Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist
... Is that what the government determined was the minimum livable wage?
Absolutely not.
I feel that the $600 a week was the simplest way to help tens of millions of people. How long would it take to verify the last year of pay and financial needs for 50,000,000 people?
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Actually, they came out and said that.
Unemployment + $600 was a number that enough Congresscritters felt was the minimum for people they had to pretend they cared about, and firing the same amount at everyone is not only easier to do, it's easier to defend: if no one paid into that insurance pot, no one has a claim on a bigger payout than anyone else. And contractors/self employed/gig economy types haven't been paying into any regular unemployment pot at all, but now they're getting something to help out during an emergency they had no part in creating. The states don't have the money to take care of everyone, so Washington might as well borrow/print it. It might even help.
The guy I laid off last week barely grossed $600 a week, so he'll be getting a raise once Washington's money kicks in. I'm happy for him, it'll be a long time before I need him back.