A thought a day..

It's amazing how too much free time can change a person..even one like me...
Had been reading novels that I NEVER really do back in Singapore..and now i am actually reading StraitsTimes Online! =O

I sense i will need a pair of mugger specs soon..xD

Anyway, came across this article titled "Give temporary aid to jobless". Seriously, should we? hmm..i guess governing a nation is really not easy, and i can probably understand why the government do some of the things they do which may seem unreasonable to others. Not that I am really pro government (though i shld be..xD). Anyway shall not talk too specifically, just sharing my broad view of this idea of 'unemployment benefits' (yea economics~=p)

I guess the most difficult part of all kinds of benefits is the risk of it being abuse. And i certainly do not think it's fair when some people start to abuse these benefits while others are working hard to pay tax and feed these abusers...supposedly the government also face this dilemma, of how to put the tax payers' money into good use that maximise benefits for all.

Well i guess putting a $ or duration cap to these benefits is the most obvious way, stating clearly how long these benefits will last and if beyond that you still cant find a job then sorry, the gov cant feed you forever. Geez that sounds kinda harsh but it's the harsh reality~ Then the problem will be how long then, shld be a reasonable length of these benefits? And further, it is kind of impossible to achieve full employment in a society given certain amount of natural rate due to structural/frictional unemployment. So what will happen to these people who perpectually cant seem to find a job even if they are trying? And how to ensure that they are REALLY trying? hmm..

Then there are also things like training allowance, that's suppose to alleviate some of these unemployment due to skills mismatch. It's defintely good to learn something new, but how much does it help anyway if the industry isnt demanding extra labor at all? Perhaps the effect will come in later, when the economy recovers, but meanwhile can these people survive on skills upgrading courses? Don't really know the exact specifics (think there is $600 training allowance or something) so shall just leave it as a ??.

hMm..I suppose the best that can be done is to pray that the economy recovers soon! Not being negative or what, but i guess it's not possible to be helping every single unemployed person in the long run, while trying to maintain the same standard of living. Either EVERYONE compromise on a lower standard of living and share the love with people who aint earning...or let those poorer guys starve. hmm..sounds like communism..haha..is that fair? in both way? i guess that's why governing is hard...because different people expect different treatment and different degree/form of equality.

Alright starting to get lost in my own words..need better organisation of tots if it had been an essay to be graded..hahaha! but it's just blogging random tots =p