"Jobless aid requests"

First there were unemployment numbers, then there was jobless figures. Now -- I kid you not -- we have "jobless aid requests".

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A quick search shows that this is a fairly new phrase being used by the government. Let us not forget that this is not aid, it is an insurance benefit. A benefit that all working people and their employers paid premiums to cover. If you paid your Homeowners insurance and your house burned down, the compensation you receive is not aid. It is a benefit from a contract between you and your insurance company. It is not only untrue but it is disrespectful to imply that all people receiving unemployment benefits are receiving a handout. They most certainly are not. Of course, some are milking the system; that is a failure of the system in two ways. The first is shipping our jobs overseas, overly burdensome regulations, and a terrible economy. The second is a failure to stop fraud and abuse. No matter what you call it, payments to the legitimately unemployed workers is not jobless aid. Secondly, changing the terms we use does not change anything, except perhaps people's perception. That may be the goal. Aid sounds so much more humane than claims. Bruce Butler

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