“The Way I See It” is an attempt by the guest columnist to enlighten readers on a subject, as he views it, and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication. Comments on this article may be addressed to: Dolphin Talk, P.O. Box 777, Port O’Connor, TX 77982; Website: www.TheDolphinTalk.com; Email: dolphin1@tisd.net
How the Obama Administration Is Reducing Unemployment
I had noticed conflicting data on unemployment numbers for some time. The Obama Administration extended unemployment benefits to 99 weeks to avoid a backlash from workers unable to find jobs in a struggling, over-regulated, and fearful economy. To make the Economic numbers look better, the “Unemployment” numbers only include the people currently receiving benefits, not those unemployed people that do not qualify, have exhausted their 99 weeks, or are working at any part-time job while seeking a full-time job. This made it possible for them to claim a 9-10% unemployment rate when it was really 14- 17%. Then as more people exhausted their 99 weeks they were encouraged to apply for Social Security Disability, even if they were healthy.
Investors Business Daily reports that “More workers joined the federal government’s disability program in June than got new jobs, according to two new government reports, a clear indicator of how bleak the nation’s jobs picture is after three full years of economic recovery.” Because of relaxed rules for claiming disability 85,000 workers left the work-force permanently. Also, in just the last month, almost 275,000 put in applications for disability benefits. How many of these workers will ever go back to work even if the economy improves and jobs become available?
We must note that this is a Social Security program, underfunded and going broke already. Where will the money come from to pay these newly “disabled”, from the Social Security funds paid in by soon to be retired workers? This is another Beltway Boondoogle, fudging the numbers to make things look better than they are. Based on data from the Social Security Ad. and Bureau of Labor Statistics the graph at
shows Disability payments have increased by 15% since 2009 while Payrolls have only increased by 2%. This of course means more Federal Debt, for an unfunded corruption of a welfare program (SS Disability) simply to make Obama’s unemployment numbers look better than they really are. Democrat pundits laud the current 8.2% (by their calculations) as somehow “showing how their programs are working”.
They are getting more people on permanent welfare, that will forever vote for more Federal socialism and higher taxes.
Bill Brayshaw AKA Longknife 21
Seadrift
