Being a person who has been at least partially self-employed since I graduated from college, unemployment creates a conundrum for me.  If one of my businesses is not generating enough income, I start brain-storming resolutions and find a way to solve the problem.  However, not everyone in society is necessarily going to be able to turn unemployment into self-employement. 

Very unsurprising -- I read an article today about problems in the public sector regarding employees:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40874710/ns/business-the_new_york_times/

Local goverments, on every level, have been failing to fund pension funds for their employees. 

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And that, THAT, is precisely the point.  COBRA is only a couple percentage points above what the company providing the health insurance ACTUALLY PAYS.  You must have had a pretty decent plan.  To get a comparable plan out in today's market on your own, it will likely cost you AT LEAST the $1900/mo asked for the COBRA payment -- or more -- and that is only if you and all members of your family are in optimum health with no pre-existing conditions (except children, who can't be denied for pre-existing conditions anymore).  

I truly wish it were as simple as abolishing the "Fed" and stopping all inflation.  Unfortunately, in a system that depends on credit that is lent with interest, deflation would be ruinous to many normal folks.  For example, right now, like most home-owners in Phoenix, AZ, we are underwater in our mortgage.  At first, our home more than doubled in value -- and we refinanced, taking out a modest sum (no where near the full value at that time) to build our master bathroom, and put in the front and back yards.  Now, the house has deflated in value to what we originally

There are some people in this world who fault those who are poor because they blame “the poor” for their own poverty.  They start their litany:

<?xml:namespace prefix = o /> They are poor because they

• don’t work hard, are lazy


• didn’t bother getting a good education


• make foolish life decisions


• are stupid


• prefer a handout

The “American Dream” is a social contract.  It is unwritten, but woven into the fabric of American society.  It says that if an individual works hard – including education, trade school, personal study, getting a job, being an entrepreneur, etc. – that individual will have financial success.  Sure, we are not all going to be millionaires, but at the end of the day, there should be money to go on a vacation, to take the kids to the movies, to enjoy a moderately priced bottle of wine.