In order to draw unemployment, they determine your income and average in some way. It appears the more you make, the less the benefit amount. That's me making an assumption. I haven't asked the question of an authority.
What's for sure is that unemployment benefits are taxable both by the state and federal governments. The government giveth and the government taketh away. Some of the giveth anyway.
If you get part time or temp work, you must report what you were paid. So you deduct off your unemployment check the gross weekly employment payment. So it's better for us not to work while drawing unemployment benefits? Not entirely. Work is therapeutic when you are unemployed. It's best to stay in the workforce simply because it looks better on your resume. A prospective employer can't tell the difference between lazy, and chronically unemployed. The can't tell the difference between lazy, and selective about who you work for and what you do.
Given the above, there is no financial analysis about whether you make more money on unemployment benefits or working part time. Its what you would look like to a prospective employer.
Take it from one who knows.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Government ? Size gets in the way
One of the great reliefs as well as burdens of life is unemployment. You get a rest from the daily grind of the work world. You also get a sabbatical from the paycheck.
In the world of work, part of your paycheck is a deduction for unemployment funds. Plural because their are both state and federal funds. We pay in to these funds on speculation. They are used "if" we need it.
Stay employed for 40 or so years, then find out you need it. In the intervening your amount paid in builds and builds. So far, nothing innocuous. All funds are governed by rules to prevent fraud and abuse. However, bureaucracies are self perpetuating. They absorb people from the private workforce in to the protected field of government service. Smart people become drones. This is only a small percentage the total workforce.
It's not these employees that make the rules but politicians who may have no experience in the area they seek to regulate.
Case in point. The Oklahoma version of an unemployment fund says that you must be available for work in normal work hours. Seems logical. Except if you take a class in the daytime, you are not "available" for work. You get your unemployment benefits terminated or suspended. That would be a class that can upgrade your skills to get a job.
Case 2. If you find part time work, you must report those earnings. They will then be deducted from your benefits. Still fine. But wait, there's more. YOU must report those earnings in the week you worked, not week you are paid. What's deducted from UE benefits is the gross pay, not net of taxes. So if you're a good (sensible) boy or girl and pay the feral and state taxes in advance you are screwed, blued. and tattooed (to coin a phrase). Not to mention the fact that more is deducted from you UE benefits than that which you actually received.
This rant was brought to you by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. What's secure about this? How does this help the un-EMPLOYED? To my way of thinking, it doesn't. But we elect the boobs that cause this. What are you doing to do about it?
In the world of work, part of your paycheck is a deduction for unemployment funds. Plural because their are both state and federal funds. We pay in to these funds on speculation. They are used "if" we need it.
Stay employed for 40 or so years, then find out you need it. In the intervening your amount paid in builds and builds. So far, nothing innocuous. All funds are governed by rules to prevent fraud and abuse. However, bureaucracies are self perpetuating. They absorb people from the private workforce in to the protected field of government service. Smart people become drones. This is only a small percentage the total workforce.
It's not these employees that make the rules but politicians who may have no experience in the area they seek to regulate.
Case in point. The Oklahoma version of an unemployment fund says that you must be available for work in normal work hours. Seems logical. Except if you take a class in the daytime, you are not "available" for work. You get your unemployment benefits terminated or suspended. That would be a class that can upgrade your skills to get a job.
Case 2. If you find part time work, you must report those earnings. They will then be deducted from your benefits. Still fine. But wait, there's more. YOU must report those earnings in the week you worked, not week you are paid. What's deducted from UE benefits is the gross pay, not net of taxes. So if you're a good (sensible) boy or girl and pay the feral and state taxes in advance you are screwed, blued. and tattooed (to coin a phrase). Not to mention the fact that more is deducted from you UE benefits than that which you actually received.
This rant was brought to you by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. What's secure about this? How does this help the un-EMPLOYED? To my way of thinking, it doesn't. But we elect the boobs that cause this. What are you doing to do about it?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Here's to the Hero - Bull Feathers
Jet Blue is not known as a top tier airline. Neither is Steven Slater a top tier employee with a service attitude..
Slater is the flight attendant who went off on a truculent passenger a few days ago. After a profantiy laced tirade inside the Jet Blue airliner, he went for a beer in the planes refreshment center, then engaged the escape slide and went down to temporary freedom. Slater was eventually caught and charged with multiple crimes. His bail was set at a whopping $2,500.
Slater's trigger point was a passenger who got up before the plane had "docked" at the departure ramp and come to a complete halt. The passenger accessed the overhead luggage bin and Slater tried to stop her until the plane had come to a stop. Such is the regulation set by government aviation authorites. Slater, a service employee as are all flight attendants, tried to stop the activity and get the passenger seated. She refused and the argument ensued.
Slater has received adulation on facebook, had a defense fund offered to defray the huge $2,500 bail. What else would you expect for the crime of grand theft beer can and creating America's first dry water slide. The slide likely will cost ten's of thousand of dollers to replace and re-install, which elevates the dollar amount of the crime.
Why the adulation for Slater? He is a service employee who lost his cool during working hours. What happens to cops that do this? Fired. What happens to office workers who berate or assault their peers? Bounced out the top window of the executive suite. Slater is the same.
To say he is a hero is to demean and diminish the designation "hero". Go to you tube and search on the song "Hears to the Heros", the military tribute. Can you listen to that song, see the video and look at Slater the same way? We tend elevate the common, everyday man or woman when he or she struggles against the daily challenges of life and emerge victorious. Does Slater fit any of the above? Not really.
Does he deserve the notoriety he is receiving? That is more a function of society's fascination with the reach of the internet, rather than the substance of what that reach can provide. The great inconsistecy in this is the wide publication of the event compared to the punishment the law requires. Why is a guy who blows up at a passenger he could have handled less angrily, then helps himself to a cold alchoholic beverage on the way out a door intended to be an enerfency exit, so widely known?
We have met the enemy and he is us (Pogo comic strip). We crave information no matter how insignificant, just so we know it. It's a human circus.
Slater is the flight attendant who went off on a truculent passenger a few days ago. After a profantiy laced tirade inside the Jet Blue airliner, he went for a beer in the planes refreshment center, then engaged the escape slide and went down to temporary freedom. Slater was eventually caught and charged with multiple crimes. His bail was set at a whopping $2,500.
Slater's trigger point was a passenger who got up before the plane had "docked" at the departure ramp and come to a complete halt. The passenger accessed the overhead luggage bin and Slater tried to stop her until the plane had come to a stop. Such is the regulation set by government aviation authorites. Slater, a service employee as are all flight attendants, tried to stop the activity and get the passenger seated. She refused and the argument ensued.
Slater has received adulation on facebook, had a defense fund offered to defray the huge $2,500 bail. What else would you expect for the crime of grand theft beer can and creating America's first dry water slide. The slide likely will cost ten's of thousand of dollers to replace and re-install, which elevates the dollar amount of the crime.
Why the adulation for Slater? He is a service employee who lost his cool during working hours. What happens to cops that do this? Fired. What happens to office workers who berate or assault their peers? Bounced out the top window of the executive suite. Slater is the same.
To say he is a hero is to demean and diminish the designation "hero". Go to you tube and search on the song "Hears to the Heros", the military tribute. Can you listen to that song, see the video and look at Slater the same way? We tend elevate the common, everyday man or woman when he or she struggles against the daily challenges of life and emerge victorious. Does Slater fit any of the above? Not really.
Does he deserve the notoriety he is receiving? That is more a function of society's fascination with the reach of the internet, rather than the substance of what that reach can provide. The great inconsistecy in this is the wide publication of the event compared to the punishment the law requires. Why is a guy who blows up at a passenger he could have handled less angrily, then helps himself to a cold alchoholic beverage on the way out a door intended to be an enerfency exit, so widely known?
We have met the enemy and he is us (Pogo comic strip). We crave information no matter how insignificant, just so we know it. It's a human circus.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Is a "boo" bushleague?
President O'bama sent a video instead of himself to the Boy Scout Jamboree last week. What the !@#$%#@!#$%%^. Why?
It has been a tradition for sitting Presidents to attend this national event for one of the finest organizations in the country, nay the world. Baden Powell, the Boy Scouts founder, was a native of Great Britain. This is one of the few organizations that champions family values FOR KIDS. The designation "Eagle Scout" a journey that takes dedication over an child's adolsecent years. Exactly the time of life when trouble usually starts for some kids.
They always recognize Watch any City Council meeting on T-Gov. They always recognize Boy Scouts in attendance that are working on the citizenship in the community merit badge. Gee, wonder what that requires. The kids working on this badge may be the next waivew of Mayors, City Councilors, or higher.
The trip for the President would have taken less than a day. But Barak the buddy of the under utilized chose to attend "the view". That tiltle is in lower case on purpose. Instead, the president sent a video. He apparently is not afraid to speak and bask in the blather of four entertainers(?) sans teleprompter.
Baden Powell lived in 19th century England. Way back then, he saw a need for an orgainzation that promoted virtues that would strengthen families. That goal survives to this day. All the President (resident with an extra letter) was delay the appearance on the view for a couple of days or at best a week. Give the Boy Scouts a life long memory instead of a something fit for a DVD.
Booing a video when they should have had a human being isn't all that bad.
It has been a tradition for sitting Presidents to attend this national event for one of the finest organizations in the country, nay the world. Baden Powell, the Boy Scouts founder, was a native of Great Britain. This is one of the few organizations that champions family values FOR KIDS. The designation "Eagle Scout" a journey that takes dedication over an child's adolsecent years. Exactly the time of life when trouble usually starts for some kids.
They always recognize Watch any City Council meeting on T-Gov. They always recognize Boy Scouts in attendance that are working on the citizenship in the community merit badge. Gee, wonder what that requires. The kids working on this badge may be the next waivew of Mayors, City Councilors, or higher.
The trip for the President would have taken less than a day. But Barak the buddy of the under utilized chose to attend "the view". That tiltle is in lower case on purpose. Instead, the president sent a video. He apparently is not afraid to speak and bask in the blather of four entertainers(?) sans teleprompter.
Baden Powell lived in 19th century England. Way back then, he saw a need for an orgainzation that promoted virtues that would strengthen families. That goal survives to this day. All the President (resident with an extra letter) was delay the appearance on the view for a couple of days or at best a week. Give the Boy Scouts a life long memory instead of a something fit for a DVD.
Booing a video when they should have had a human being isn't all that bad.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Mia trashie
In my last installment, I referred to La'affaire de garbage as having been started purposely by city employees. Therefore (either expressed or implied) giving the impression that the raging smell was generated by the city.
That turned out to be wrong. Further litening revealed that it was a lightning strike.
Therefore, the fire/odor was caused by an act of God. Thus, the trash was not covered by caualty insurance. The pile may have totalled. At the very least, the city will have to rebuild it at its own expense.
That turned out to be wrong. Further litening revealed that it was a lightning strike.
Therefore, the fire/odor was caused by an act of God. Thus, the trash was not covered by caualty insurance. The pile may have totalled. At the very least, the city will have to rebuild it at its own expense.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
General thoughts (not random because my mind is so organized)
Tulsa's air quality took a monumental dive this morning. The city of Tulsa decided to burn the recycling we have all (about 50? of us) worked hard to put out on two Wednesday's a month. That's plastic folks. Plastic, isn't that one of the things environmentalists said was dangerous? That's why we recycle, to save the environment. Setting it on fire just puts the offending material in a different part of the environment.
The smell is extremely noticeable. I awoke this morning and had a frightening thought. Sometime in the night, someone (Mayor Bartlett's press secretary?), packed up the entire city and moved it to Cleveland, Ohio. That region was an industrial leader years ago (the 70's and before). Unfortunately, it also had the Cuyahoga River. That's the river that caught on fire. The floating chemical slick he had enter lighter than water. Rumor has it a passing fisherman created a spark when he tried to restart his outboard. The fire burned out eventually for lack of fuel. Anyone know a guy would be fishing in spot that smelled of industrial waste?
Mayor Bartlett has hired a press secretary. Lets see, we have already laid off police and are arguing about how they are going to come back. The firemen took a pay cut that needs to be restored. Seems a little suspicious. Is the Mayor hiring someone to go to the council meetings he(can't?/does not want to) attend, so that hear what the council is saying? That's what we have TGOV for. Is he clearing the board so he can paricipate more in the city's economic development effort? That would be appreciated by all of us that are out of work. Seems the Mayor might be trying to get the conflict with city council resolved. That's was what the mediators (two former judges) were supposed handle? Right?
City officials sell "quality of life" constantly. What do you say about a city who burns plastic overnight while they are supposed to be recycling it, creating a bigger stink than the elected officials. And a mayor who slashes the budget, including some from his own staff, then hires another body to speak for him. Surely not a Cleveland Ohio wannabe. Remeber. that city once called the "Mistake on the Lake" and was led by the ever (fill in you own blank) Dennis Kucinich (sp).
This will give you a bigger headache than Lebron James and Brett Favre.
The smell is extremely noticeable. I awoke this morning and had a frightening thought. Sometime in the night, someone (Mayor Bartlett's press secretary?), packed up the entire city and moved it to Cleveland, Ohio. That region was an industrial leader years ago (the 70's and before). Unfortunately, it also had the Cuyahoga River. That's the river that caught on fire. The floating chemical slick he had enter lighter than water. Rumor has it a passing fisherman created a spark when he tried to restart his outboard. The fire burned out eventually for lack of fuel. Anyone know a guy would be fishing in spot that smelled of industrial waste?
Mayor Bartlett has hired a press secretary. Lets see, we have already laid off police and are arguing about how they are going to come back. The firemen took a pay cut that needs to be restored. Seems a little suspicious. Is the Mayor hiring someone to go to the council meetings he(can't?/does not want to) attend, so that hear what the council is saying? That's what we have TGOV for. Is he clearing the board so he can paricipate more in the city's economic development effort? That would be appreciated by all of us that are out of work. Seems the Mayor might be trying to get the conflict with city council resolved. That's was what the mediators (two former judges) were supposed handle? Right?
City officials sell "quality of life" constantly. What do you say about a city who burns plastic overnight while they are supposed to be recycling it, creating a bigger stink than the elected officials. And a mayor who slashes the budget, including some from his own staff, then hires another body to speak for him. Surely not a Cleveland Ohio wannabe. Remeber. that city once called the "Mistake on the Lake" and was led by the ever (fill in you own blank) Dennis Kucinich (sp).
This will give you a bigger headache than Lebron James and Brett Favre.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Shocking the Shock Back to Life
The Tulsa Shock has moved here from Detroit. The forerunner of Tulsa's franchise won three WNBA titles. Tulsa got the Detroit team name, a lease at the BOK Center, no players, and Nolan Richardson for its coach. The team is suffering through a rough first season, which is natural for a first year team.
Richardson is a huge asset. The players are in the process of learning a system foreign to most women's teams, and making progress. The BOK Center is at least as good as any in the league. The team in process is being built one player at a time starting with the league draft March.
The current record (5-22) is expected of an expansion franchise. Heck, the Cleveland Cavaliers were not so affectionately named the the Cadavers by local media in its infant days. One Cadaver game had to be canceled because the first home arena had a leak in the roof that dropped water on the court (first rainout in NBA history?). The BOK Center is a quantom improvement over Cleveland's ancient woodframed Public Hall.
The Shock had an opening game attendance of 7,806. Subsequent games have been between 3,300 and 5,000, meaning blue seats showing in the lower level of the BOK.
The success if this infant franchise should be judged on the level of improvement in the first year, not the record. The placement of the BOK center brings with it parking issues (especially at night), driving distance for fans, and maybe the burden of relatively high rent. The team might be better placed at TU's Reynolds Center or the UMAC in south Tulsa. Both relatively new facilities and presumably lower rent.
The Shock has attracted one huge asset in Nolan Richardson. Name recognition and reputation. The coaches brand of basketball is exciting and he will get his cuurent players acclimated to it, and he will bring new players that will also succeed in his system.
To prosper the Shock has to move its home floor. Even if the rent at BOK is lower than other residents, they still need to have a cheaper arena so they can pay whatever salaries are required to attract top players and other operating costs.
In the end, as always, its the botton line, spelled money. Nolan Richarson should get what he has earned and deserves. Another run to achampionship and national recognition. And the publicity for Tulsa wouldn't hurt either.
Richardson is a huge asset. The players are in the process of learning a system foreign to most women's teams, and making progress. The BOK Center is at least as good as any in the league. The team in process is being built one player at a time starting with the league draft March.
The current record (5-22) is expected of an expansion franchise. Heck, the Cleveland Cavaliers were not so affectionately named the the Cadavers by local media in its infant days. One Cadaver game had to be canceled because the first home arena had a leak in the roof that dropped water on the court (first rainout in NBA history?). The BOK Center is a quantom improvement over Cleveland's ancient woodframed Public Hall.
The Shock had an opening game attendance of 7,806. Subsequent games have been between 3,300 and 5,000, meaning blue seats showing in the lower level of the BOK.
The success if this infant franchise should be judged on the level of improvement in the first year, not the record. The placement of the BOK center brings with it parking issues (especially at night), driving distance for fans, and maybe the burden of relatively high rent. The team might be better placed at TU's Reynolds Center or the UMAC in south Tulsa. Both relatively new facilities and presumably lower rent.
The Shock has attracted one huge asset in Nolan Richardson. Name recognition and reputation. The coaches brand of basketball is exciting and he will get his cuurent players acclimated to it, and he will bring new players that will also succeed in his system.
To prosper the Shock has to move its home floor. Even if the rent at BOK is lower than other residents, they still need to have a cheaper arena so they can pay whatever salaries are required to attract top players and other operating costs.
In the end, as always, its the botton line, spelled money. Nolan Richarson should get what he has earned and deserves. Another run to achampionship and national recognition. And the publicity for Tulsa wouldn't hurt either.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)