Bluewater,
It becomes welfare when we continue to pay it indefinitely. I am not agianst unemployment. But the problem I see is that many people are never going to be able to find a job that pays the same as what they got in the past unless they go back into the same industry. I am simply saying that if the Gov't feels the need to extend benifits beyond the normal time period, it should then start lowering the benefits each month. If you can't find a job that will pay you enough 6 months, maybe you should start considering you need to take a lower paying one. What about after a year? Eighteen months? At some point the benefits are used up and it does become welfare.