I never thought I’d have such a conservative opinion, but here I am, just about to turn 50, and now I have one.
There have been recent headlines in our local gazettes regarding unemployment fraud that only focus on fraudulent withdrawals and overlooks fraudulent applications.
Every time I see an Uber driver or food delivery person, I can’t help but think of the millions of people drawing unemployment who own cars or bicycles. Each one of these beneficiaries have no excuse to not gross $200 a day making deliveries in their cars.
I personally do so and hold a four-year degree, an advanced certification in the legal profession, and am a military veteran who works hard to reject any vestigial sense of white privilege. There was a time when being “on the dole” was a source of shame instead of a type of “hustle.” I can only surmise that this situation is one of many reasons why our country is in shambles. Lastly, fraudulently applying for unemployment is a criminal offense.
Shanti Harris
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Dec 24, 2020 – Jan 3, 2021.
About “welfare fraud,” as it is often referred to in the lawbooks.
No one who is employed should be forced to apply for unemployment and welfare to make ends meet, but that’s what happens in a country where everything but wages go up!
If there wasn’t such violent opposition by conservatives against raising the minimum wage to cover the raising cost of living, we wouldn’t have so many employed people on the dole, now would we!
Shanti Harris seems to long for a time when “being on the dole was a source of shame.” If so maybe most of the shame should be on the members of the GOP that insist on tax breaks for billionaires and subsidies for oil companies! Leave the little people who are just trying to pay rent and feed their families alone!
Shanti, While it’s super great that you can use your car to make deliveries for people, please keep in mind that not everyone with a car is capable of this nor should they be forced to take a job they are not suited for just to put your mind at ease that they are not collecting unemployment. The government put millions of dollars in the pockets of billionaires during this pandemic, where is your distaste for THAT fact? Also, as I’m sure you know because you are doing one of these jobs, these gig jobs often only allow a certain number of contractors in an area. For instance, I applied to be an Instacart driver, but I was put on the waiting list (nine months ago). Oh, and by the way, applying for unemployment because a person can’t or won’t work a gig job, does not make a claim “fraudulent”.
I’m retired now, but during my working career I paid taxes into the unemployment system for 33 years and never collected any myself. But I am glad that my money went to help someone who needed it.
What I am NOT glad about is my tax dollars going to bail out big corporations who continued to pay dividends to their shareholders even as they laid off employees. That is the REAL unemployment fraud.
I don’t normally get involved in this sort of thing, believing as I do that everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to it. I am doing so only because of what I consider a glaring miscalculation by Shanti Harris.
The “Making deliveries in their cars” pie is only so large. The need for this service doesn’t get larger if there were more people available to make these deliveries. Instead, that $200 a day gross that Ms Harris makes would only shrink with each new addition into the marketplace.
I am not a fan of handouts, but I would suggest to you that in these most challenging of times, wouldn’t we all be better served to offer a helping hand when and where we can, and be a little kinder, and gentler with our fellow man…