[vbmoneyspender]

Here is an example of what I am talking about from Instapundit.

Reader Isaac Vavra emails: “I’m a 20 year old who works at a McDonalds and saved up enough money this year to travel throughout South America. I met a kid in San Jose, Costa Rica: He is in his 20′s, he got laid off from his job with Medicare, and is now living down here in Costa Rica. He says he has enough to stay for five years. He is collecting unemployment and just withdraws the money in Costa Rica.”

I don't know what you call collecting unemployment benefits in Costa Rica - but I call that being a deadbeat.

[flamberge]

Holding snarky attitudes towards those collecting unemployment payments does not make your job any safer. It may distract you from other matters that require your attention - that is the danger of the attitude.

Unemployment benefits are insurance payouts (at least for the first 26 weeks) which are ultimately paid for by workers - in the form of lower wages.

I have no problem with someone collecting their paid-for benefits, and moving somewhere else where the cost of living is cheaper. In fact many of the State UI systems encourage recipients to move out-of-state "where the jobs are". Presumably they become somebody else's problem.

I can match your story of a feckless 20-something with stories of over two dozen "40-somethings" who are still trying to support their families on what is left of their savings. A (very)few of them have managed to find jobs, and the UI payments are what allowed them to stretch out their savings long enough to do so.

The UI system is effective at keeping formerly middle-class workers away from destitution for long enough to find some kind of job.

If you are looking for something to cut, try the Ethanol subsidies and the "mandate" to include 10% ethanol at the pump. Lower fuel costs would help almost everybody and some business might even pick up enough to start hiring again.