annual interruptus

Jeez, Jay, if I had your face, I'd shave my ass and walk backwards.

{;-)

You forgot the part about learning to walk on my hands...

;-)

On a more serious note, some of the part time faculty at the college feel
the same way about applying for unemployment over the summer break. The
other side of that coin says that if the college paid the premiums for
unemployment insurance directly to the faculty, or offered the faculty a
full year contract, or loaded up the schedule so that everybody could teach
in the summer, then there wouldn't be the need for those $$ to fill a three
month gap of no income. Hell, after 30 years at this gig I've got a $25K
credit in my "account" with the State of Californicate that I'll never see.
When I quit, it gets dumped into the general fund, lost and gone forever.

One point: You have no "account", and there are far more people
sucking from the teat than are carressing it.

Another point: Your employer has no choice but to pay into it -- they
cannot, by law, give it to you instead. But you know that.

/rant mode on/

In Iowa, unemployment compensation is a blending of two easily-
corrupted groups -- the bureacrats who run the system, and the
recipients of the money. Because of the way "Unemployment" is set
up, these two groups -- which, in the interest of "checks and
balances", should have as semi-adversarial role -- instead work
together hand-in-glove to fleece the system.

Bureacrats love new benefit recipients -- it keeps them busy, and
diverts our elected officials' attention elsewhere when they're
looking for places to cut the budget. More unemployment paid out
justifies their existence, and provides an incentive to build their
department -- two very compelling reasons for them to approve
benefits.

Recipients, of course, are more than happy to take the benefits.
While I might admit, on a good day, that many recipients of
"unemployment" are in need of the money, there are a signficant number
of dastardly and nefarious scumbags who will always try to scam the
system. Those people, combined with the bureaucrats, make for a
system that is full of fluff and waste.

Hapless employers are forced to pay into this corrupt system, and have
virtually no input or control over where the money is spent. In our
10 years in business in Iowa, we have had precisely one (1) employee
claim unemployment compensation. The claim was completely bogus, I
was able to document it six ways to China, but, in the end, it didn't
matter -- the guy (then living in a beach house in Florida) was able
to get paid for six months of sitting on his butt.

Now you might say "Good for him" -- except that because of this, my
overall unemployment insurance rate (or "Workforce Development" rate,
as the State of Iowa sickeningly coins it) went up 400%, and has
stayed at that higher rate for five years.

That extra money -- and we're talking many thousands of dollars -- was
money that could have been used for any number of productive things,
from remodeling the hotel, to giving my night manager a raise.
Instead, it was sucked into the never-satisfied maw of Gummint, never
to be seen again.

Don't talk to me about EVER accepting government welfare money. The
waste and fraud in our government, from Federal to State to Local,
sickens me, and I would rather accept money from organized crime.

/rant mode off/
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

One point: You have no "account",

Yes I do, Jay, and for the times during the year when my teaching contract
has run out and I have absolutely no assurance that it will be renegotiated
for the coming semester (like during summer and winter breaks) I have an
account with a known number of dollars in it that is printed on the
unemployment forms that I get every semester. Right now it stands somewere
in the vicinity of $25 grand. That account is debited for every dollar I
draw from it, and when it goes to zero so does my unemployment check.


and there are far more people
sucking from the teat than are carressing it.

That would be caressing, but let's not suck the tits from nits. I don't get
your point.



Another point: Your employer has no choice but to pay into it -- they
cannot, by law, give it to you instead. But you know that.

SUUURRRRE THEY CAN. You have heard of the initiative and referendum
process, yes? Or is Iowa not yet on board with these 19th century
innovations for power to the people?


/rant mode on/

In Iowa, unemployment compensation is a blending of two easily-
corrupted groups

/rant^2 mode on/

Ya know, Jay, you seem to have this "poor helpless little me" syndrome that
just drives me buggy. The people on your city council, on your state
legislature, and on your state senate put their clothes on one piece at a
time, just like you and I. You think they were BORN to the office? A lot
of them are poor dirt farmers that had the intestinal fortitude (with a
capital G) to stand up and say, "to hell with this system." And then do
something about it.

You keep saying how much money is required to run for office. I agree; it
is one of the warts on our political system. However, if somebody runs, and
if their message rings true with enough of the local factions, the money
will flow. It is amazing ... just like sticking a pipe into a wall and
turning on the spigot and watching the water flow. But you have to resonate
with the people and organizations.

But ya gotta do it. And you need to dedicate the time to do it. Or let
Mary run. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat.


Hapless employers are forced to pay into this corrupt system, and have
virtually no input or control over where the money is spent. In our
10 years in business in Iowa, we have had precisely one (1) employee
claim unemployment compensation. The claim was completely bogus, I
was able to document it six ways to China, but, in the end, it didn't
matter -- the guy (then living in a beach house in Florida) was able
to get paid for six months of sitting on his butt.

And did you appeal it, as is your right (at least in Californicate) or did
you let that ****ant little "administrative law judge" at the first hearing
be the deciding judge? Those idiots are not really skilled in UI law; they
are picked from a group of attorneys who hope someday to land the plush job
of "real" judge.


Don't talk to me about EVER accepting government welfare money. The
waste and fraud in our government, from Federal to State to Local,
sickens me, and I would rather accept money from organized crime.

I'll talk to Bugsy, and if he okays the vigorish arrangement you can have as
much as you want. Just watch out for your kneecaps {;-)

/rant^2 mode off/

Jim



/rant mode off/
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Yes I do, Jay, and for the times during the year when my teaching contract
has run out and I have absolutely no assurance that it will be renegotiated
for the coming semester (like during summer and winter breaks) I have an
account with a known number of dollars in it that is printed on the
unemployment forms that I get every semester. Right now it stands somewere
in the vicinity of $25 grand. That account is debited for every dollar I
draw from it, and when it goes to zero so does my unemployment check.

That's a fascinating system that does not exist in either of the
states I've owned businesses in. I like it -- although, of course,
it's all smoke and mirrors, no different than our "Social Security"
system that is neither "social", "secure", or much of a "system".

SUUURRRRE THEY CAN. You have heard of the initiative and referendum
process, yes? Or is Iowa not yet on board with these 19th century
innovations for power to the people?

Bwahahahahahahahahahhaha!

A pro-business referendum? Here? Get real. The last election of a
pro-business candidate in Johnson County occurred before I was born --
and I'm gonna be 49 this year, with luck.

You keep saying how much money is required to run for office. I agree; it
is one of the warts on our political system.

Actually, I've never commented on the cost of running for office. You
must have me confused with some other crazy innkeeper... ;-)

However, if somebody runs, and
if their message rings true with enough of the local factions, the money
will flow.

And there you have it. The politicians have done such a wonderful job
of bribing us with our own money that there is NO WAY anyone would
vote to limit taxes in support of "Workforce Development". Hell, even
the NAME of the department has been changed (from "Unemployment") to
make it politically unlikely to cut. After all, who could POSSIBLY
cut anything called "workforce development"?

But ya gotta do it. And you need to dedicate the time to do it. Or let
Mary run. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat.

Now there is an idea. Hell, she wastes a good 49 hours every week
sleeping -- I'll get her on it right away...

And did you appeal it, as is your right (at least in Californicate) or did
you let that ****ant little "administrative law judge" at the first hearing
be the deciding judge? Those idiots are not really skilled in UI law; they
are picked from a group of attorneys who hope someday to land the plush job
of "real" judge.

I appealed it as high as it could go. It made no difference. I had
every fact in my favor, people willing to testify against the guy --
and it did not matter.

I'll talk to Bugsy, and if he okays the vigorish arrangement you can have as
much as you want. Just watch out for your kneecaps {;-)

Hey, Jim -- speaking of organized crime -- let's talk about the
incredibly successful new casino hotel that recently opened just two
freeway exits south of us. Let's talk about the incredible demand for
gambling that this hotel is tapping into, to the tune of millions of
dollars per MONTH.

Let's talk about the jail cell I will occupy if I respond to my
customer's demand by following suit and installing slot machines in my
meeting room...

Try explaining THAT to your kids. I can't.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

SUUURRRRE THEY CAN. You have heard of the initiative and referendum
process, yes? Or is Iowa not yet on board with these 19th century
innovations for power to the people?

Bwahahahahahahahahahhaha!

A pro-business referendum? Here? Get real. The last election of a
pro-business candidate in Johnson County occurred before I was born --
and I'm gonna be 49 this year, with luck.

Then it is about time for you to hit. A "green" (environmentally sensitive)
candidate in this mining and forestry county had NEVER been elected since
1850 until I resonated with the voters in '86 and again in '90. You just
need to make your case over and over and over again.


You keep saying how much money is required to run for office. I agree;
it
is one of the warts on our political system.

Actually, I've never commented on the cost of running for office. You
must have me confused with some other crazy innkeeper... ;-)

However, if somebody runs, and
if their message rings true with enough of the local factions, the money
will flow.

And there you have it. The politicians have done such a wonderful job
of bribing us with our own money that there is NO WAY anyone would
vote to limit taxes in support of "Workforce Development". Hell, even
the NAME of the department has been changed (from "Unemployment") to
make it politically unlikely to cut. After all, who could POSSIBLY
cut anything called "workforce development"?

No, there YOU have it. You run on a "tax cut" platform carefully disguised
as a real tax cut platform and when you get into office, you TELL the
bureaucrats that "our workforce development benefit" is now a "miserable
whore's public tit benefit". That's one of the benefits of runnng and
winning. Trust me.


But ya gotta do it. And you need to dedicate the time to do it. Or let
Mary run. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat.

Now there is an idea. Hell, she wastes a good 49 hours every week
sleeping -- I'll get her on it right away...

You are letting that beautiful little lady sleep that many hours...man, I
gotta have a talk with you in July... no WONDER you've only got two kids
.... {;-)



Hey, Jim -- speaking of organized crime -- let's talk about the
incredibly successful new casino hotel that recently opened just two
freeway exits south of us. Let's talk about the incredible demand for
gambling that this hotel is tapping into, to the tune of millions of
dollars per MONTH.

Let's talk about the jail cell I will occupy if I respond to my
customer's demand by following suit and installing slot machines in my
meeting room...

My tribe's name for me is Singing Pipe. Wanna cut a deal with me for making
your hotel a reservation? Or is that making a reservation at your hotel
{;-)

Jim

Let's talk about the jail cell I will occupy if I respond to my
customer's demand by following suit and installing slot machines in my
meeting room...

My tribe's name for me is Singing Pipe. Wanna cut a deal with me for making
your hotel a reservation? Or is that making a reservation at your hotel {;-)

These aren't Indian casinos. The state(s) justified allowing
organized gambling casinos by stating that the money would go toward
education. Who could oppose fleecing the stupid amongst us, when it
meant that their money would go for "the children"?

They also limited casinos to river boats. Who could argue against
bringing back cool old paddle-wheel boats, straight out of a Mark
Twain novel?

Last month, local citizens authorized a new 1% local sales tax to --
you guessed it! -- "support the schools". All that gambling money --
and we're talking BILLIONS -- apparently isn't enough to build the
schools we need in Iowa.

And now, after a few years of allowing only river boats, they have
changed the law to state that casinos must be built "on water". Thus,
our new casino hotel is built in the middle of Iowa, far from any
navigable rivers -- on top of giant bags of water. Incredible!

And, in the final coup de grace, there is now a bill before the state
legislature to remove the "on water" requirement. Our new governor
Culver -- firmly in the pocket of organized crime -- is expected to
sign it into law.

We now have 19 casinos in Iowa -- a state with fewer people than the
Chicago metropolitan area.

It is to weep.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"