I was perusing the Washington State Employment Security website a few weeks back and discovered that they have shut off business owners from collecting unemployment insurance unless they full on close their businesses.
I don't disagree with part of the policy move as I know that many (not me) were gaming the system by paying into it and then laying themselves off. It was a government program ripe for abuse. However as I have watched my billable hours disappear in the wind for the past year, I called them to see if I as a business owner had a way to collect from this program that I've paid into at the federal level for the past several years.
The wait time was over an hour and they encourage you to leave a phone number for them to call you back. I left my phone number. That was at least two weeks ago and no response. This was Employment Security, not a hot chick at a bar. My desire to collect money from a government program I have paid into is near ZERO. This includes social security and medicare too. However the government put a gun to my head and took the money with the social contract that when I need the program, it will be there as a safety net. Guess what, there's no net for me as a business owner. My W2 friends who have been out of work tell me the state is also cheaping out on them as well. Apparently the serially unemployed deadbeats who took 99 weeks of vacation since 2008 ahead of them have fleeced the program and now when those who have been fighting it out need it, they are the ones getting treated like deadbeats.
Here's my request. Let me opt the hell out of paying into these programs. I will gladly contractually throw myself off a cliff or have my family put me on an ice flow when I can no longer chew the leather rather than be a burden to society if society will only take the gun away from my head on paying into them from this point forward.
I know that's not going to happen. The programs are bankrupt w/out robbing suckers who never use them. Just don't have the illusion that the government is there to save you when you need it. Government is there for those in government. My hope is that in the 2012 elections, we make that footprint a little smaller and make the footprint of people who take care of themselves a little larger.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Ryan v Biden
I have not watched any TV since the end May. Having left wing rot spewed into my living room several hours a week has ceased being a form of entertainment at this stage of my life. By the end of spring I just found it revolting. Mrs Andy and I have found our lives and marriage to be much richer spending the time talking, playing cards, reading books, working on jigsaw puzzles or just doing crafts.
However I will tune in to watch the VP debates. I predict Ryan will have to pull punches to avoid the appearance of pummeling an 8 year high school senior from the short bus. On second thought, I recommend Biden wear a helmet just in case.
However I will tune in to watch the VP debates. I predict Ryan will have to pull punches to avoid the appearance of pummeling an 8 year high school senior from the short bus. On second thought, I recommend Biden wear a helmet just in case.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Yes, Paul Ryan is the VP pick
The question was, "Does Mitt Romney know what he is doing?"
I personally thought it would have been funner if Mitt had played a game of fetch with the media and leaked all kinds info to send the hacks into snipe hunt mode while constantly making announcements of dates for further announcements. The Ryan announcement does accomplish the intended effect of saying this election is about the economy and the budget. It also happens to get the focus off of Mitt's tax returns and back onto the economy.
Ryan is loaded for bear and bringing him into the fight makes me giddy.
I personally thought it would have been funner if Mitt had played a game of fetch with the media and leaked all kinds info to send the hacks into snipe hunt mode while constantly making announcements of dates for further announcements. The Ryan announcement does accomplish the intended effect of saying this election is about the economy and the budget. It also happens to get the focus off of Mitt's tax returns and back onto the economy.
Ryan is loaded for bear and bringing him into the fight makes me giddy.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
It's not looking good for Mckenna in the general election
Perhaps he should phone John McCain for advice.
Inslee had 47 percent to McKenna's 43 percent. Ouch.
If anyone from the McKenna campaign reads this, we at the Pundit are wondering if you realize how pissed off the Tea Party conservatives are. Our numbers aren't big enough in Washington to put a candidate on the ballot, but we sure as hell can 'not' show up for you on election day.
In an election where conservative enthusiasm is high for the presidental election, McKenna sure screwed himself out of winning any of it.
Liberals already have a candidate who loves gay marriage and Obamacare.
The outgoing Governor who favors these issues has averaged less than a 30% approval rating which means 70% of voters are willing to take a new direction with a strong leader. Rob McKenna did not give voters that choice.
Inslee had 47 percent to McKenna's 43 percent. Ouch.
If anyone from the McKenna campaign reads this, we at the Pundit are wondering if you realize how pissed off the Tea Party conservatives are. Our numbers aren't big enough in Washington to put a candidate on the ballot, but we sure as hell can 'not' show up for you on election day.
In an election where conservative enthusiasm is high for the presidental election, McKenna sure screwed himself out of winning any of it.
Liberals already have a candidate who loves gay marriage and Obamacare.
The outgoing Governor who favors these issues has averaged less than a 30% approval rating which means 70% of voters are willing to take a new direction with a strong leader. Rob McKenna did not give voters that choice.
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Honor dissent, even jerks behaving legally
I'm jacking this post and video from Legal Insurrection.
On this blog and in other online spaces, I let the flame thrower rip. Yes I have a little bit of concern that someone I know in a professional capacity who disagrees with my position will act against me in a professional space (I've seen leftists at work do this before), but I take that chance. This is my private opinion and I do it in my own time.
In my professional capacity, I keep my pie hole shut about politics, religion and other things that shouldn't be discussed in polite company. When a leftest boor insists on piping their vitriol in the professional space I try to change the subject or otherwise stem it, even though I'm loaded for bear on the topic.
When employers start firing people for their private political beliefs expressed in their own time and not at their clients, our country has edged into some seriously scary waters. That trend is as bad as government officials bullying Chick-Fil-A over the owners private beliefs. It's even worse if an employer is trolling into one's personal life and assessing whether or not they agree with that persons politics. It's a climate of fear and while the left has brought this upon us, it's in all of our best interest to stem it. That is one of the reasons the backlash buycott for Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday was so large.
Even though the jerk below is a jerk, he should not be fired from his day job (unless the video was made or posted on company time). Else society has missed the point and learned nothing? Also, I have worked with jerks like this in the past and I value their contributions in the workplace (when they can keep their politics to themselves) if for nothing else than to destroy any notion of group think.
When a bunch of people in the work place all think the same, most of them are redundant.
On this blog and in other online spaces, I let the flame thrower rip. Yes I have a little bit of concern that someone I know in a professional capacity who disagrees with my position will act against me in a professional space (I've seen leftists at work do this before), but I take that chance. This is my private opinion and I do it in my own time.
In my professional capacity, I keep my pie hole shut about politics, religion and other things that shouldn't be discussed in polite company. When a leftest boor insists on piping their vitriol in the professional space I try to change the subject or otherwise stem it, even though I'm loaded for bear on the topic.
When employers start firing people for their private political beliefs expressed in their own time and not at their clients, our country has edged into some seriously scary waters. That trend is as bad as government officials bullying Chick-Fil-A over the owners private beliefs. It's even worse if an employer is trolling into one's personal life and assessing whether or not they agree with that persons politics. It's a climate of fear and while the left has brought this upon us, it's in all of our best interest to stem it. That is one of the reasons the backlash buycott for Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday was so large.
Even though the jerk below is a jerk, he should not be fired from his day job (unless the video was made or posted on company time). Else society has missed the point and learned nothing? Also, I have worked with jerks like this in the past and I value their contributions in the workplace (when they can keep their politics to themselves) if for nothing else than to destroy any notion of group think.
When a bunch of people in the work place all think the same, most of them are redundant.
Lesson: Don't get in the ambulance
I was in a serious car accident once (not my fault), but was ok thanks to my seat belt and the invincibility that blesses 23 year old college kids.
When I got out of my car, my first thought was, "damn this is going to be expensive." This was before I realized it was someone else was at fault. I proceeded to go around the accident scene and assist in making sure other drivers weren't at risk. When I returned to where my car was sitting I found the fire department looking in a nearby field for my carcass. The entire top half of my car was smashed within inches of my head.
They insisted I get in the medic car/ambulance and go to the hospital. My verbal answer was "no thanks, I feel ok, if I feel woozy later I'll get someone to drive me in." My internal answer was, HELL NO, this is going to cost some serious money. Although in the end, my trip would have been covered by someone else's insurance, I didn't know that at the time and behaved as if I was going to get stuck with the bill.
Apparently a life guard just south of us didn't have that same voice of reason.
When I got out of my car, my first thought was, "damn this is going to be expensive." This was before I realized it was someone else was at fault. I proceeded to go around the accident scene and assist in making sure other drivers weren't at risk. When I returned to where my car was sitting I found the fire department looking in a nearby field for my carcass. The entire top half of my car was smashed within inches of my head.
They insisted I get in the medic car/ambulance and go to the hospital. My verbal answer was "no thanks, I feel ok, if I feel woozy later I'll get someone to drive me in." My internal answer was, HELL NO, this is going to cost some serious money. Although in the end, my trip would have been covered by someone else's insurance, I didn't know that at the time and behaved as if I was going to get stuck with the bill.
Apparently a life guard just south of us didn't have that same voice of reason.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Buycotts and Boycotts
I agree entirely with gays and leftists who refuse to eat @ Chick Fil A because of the owners views on gay marriage. I don't subscribe to their views on gay marriage, but I do believe in voting with your dollars. That approach mirrors my own stance on not shopping at Men's Warehouse.
Why should anyone award their patronage to business owners who privately seek to curb what you see as basic liberty?
I doubt me buying my attire elsewhere will bring down Men's Warehouse. I'm pretty sure Chick Fil A will be just fine w/out the support of gays and hard core leftists.
While we will likely always disagree on which businesses deserve our patronage, I hope we will always agree that the government has no place in making that decision for us. I am very proud of what I saw in the United States today with customers voting very loudly with their feet.
Why should anyone award their patronage to business owners who privately seek to curb what you see as basic liberty?
I doubt me buying my attire elsewhere will bring down Men's Warehouse. I'm pretty sure Chick Fil A will be just fine w/out the support of gays and hard core leftists.
While we will likely always disagree on which businesses deserve our patronage, I hope we will always agree that the government has no place in making that decision for us. I am very proud of what I saw in the United States today with customers voting very loudly with their feet.
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