Saturday, August 15, 2020 8:13 am

We don't know whether enhanced unemployment money provided during the COVID-19 pandemic is behind some of the alleged understaffing problems at Colonial Hill Center, but we know one thing. It's not helping the situation.

We also don't know if the problems with staffing and stocking at the Milton Dollar General Store are due to the enhanced unemployment money, but we know one thing yet again. It's not helping the situation.

In fact, experts said recently - before President Trump's executive order continued the benefits at $400 weekly - that if Congress had agreed to reduce the benefit to $200 that 40 percent of those receiving such cash every week would bring home more pay than if they were working - without working!

During the weekly $600 federal stipend that ran from March to Aug. 1, workers who normally brought home about $400 after taxes during a regular $12 an hour 40-hour week suddenly began bringing home about $1,000 a week.

Now anybody ever remember getting that kind of raise?

For doing nothing?

From nursing homes to restaurants to convenience stores, business owners are having a terrible time keeping their help amid such unemployment giveaways.

With this kind of federal subsidy, there's no incentive to work for a paycheck.

Now would I call those staying home and hoping the lockdown goes on till doomsday - which is surely on its way - slothful, lazy and indolent?

Hell, no.

If I had a family and was raising kids, you'd be a fool to go back to work.

So who's the fool?

The government. Republicans wanted to keep the weekly stipend to $200. Now after Turmp's executive order it's $400.

Because of this lunacy more businesses will fail, more nursing homes, restaurants and convenience stores will continue to scramble to maintain and an economy struggling to rebound will falter even more.