generally. There is also quite a bit of evidence of lots of people being
quite happy to bludge on the dole/welfare for as long as we are silly
enough to keep paying that out too.

RSt> (anecdotal stuff does *not* count).

You can proclaim that if you want Russ, it counts anyway. I happened
to know one particular person who has bludged off the dole for TWENTY
years, has never actually ever worked since he was booted out of school
twenty years ago. He is very proud of the fact that he has only ever
paid $1.25 or something in income tax in his entire life. He aint alone.

There is a wealth of evidence for example of people rocking up
to the Sunshine Coast etc to just live on the dole. Nimbin has also
been notorious for having the vast bulk of the people there bludging
off welfare after having chosen to move there. One of them was even
silly enough to brag about it on 60 Minutes, she reconed she should
be paid double coz she claimed she was looking after the environment.
The Minister for Dole Bludgers promptly went apoplectic with rage.

RSt> Sources appreciated.

The stats on the number on the dole etc are published periodically, it
really is rather interesting to look at the specific places where you
can bludge on the dole in maximum comfort. Or rather obscene actually.

Be interesting to see if the new government rips that feather bed away.

PE> I wonder how many of them acknowledge that the taxes you
PE> paid whilst working go towards paying for your dole now?

RS> Soorree, thats completely bogus. If everyone chooses to just put their
RS> hand out when the inevitable happens, the taxes have to be a LOT higher
RS> than if people make provision for the inevitable times out of work.

RSt> 'inevitable times out of work'?

Thats what I said, jobs for life are long gone now.

RSt> Inevitable = unavoidable.

Yes, so you should make your own provision for those inevitable times
between jobs and not just spend all your money while employed and
expect to be able to stick you hand out for a handout between jobs.

PE> and the dole is there as a safety net,

RS> Yes, but there is a HELL of a difference between a real safety
RS> net and people not bothering to make their own provision for the
RS> inevitable times out of work coz they can just stick their hand out.

RSt> So there IS a safety net to help us when we are "inevitably
RSt> unemployed", but we shouldn't avail ourselves of it?

Yes, you should make your own provision for the inevitable times when
you are between jobs and not spend everything you earn while working.

RSt> They do indeed, and plenty essentially volunteer to live like that.

RSt> 'plenty'. Enlighten me again... please quantify 'plenty'.

You know what the word means. No use trying to pretend it doesnt happen.

PE> On the other hand, there are a lot of non-genuinely-unemployed
PE> on the dole too, and they are simply criminals.

RS> And there are plenty who dont try very hard to find work, like this one.

RSt> How do you *know* Jon doesn't try very hard to find work?

That was rather obvious from his silly comment about '10 applications',
he clearly is just satisfying the bureaucratic requirement to continue
to receive the dole, it aint about counting applications, its about
putting your brain into gear and increasing your employability etc.
@EOT:

---