Unemployment is a good thing and Unemployment is a bad thing.

Unemployment is a good thing. Unemployment is a bad thing. By now everyone in the United States knows at least two or three people who are out of work and filing for unemployment benefits, two or three people who are looking for work and at least one or two people who are wondering it they still have a job when tomorrow comes. For those who are unemployed and have filed for unemployment insurance, now is the time to reevaluate what you really want to do and what you absolutely have to do in order to survive. For those who are looking for work, in spite of your state's unemployment rate, what about creating work for yourself by pursuing that which interests you most? For those of you still working, don't become an unemployment statistic, why not look at what you are doing and figure out a way to do it more efficiently that saves you time and energy, and who knows, someone at your workplace might even find you worthy of hanging around a little longer afterward.

These are the best of times for those looking for work and have the benefit of unemployment extension, because the fear is just the beginning and the satisfying that fear is just what’s needed sometimes when you’re back is against the wall. All those things you dreamed of doing while you still had employment, now you can go off and do them. Why wait until you have poor health to do what you really want to do. If, you wait until you have enough money to do what you always wanted to do, maybe you can do what you really want to on a less grandeur scale, but still get to do it.

These are the worst of times, if you are still looking for work and haven’t found it with someone else yet. Don’t fret though, because you can still work for yourself. At what you may ask? Heck, we all understand the cause of unemployment, but surely there is something that you enjoy doing more than anything else, but until now, you really had no time to explore it. Well, now is time to do what you’ve always wanted to do and while you’re doing it, make it personal. You know, put your heart and soul into it. Don’t worry about failing or anything like that, get started and before you know it, you’ve got some traction and things are going well for you, or Not! You’ve got to try or you’ll spend the rest of life wondering what if scenarios.

These are the worst of all times if you’re still working, because if you haven’t noticed anyone in your company who has been transferred, demoted or outright let go, then you are one of the lucky few. It might be a good idea to know where your local unemployment office is, just in case you don't plan to file for unemployment online. Nonetheless, you are lucky because just as the air we breathe touches everyone who wishes to live, so too does the knowledge of recognizing that there is a problem in the economy and no matter what Washington and Congress does, after all the dust has settled, the folks who are in Washington and Congress don’t have to worry about their paychecks bouncing. I suspect we will have about two more years of economic uncertainty and if we aren’t careful, we stand as Americans to lose a full ten years of little if any of economic growth, just like our buddies Japan did back in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. If, you’re into economic stuff, just Google, “Japan’s Lost Decade,” and you’ll notice that it is like “déjàvu” with America’s current economic policy. So, for those of you who are still employed, more than a few of you won’t be for long—not my wishes, just the economic reality of life here in America now. Never stop learning, never stop thinking about your future and that of your children’s, because after all, last time I check, I still work for my children and they are swell employers! Until next time, stay sane.

PS, A picture of a BMW with abnormal tire where. Is this a sign of the times?

Economic Stimulus Bill

Who will benefit most from the $787 billion Economic Stimulus Bill? The Health Care Industry is the likely candidate to benefit from the Economic Stimulus Package. Here's why. As an investor, speculator and observer of trends, if you consider the major players within the Health Care Industry that will benefit directly from the $787 billion Economic Stimulus Bill, you'll note that the Health care Industry and specifically the Medicaid Program are scheduled to get $87 billion and The National Institute of Health receiving $10 billion.

The Medicaid Program provides health insurance for the uninsured in the United States and The National Institute of Health does Biomedical Research. Keep in mind that the States administer the Medicaid Program that is funded by the Federal Government. Another consideration is, if you live in a state where the income per capita is considered high, the state is going to be contributing more to their Medicaid Program. If, you live in a state that has a low per capita income, then the Federal Government is going to be paying to that state more money to support the Medicaid Program. The higher per capita income a state has, the less money the Federal Government contributes to its Medicaid Program.

Within the Economic Stimulus Bill, there is a provision to give the states with high-unemployment; extra money based on their Medicaid benefits disbursements. That is, if the State has both high-unemployment and a large number of people on Medicaid, they will get extra money from the Federal Government for their Medicaid Program. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2008 Report. States that have high-unemployment are Michigan, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina and Nevada. Each State has unemployment above 9%. The key is to find States that have high -unemployment, and among those States, large Medicaid benefits disbursements too! Then you will have located the States who are likely to benefit most from the Economic Stimulus Bill.

If, you are employed within the Health Care Industry, over the next few months you should see an uptick in patient enrollments, procedures and follow-up care. Among the numerous industries that are vying for a piece of the Economic Stimulus Package, the Health Care Industry has the most to gain. There will be something for to pacify more than a few people. For the individual tax payers, there is a $400 tax credit and will come out of the weekly paychecks, by way of less deductions. So count on about $8 extra in your paycheck. For the first-time home buyer, you can get a $8,000 tax credit, but only if you buy your house before the deadline, which is around December 2009. There is even a little something for the States, numerous infrastructure projects. All and all, it's a Economic Stimulus Package that may help the recently laid-off, by extending their unemployment benefits to 46 weeks and covers some of their Cobra medical insurance premiums, but for those who have been out of work for sometime and have exhausted or never qualified for unemployment benefits, it's a little too late. I have seen the disheveled looks of my neighbors whose property insurance have increased so high, that it seems like a second mortgage and like those who no longer have a home for various reasons, the Economic Stimulus Package is just a band aid on a hemorrhaging wound. It just another "pie in the sky" that is just outside the reach of our outstretched arms. Oh well, just another day in paradise and the living ain't easy!