ml> in the same breath, do not believe those stats about X% are unemployed   
    ml> because they are always short... i've been unemployed numerous times   
    ml> for several years in some cases and have never gone down and been   
    ml> added to the statistics so i know for a fact that they are always at   
    ml> least one entity short... welfare helps those who are willing to go   
    ml> that route but there are many others who do not and will not "go   
    ml> there" for their own reasons...   
      
    BA> But you did not and most do not make welfare their lifetime career.   
      
   how do you know that i haven't? i've never spoken of such but still ;)   
      
    BA> Some do. I've been unemployed, and have drawn unemployment (I'm not   
    BA> eligible for welfare due to my military retirement annuity).     
      
   i don't believe i've ever drawn unemployment even in those times when i was   
   qualified for it... i did draw foodstamp at one time due to a medical problem,   
   though... and the only real reason i went for the foodstamps was because   
   family members pointed out to me that i had been paying into the system all   
   these years so that if and when i did need the services, i wouldn't be   
   "leeching"...   
      
   FWIW: i don't understand everyone else whining about folk using the services   
   that they have paid into for so long and never will use... are they simply   
   throwing their money aside? have they no charity in their bones? some of these   
   folk are "religious" to a point and yet they complain when others can and do   
   utilize the services afforded them... certainly they don't complain about   
   their pastor and their family who live off of the churches they minister to...   
      
    BA> At the moment I've been unemployed for just shy of two years,   
      
   i'm at three years now...   
      
    BA> fortunately I'm eligible for and draw Social Security to pay   
    BA> the bills (that aforementioned annuity makes the house and   
    BA> insurance payments) - so I can say I'm retired. although not by my   
    BA> choice.   
      
   i don't qualify for anything, really... never had any kind of health   
   insurance, either... always seemed to work for the small mom'n'pop companies   
   and there never really was any type of benefits of any kind... decent pay for   
   the most part but that didn't ever really go far enough and none of it helps   
   now...   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12)