It's not much different here as legislation continues to reinstate the federal unemployment extensions in conjunction with the food stamp program. Those are in the form of a debit card now so people can go about it anonymously. Otherwise the masses will have to rob the banks and break into Dick Fuld's house, etc. I cannot complain since I am on unemployment here in the big state of California with 12.3% unemployment. Extensions will continue until that rate drops below 8.5%. California doesn't pay a dime of that unemployment since this state ran out of funds in January. The treasury is printing money to pay it. With that said the unemployment offices here really have no interest in overseeing the types of fraud that must permeate the system. Checks and balances, no worries, the fed is picking up the tab. In a way it is the small guys way of "getting his" since the banks and wallstreet definitely got theirs. My small corporation has revenues down 60% this year. No real uptick in sight. Without that unemployment check I would have considered selling my house at the bottom of the market. So I can understand how the poor feel in Venezuela when their leaders sell subsidized food and housing. If they can have those two basic needs they will be happy for an eternity. So it is not hard to determine that if a political party in America decided to promote the removal of the home mortgage deduction for tax purposes how far they would go. Hugo promotion of subsidizing the poor has "real" legs.