ml> in the same breath, do not believe those stats about X% are unemployed
 ml> because they are always short... i've been unemployed numerous times
 ml> for several years in some cases and have never gone down and been
 ml> added to the statistics so i know for a fact that they are always at
 ml> least one entity short... welfare helps those who are willing to go
 ml> that route but there are many others who do not and will not "go
 ml> there" for their own reasons...

 BA> But you did not and most do not make welfare their lifetime career.

how do you know that i haven't? i've never spoken of such but still ;)

 BA> Some do. I've been unemployed, and have drawn unemployment (I'm not
 BA> eligible for welfare due to my military retirement annuity).  

i don't believe i've ever drawn unemployment even in those times when i was
qualified for it... i did draw foodstamp at one time due to a medical
problem, though... and the only real reason i went for the foodstamps was
because family members pointed out to me that i had been paying into the
system all these years so that if and when i did need the services, i
wouldn't be "leeching"...

FWIW: i don't understand everyone else whining about folk using the
services that they have paid into for so long and never will use... are
they simply throwing their money aside? have they no charity in their
bones? some of these folk are "religious" to a point and yet they
complain when others can and do utilize the services afforded them...
certainly they don't complain about their pastor and their family who live
off of the churches they minister to...

 BA> At the moment I've been unemployed for just shy of two years,

i'm at three years now...

 BA> fortunately I'm eligible for and draw Social Security to pay
 BA> the bills (that aforementioned annuity makes the house and
 BA> insurance payments) - so I can say I'm retired. although not by my
 BA> choice.

i don't qualify for anything, really... never had any kind of health
insurance, either... always seemed to work for the small mom'n'pop
companies and there never really was any type of benefits of any kind...
decent pay for the most part but that didn't ever really go far enough and
none of it helps now...

)\/(ark