People on dole 'don't care about the community

[catsnknots]

I could not agree more.. I have met people up here that are thrid or fourth generation on the dole. They do nothing to interact with the community and never attend the council meetings but are the first to complain when something goes wrong. 

When I was reliant on welfare I use to volunteer and go to several events to keep up with what was going on and did my best to improve things for me and my community. I tried to give back whatever I could. I use to teach my kids that you never take welfare for granted as one day it will not be there for you. 

My 19 yr old that has left home never applied for unemployment, even when he could not find a job he went around and dropped flyers to houses as an IT person and has started his own business. He always said that wlefare was for those in real trouble and that people should always try to fend for themselves. 

We are running out of money... we cannot all expect to be supported forever... I know that we will always need some sort of welfare system, that some people will always be unemployable... but should we make them do more for that free money??? 

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-mp-says-people-on-dole-dont-care-ab...

An Abbott government MP has accused dole recipients of trying to "screw the system", saying they are too self-interested to bother attending community meetings.

Mr O'Dowd told a community meeting on Monday night in Capella, north-east Queensland: "You won't get anyone on the dole coming to these sort of meetings, because they don't care about the community, they care about themselves and how they can screw the system".

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The meeting was attended by about a dozen Capella residents.

In audio of the meeting heard by Fairfax Media, Mr O'Dowd also argued that too many Australians were exploiting the social security system, and that something needed to be done to stop welfare cheats. He recalled a conversation he had had recently with billionaire Gina Rinehart.

[***super_nova***]

"The percentage of long-term unemployed (people unemployed for one year or more) was 19% in July 2011 compared to 18% in July 2010 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Of these, around 83,000 (or three quarters of long-term unemployed people) were looking for full-time work in July 2011.

For long-term unemployed people the most common difficulties in finding a job were 'own health or disability' (17%), 'lacked necessary skills or education' (13%), followed by 'too many applicants for available jobs' (11%).

The majority of unemployed people, (81%) were unemployed for less than one year (short-term unemployed), with over a quarter of these (26%) having been unemployed for less than four weeks."

I actually do not know anybody on the dole, I did know in the past people who lost jobs, but usually were back at work within few weeks.  I do not believe that there are many people who just simply do not want to work.

[freakiness]

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@catsnknots wrote:

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@bluecat*dancing wrote:

Madc, I quoted that part because I agree with it, Yes, there is a problem when it becomes a family tradition to be on the dole, however, I believe that they are in the minority.

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I think it is 20% that are classed as unemployable. 

I guess it depends on where you live too. We have a high reliance on unemployment up here so our percentage would be higher. I do agree with that part of the article too. 

I worked darn hard to get myself employable again after becoming sick. I get angry with people that make no effort. They feed the stereotype of what I guess this article is about and what this MP is frustrated at. I have not met him personally but he is just near my electorate and I know what he is going on about. 

People make no effort to engage with their communities these days (and not just the unemployed) but I think that a work for the dole program could do wonders. Once they become engaged with the community their lives will be more enriched and society will be a better place. 

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Speechs, headlines and articles like this are much more effective at feeding and reinforcing the stereotype than the few who don't care about the community.  How would he know if there were people on the "dole" at the meeting he was speaking at?  How would they feel on hearing themselves spoken about like that?

[boris1gary]

Even if there are a small percentage of people who "don't want to work", so what - it's a no brainer that there will be unemployment either low or high in number during the many recessions that occur under capitalism, would we rather see these people desperate for work that simply isn't there.

Unemployment can and does cause all sorts of problems for people that can't find jobs that don't exist, depression even suicide.

Unemployment is not the fault of the unemployed.

[donnashuggy]

Do you have any articles on job creation by the new government?

[boris1gary]

Yes I think I saw something in one of the papers......no it was about job losses, silly me.

[spotweldersfriend]

How many people on full time employment were chaining themselves to trees to protect old growth forests.Council meetings? Pfft.

[brace_au]

I worked darn hard to get myself employable again after becoming sick. I get angry with people that make no effort. They feed the stereotype of what I guess this article is about and what this MP is frustrated at. I have not met him personally but he is just near my electorate and I know what he is going on about. 

People make no effort to engage with their communities these days (and not just the unemployed) but I think that a work for the dole program could do wonders. Once they become engaged with the community their lives will be more enriched and society will be a better place.

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I get angry at all the people who work in the cash system. You know, the tradies, milk bars, green grocers, restaurants etc. who don't declare all their income. I get angry at all those who minimise their tax because they can afford accountants to do it for them. The mining companies etc.  All of these people don't pay their fair share of taxes and it is what it is, theft.

Your last paragraph is very simplistic. Generational welfare is not just about the money. It's about being disengaged not just from the community but from reality itself.

I'm sorry but I see the comments as simply stereotypical welfare bashing.

[the_hawk*]

They do nothing to create jobs and let manufacturing go overseas because  they dont support industry here and then wonder why the unemployment rate is high, gee wizz it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work it out yet the people we pay lots of money to cant, I think they should be on the unemployed list

[spotweldersfriend]

Hey wait a minute brace.au.That's what politicians and the wealthy do.

[spotweldersfriend]

There's a job creation scheme in the pipeline donna.Marriage counselling:-)