Unemployment Benefits... No Problem

With the depressed economic situation we are currently in, there has been a lot of focus on unemployment rates. How many people are unemployed last month versus this month… What is the state of Texas’s unemployment rate versus another state. What are not so often talked about are the circumstances in which people qualify for unemployment.

When considering the benefits of paying unemployment I see the importance of helping people out that were laid off from work. These are hard times and people that have worked hard deserve help when hard times knock at their door. What I don’t agree with is how easily we qualify people to receive unemployment benefits. For instance, if an employer has a project they could use some extra help on, the solution would hopefully be to give someone a job. Unfortunately, this option is becoming less appealing to employers as hiring someone, even on a temporary basis, now entitles that person to unemployment benefits. So instead of spreading some of the money to people that are unemployed, employers might seek a different solution when extra help is needed. They may offer over time to employees they have currently working for them. One of the steps the Texas government could take in reducing unemployment would be to make it easier and more cost effective for employers to hire temporary employees.

Another downfall to the unemployment program is that people just have to look for a job to maintain their benefits. In my current position I have seen many people come through my office door asking for an application so that I can fill out a form that says they were “looking” for a job. The unfortunate thing I keep seeing is that these people don’t actually want a job. When asked if they would come in for an interview, they say no, they just want me to fill out the paperwork. So by making unemployment benefits so easily attainable and so easy to keep, we are reducing funds that could be helping the honest hard working person that actually hit a bit of bad luck in the job market. I believe our government should take a long hard look at the unemployment benefit structure and seriously consider revising it.

Personal Income Tax in Texas... Not the Solution

After reading a co-students article regarding her belief that the State of Texas should impose a state income tax I decided to do a little research of my own. I read an article that stated, “The Texas tax system transfers a higher share of income from the private to the public sector over time as income rises." My co-student’s main reasoning for imposing a state income tax is that she believes our system is regressive and that the state is not collecting enough money to support its citizens. After reading some facts and viewpoints of others I don’t agree with her opinion.

Texas has a high sales tax rate. Additionally, Texas has the second highest tax rate on properties. The money that is collected from the property taxes funds our educational system. My co-student claimed that a state income tax would “provide a better education” for its citizens. It seems to me that we are already supplying our state with the necessary funds for a “better” educational system. I believe the flaw that we should be fighting with our government about is what they are in fact doing with the money that they have been supplied. Just throwing more money at the problem is not a solution. That would be like giving a drug addict more drugs. We need to hold our government accountable to the promises that they make. More everyday citizens need to stand together and insist that “our” money be spent on the things we deem important… like education and health benefits.