Government benefits fueling unemployment

Amy Logsdon's Nov. 26 guest column (“Extend jobless benefits”) urges Congress to yet again extend unemployment benefits and cites an anecdotal story of an unemployed friend who is nearing the end of his unemployment benefits.

Oh, puh-leeze. Congress has already extended benefits to 99 weeks. If someone is unemployed that long, he must not be looking too hard.

Contrary to Logsdon's claim that unemployment benefits boost the economy, I'll choose to believe Lawrence Summers, former president of Harvard and former Obama economic adviser, who wrote in 1999 that “ ... government assistance programs contribute to long-term unemployment by providing an incentive, and the means, not to work.”

In fact, I urge you to dig out your copy of the May 5 Gazette article ("Eastern Iowa temp jobs go unfulfilled; extended unemployment blamed”). David DeWitte interviewed numerous manpower firms who are experiencing trouble finding willing workers to take available positions. It seems that taking unemployment benefits is more appealing than is working.

Is this the direction we want for our country?

Rich Zeis

Walker