Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 23, 2011

ha. called it.

of course he is! just look at the guy

Time for TJ to break out the truss fund.

Depending on how much TJ has, he’ll either buy the Horner house outright, OR they’ll all move in with Toni.

Don’t they pay unemployment in that state? He’d probably be able to cover his rent and some expenses with that. He’d probably have some savings as well, since he doesn’t buy a lot of stuff or go on very many vacations. He might have to eat some of his meals at his parents’ house, but he does that anyway.

Why is everyone, including Brad, so quick to concede Brad’s independence? Other people get laid off and they don’t immediately move home, they try to find a job while cutting way back and paying expenses with unemployment checks. How do they know another firefighter job won’t open up—there’s at least one other station in that town (although since Toni works there they might not let Brad work there as well.).

Nancy is action like Brad has already run through his unemployment checks without finding a job. While that could happen in this economy, I don’t see a reason for Brad to give up so soon.

Hooray for Frank for at least thinking of alternatives. And like he said, find out what TJ ’s situation is first.

This strip is really getting depressing. Doesn’t Greg Evans want Brad to grow up ever? First he gives in to his mom when she told him not to move in with Toni when TJ burned the house down that time. Now he moves back in with Mom and Dad at the first suggestion from Mom. I just don’t think it’s realistic that he’d give up his independence so quickly.

If TJ was rich, don’t ya think he would BUY a house instead of renting one? How much are they charging for that dump if you have to be a fireman just to rent it?

I’ve got to laugh at how much Frank sounds just like some of the commentators here!

Anyone know where they live?

See? Today’s strip proves that Greg reads these comments! It’s obviously not true that the artwork is submitted two weeks in advance.

Whatcha talkin bout Willis … er Otto?

NO! proves nothinng. 2 weeks in advance sounds good to me.

That’s OK, Richard, just good folk here having harmless fun. I’m sure you have better things to do with your own life than admonish others for having a good time. Now run along, there’s a good chap.

Far too true. What would keep him solvent for a little while would be his severance package. My big issue with how this is being handled is he’s treating firefighter cutbacks like he got let go from a corner grocery store. There’s advance warning, news in the paper, talk in the station, and union involvement in the severance negotiations.

have you never though that Greg uses common sense, thus the why our responses usually “hit the nail” of what he does the next day?

Of course, this could be the moment for Brad to move in with Toni.

TJ is not secretly rich, he’s just in the lucrative business of black market…risotto!

How is Brad going to marry Toni soon without a job? Just another tactic to drag this story line out. Foobed again makes some good points.

Okay Time-Out! Frank, if TJ had the DOUGH You THINK he’s got WHY did he try to rip-off the fire department NOT to mention Your son on many occasions? WHY didn’t he TOTALLY pay for the damages done to the Horner House when he darn near burned it down? WHY dosen’t live in is OWN darn house instead of renting? AND Why in the world are you even considering allowing him IN your house? AGAIN? LOOK, I’ve got NO problem with the DeGroots ripping off TJ for the extra rent; the guy deserves it, IMHO, but lets inject some logic here. NOT to mention COFFEE….,

Why do you always call him Bwad?

ol nance is really getting annoying — she needs to chill out and let brad make his own decisions.

The amount of unemployment paid is set by each state and can vary widely state to state. Texas, for example, has some pretty poor unemployment benefits while other states tend to be a bit more generous. Since the location of Pittsville is unknown, we will just have to go on the assumption unemployment benefits here are not enough to keep Brad in the rent house.

yay Frank! a breath of fresh air.

A fireman’s salary???? Umm, do you know how little a relatively new firefighter makes? Most, have second jobs…

Don’t folks know that “reality” in Comics land has different rules than in real life? Read the roadrunner, because Wile Coyote’s gravity has a delayed effect – he could probably occasionally get back to the cliff B4 he fell – but that wouldn’t be funny. ~~~~~~~~~~~ At any rate, unemployment comp, Union rules, taxes, unexplained earnings, etc. etc. don’t follow reason. That’s why this is a COMIC!

Oh please. Let me play the world’s smallest violin for you. And what about the taxex the non-farm folks pay that go for farm subsidies and other farm programs? We all get something from taxes that other people may not – that is what a democracy is about.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual wage for a firefighter ranges from a low of $23,050 (since Brad is new, he’s probably there) to a high of $75,390. If the DeGroots are depending on rental income to make their mortgage payment, they were in trouble before they started collecting rent. One person’s unemployment affects more people than the person who’s unemployed.

Will a trained firefighter with paramedic qualifications really want for a job, even in today’s job market? However, this isn’t reality, it’s Luann. Intersting story. I do hope Brad retains his self respect and dignity.. and also Toni

TJ! I love TJ! Show us more of him, Greg! Make him the main cast even!

Wow. The father of the family, traditionally depicted as a total dunderhead (because only women are intelligent, rational and capable of figuring out problems) actually points to (one) of the real answers.

The whole thing is a false dilemma. There are a breathtaking number of ways to handle a situation like this without little boy Bwad moving in with Mommy and Daddy.

Perhaps Lady DeGroot’s real nature as a clingy mom unwilling and incapable of cutting the umbilical cord is coming to the surface, but I doubt it.

I do, however, detest the proclivity of this strip and almost every other to depict men as troglodytes who create the most absurd and idiotic nonsense in order to solve trivial problems. At least here the man is thinking more rationally. Some how, I doubt it will last long.

Yes, you may not be eligible for unemployment, Coaster… but seriously try to use logic here… farmers who have a crop failure or something similar (the closest thing to getting laid off that would exist for a farmer)…. they very typically get government subsides to help them through the crop failure. Truthfully… are you seriously thinking that all social safety programs should be abolished? I think that is pure foolishness… and probably the most frightening thing about reading comments here at gocomics is the hefty number of comments from anti-government zealots who want to revert to a dog-eat-dog, eye-for-an-eye, survival of the fittest… all others be damned sort of society.

Can’t Brad get a job in security or something like that? I hear they make good money.

Perhaps this has already been said, but wasn’t Toni hired simultaneously? Shouldn’t she be laid off as well.

@Otto – your comments prove that leg pulling is a well practiced art down under. The problem is most northern hemispherians don’t recognize the tug because it’s coming from an unusual direction. We ALL know that Greg draws and colors these strips the night before publication AFTER reading the latest fan input. It’s a hellish life he lives.

@foobedagain; i don’t think brad has moved in with his parents (yet) – where does it say so? they’re just discussing the situation.

@dave; I agree 500%: The job loss was a means to plot development. – nothing else. If every detail about job losses in the real world were included, I don’t think anyone would read the strip.Generally, as far as I can see, cartoonists include just enough detail that they need to make their point. I mean, really! Most characters in most comic strips have only four fingers per hand (including the thumb, of course)!Suspend disbelief!! You’ll enjoy everything much more!!

Didn’t someone here in the comments use that exact line about being ‘secretly rich’ a day or two ago? Or am I remembering it wrong?

I don’t understand how TJ is rich. Many years ago, he explained that his mom was disabled, couldn’t work outside the home, and stuffed envelopes at home for a living. Then she died. How much of an estate, exactly, can a disabled envelope-stuffer leave her children?

The real issue is not the house. == It is Brad’s self confidence and his relationship to Toni. == Firefighting gave him status, and a new identity Losing the job is an indignity!

He may have some terminal time, and another fire experience.

Nancy is automatically assuming that Brad will not leave Pittsville to assume his chosen line of work. He will instead be asking “Would you like fries with that?” By forcing him into under-employment, she can keep him under her roof and under her wing. Even Frank seems to be missing the gene that thinks of unemployment insurance. Like father, like son. Surely half the rent on a cape cod house can’t exceed the amount he would receive. He instead looks to TJ to foot the whole bill until Brad is working again. Greg – you decided to have a real world event occur in the strip. Now it’s time to follow through. Surely a man like Frank can’t be so dense as to not think of unemployment insurance.

What’s the paper in Nancy’s hand? She writing up the ad for the paper to rent the house? Brad has been unemployed for 15 minutes and she is kicking his butt to the curb. And TJ, who has been paying his rent all along and can continue to do so, is getting evicted, too

Brad – Your next words should be something like this: “Mom, no need to do anything yet. Tomorrow morning I’ll register with Unemployment. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll start looking for my new job. Before you find a new tenant, I’ll have my first unemployment check and your rent. With a little luck, my next firehouse might not be too far away for a daily commute.” This will leave Nancy a little slack-jawed. She had already decided how your life was going to continue and now you’ve gone and ruined her silver lining to your rain cloud.

And next they’re going to close the Washington Monument.

f Brad gets another job it might well pay lots more than a fireman’s salary.

Lets not forget that the Pittsville city budget is the reported problem. (Nothing to do with the President or any Governor.)

Since the “city budget problems” that caused Brad’s layoff, maybe the Mayor’s house will now catch fire and have to be rescued by Brad. (Or burn down.)

J. Abrams, I’m really sorry to hear about what happened when you were on unemployment and I didn’t mean to imply that you or anyone else would have it easy.

.. brings up another good point—with the bad economy, Nancy might have trouble even finding a renter.

Finally, a voice of reason. And I don’t know what Mom DeGroot thinks firefighters make, but it ain’t much.