Letters: Joblessness & morality

THE

Daily News

advocates extending unemployment benefits for another three months at a cost of $12.5 billion. Not noted is that the benefits have already been extended umpteen times, currently to 96 weeks (from 26), at a cost somewhere around $300 billion.

Why can't the unemployed work for their benefits? Plant trees or clean vacant lots to help the environment, provide day care or elder care so others can work, fix potholes.

Why, after the cost of transportation, day care, taxes, uniforms, are the benefits more attractive than accepting a minimum-wage job? When Welfare to Work was passed during the Clinton administration, many recipients quickly found jobs, or otherwise left the welfare rolls.

Receiving unemployment is like eating at a Chinese restaurant, not paying the bill but promising that when your children are older they'll work off the debt.

Current unemployment provisions lack ethical and moral parameters.

Don Flassing, Sewell. N.J.

nolead begins

Just as you hoped that the political mudslinging was over and that the dust had finally settled comes news of the man who shot his TV because of Bristol Palin's performance on "Dancing with the Stars."

While it isn't right to take the law into your own hands, many of us can feel this man's pain. Who hasn't been offended by TV at one time or another?

TV has become increasing rude and inconsiderate over the years. If more TV sets realized that they, too, could face death, maybe they'd clean up their act.

Diana Marlow

Hatboro