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Subscribe to RSSHappy Fourth of July to the unemployed... "More than 1.3 million laid-off workers won’t get their unemployment benefits reinstated before Congress goes on a weeklong break for Independence Day. And hundreds of thousands more will lose their benefits in coming weeks. The House voted 270 to 153 yesterday to extend jobless benefits for people who have been laid off for long stretches, but the Senate has not passed any bill containing that measure. For the third time in as many weeks, Republicans in the Senate successfully filibustered a similar measure Wednesday night before most senators adjourned for vacation."
Good luck with that... "Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) is trying to foment a long-shot Democratic rebellion against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that would install House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) in her place after the November elections. The scenario, as Simpson sees it, runs like this: Democrats lose a bunch of seats but cling to a narrow majority. If a handful of Democrats withhold their votes for Pelosi, Democrats would have to put up another candidate, or else Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) would become Speaker." But Simpson, who's courting Blue Dog Democrats like Walt Minnick of Idaho, points out that "a similar dynamic toppled Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) from the Speaker’s post after losses in the 1998 elections left Republicans clinging to a narrow majority."
What does it say when the GOP is considering getting rid of its POLICY committee? Isn't that where the ideas come from? "The chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee has caused friction among his fellow leaders this week over his plan to terminate the position and return the office funds to the Treasury Department to pay down the national debt," Roll Call reports.
"Congressional Democrats aren’t sending a war spending bill to President Barack Obama by July Fourth as they had hoped," Roll Call writes. "House Members passed the bill as their last order of business late Thursday before leaving town for roughly 10 days. But a bevy of changes that they made to the measure -- including adding $10 billion to stem teacher layoffs -- means the bill will have to go back to the Senate after the July Fourth recess before it can go to Obama for his signature."
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I'm guessing those 1.3 million people laid off and without a saftey net are all planning to vote in November!
My husband has been unemployed for quite some time now and has lost his benefits. We will be okay...not going to be easy, but that's life. I completely understand the frustration with putting more money into unemployment with our national debt as bad as it is, I feel the same way. I think people would look on this differently if we revamped the "system" so that if you are on unemployment, you would be required to have random drug testing and put in so many hours per week working in community service positions. It would alleviate a lot of abuse if people still had to work in order to get their benefits. I know my husband would be more than happy to get up and go do some honest work every day. And "NO" I won't be voting democratic come November....
Nancy - Hopefully your husband finds work. Its good to see that you guys will be able to make it for the short term. Working as a volunteer is a good way to pass the time and keep yourself engaged. For the record a lot of states require people to prove that they are actively looking for work. Also for the record a lot of people can't make it without unemployment insurance to bridge the gap until they find a job.
You have your perogative to not vote democratic. What however, has your republican rep or senator done for their constitients? If you look objectively at the course of the last 18 months you will see that the conservatives only plan is to block every single thing that the democrats try to do. They don't offer any substantial ideas. When Democrats compromise to put portions of the Republican's ideas into the bills the GOP still vote against it. What progressives like me want is for someone on the right to look past the ideology and work together to get things done.
We all want America to succeed right? However, sometimes I feel like that some people on the right, take Limbaugh's advice and want America to fail so that they can blame Obama.
To nancy from Idaho,
I am so gald to hear that you will be able to get by without unemployment benefits. Unlike some of the rest of us out here that is not possible when all of your other resources are used up as well because of the way things have been going. when you have nothing left to fall back on and you can't land a job that you can do that doesn't reguire a degree of some kind it is damn tough. Not to mention if you are 60 or over. I have worked all my life and I resent when people have the attitude that we unemployed lose incentive to find work if we keep getting benefits. That is not true in most cases. When we receive the benefits we are still required to look for work and send in the work search sheet to unemployment division with the cotact name , phone number, address etc. or you do not get your check. we are not all out here being lazy and free loaders. Most of us want to work and have worked all our lives. When no jobs are being promoted and President sitting back doing nothing how are we spose to survive. I have looked for two yrs and still no luck. I am looking everyday. there is nothing out there that I am qualified to do. our country is going down the tubes .
Sad that the repugnant ones have screwed over 1.3 million unemployed from having a nice 4th of July weekend, better believe that's going to hurt retail sales, 2/3 of our national economic engine. By the time Congress gets back it will be 2 million unemployed who get dropped off all because the repugnant ones want to sabotage our economy for their political gain. I wonder how many of those 2 million who just got a golden shower from the dopes of nope are repugnant ones who'll retaliate come November by voting for Democrats?
The repugnant ones never gave a care for running up the debt under Clueless George Bush, they kept saying how affordable our national debt was right up until Obama got elected. They never flinched from putting trillions of tax cut welfare, drug company bailout and two wars on the cuff making sure that future generations got stuck paying the bill. Now the dopes of nope whine about $19 billion to extend unemployment benefits, just jack up the tax on the rich and greedy who don't pay enough taxes.
Whatever happened to the line about "Love Thy Neighbor"? Looks like the evangelical christian lunatic fringe could care less about their neghbors if they're unemployed.
Kicking People When They're Down is the Christian Way!
"Looks like the evangelical christian lunatic fringe could care less about their neghbors if they're unemployed."
Maybe these so called "lunitcs" are out feeding the hungry in the world. A child dies every 4 seconds from hunger. America's biggest problem is obesity.
http://www.savethechildren.org/
Bubba:
Saw a report yesterday that one in four people in every State in the Union is considered obese. Most alarming of course is the high number of obese children.
And on that note, I would encourage any good-hearted American to take a very close look at these organizations and foundations, how they are structured and how the money they receive is truly distributed, make a careful analysis of all the facts, and then come to the conclusion of who and what deserves your resources. Being a humanitarian is a truly wonderful way to conduct yourself, and there are MANY ways to give to the lesser fortunate, just be sure that you aren't lining the pockets of crooks in the process or your giving will be for naught.
The shame of it is there are thousands receiving unemployment benefits who are hard working decent folks really busting it out there to try and find a job while there are many who will sit on these benefits and take advantage of the system without any effort on their part to get off the unemployment roles. Therefore, many decent good folks are bunched in with those that some feel don't deserve such benefits and therefore will be hurt by this failure to extend the same.
On a related but not necessarily specifically related topic there was a study published yesterday that showed that while the United States is still the wealthiest country in the world (per capita) the U.S. ranked 39 on a list of the most happy populations (by country) in the world. Many of the nations rated higher on the happiness scale were third world countries where the standard of living is much lower than that of the United States. Just thought that the study might incite some discussion as to why those in the U.S. are less happy than those in other countries while still being the richest country in the world despite the economic crises and unemployment issues.
Good posting CA. Happiness is related to many things not just how many cars we have or the size of bank accounts.
I completely agree! I was a behavioral Health technician here in the state of Arizona. Recently funding for behavioral health or social services departments have been thrown out the window. i have been searching, even interviewing at walmarts and targets to get back to work. Unfortunately right after college I went to work as a case manager in behavioral health services. I have no other experience. NONE! No one in the behavioral health field is hiring (unless I wanted to change states, which being as I'm on unemployment isn't reasonable). In the last 6 months I have interviewed, sent off my resume, interviewed some more, atleast 4 times every single week. It is so frustrating, I can't stand feeling like I'm the bum on unemployment services, but what else am I supposed to do.
I admit though, I have lessened my search in the recent weeks, it is just so depressing. Before I was able to get an interview and a job within a week of leaving another job. This fear is rediculous!
I keep going back to WHY? Why is our economy, and particularly my expertise suffering like this. I will give you one REALLY good reason! All of the lazy asses on social security, need to get up and get to work! I don't know how many people I ran into who as their case manager I KNEW that they could work.
ALSO, is it funny to any one else that our congress gets a WEEK LONG vacation?!? There are people SUFFERING out there, for reasons that they COULD have intervined on, I hope their consciouses are clean! But I don't see how they would be!
I really think that the voters will remember these kinds of things when election time rolls around. How can politians expect to be elected by the people that they screw over. Please people, remember this when you go to vote for a candidate that said "NO" to your unemployment benefits.
here , here well said. None of them are for us but very few and I have my doubts about that. they don't have to worry they are all getting a pay check. it's coming to socialism and Obama is taking us there gradually. wake up people
I have mixed feelings about whether or not to extend unemployment. For those of us in the hard hit states, extended benefits sure are welcome. But I've also seen first hand people who won't take a job because unemployment pays more. And others who are "taking the summer off" and not looking for a job because FUNemployment will carry them for a while. Not everyone is like that, but there are many that are lazy and take advantage.
Then there is the question of how to pay for extended benefits. I heard that not quite 50% of the stimulus has been spent. That leaves 50% left to spend.....why not cut out most of the pork projects and spend that on unemployment.
Also, someone earlier said that unemployment benefits increases retail sales. If you said BARELY increases, I would agree. The majority goes to paying utilities and motgage/rent.
"Please people, remember this when you go to vote for a candidate that said "NO" to your unemployment benefits."
Also remember the guy who promised you 1.5 million new green jobs.
The republicans have stone walled any attempt at doing anything, and everything. But the green jobs are coming sooner or later because American's will wake up on energy issues, if only because of the ecological disaster in the Gulf. The Gulf is gone for decades, maybe forever. Because of the depth of the leak and the dispersant, the oil is in solution with the sea there is no way to skim much of it because not much is floating, booms don't work because the oil solution flows under them. The Gulf and all life in and around it is doomed, when the whole thing looks like an oil drain pan at the jiffy lube the green jobs will come. You can clean the beaches all you want but who wants to go to the beach to watch dead wildlife float by, even the tourism industry is doomed. This kind of event should motivate us.
These bastards are living on 3500 dollars a week and they want to screw us out of our meager unemployment checks that barely, if at all, cover bills. I am going to vote a straight ticket come November. These idiotic Rupukes have got to go!
How about reporting all the earmarked dollars for politicians special pet projects that were also included in that bill? It's real easy to say that Republicans are the bad guys when you are spoon fed only part of the story. This bill is typical extortion.
The congress against the unemployment extension cant provide a job to the people receiving benifits . They can put the same type judges on the supreme court but they cant provide a job unless its a political favor and those jobs are created with a tax levy. Until the american people reach out and vote in a congress that represents someone other than the same ole two party alumni, capitalism will always stall because congress tells us who the business people are and appropriates . The two partys fail to find the innovators who can procreate a free market system. So you have same ole crap you had 40 years ago , 1975 had the same arguments you have today.
Wow! they can go on holiday and eat bb-q. How am I going to feed my kids? These guys are done in Nov. Oh, I'm so mad. We can spend TRILLIONS of $ on a bunch of BS? Really, I think GM should just give me a car. Btw, how many zeros are in a TRILLON? I have no idea how much money that is.
Let me just do the calc. here, if you gave every person in the US 1million $ I think that would be less than a TRILLION.
Tell me again how it is the Republicans fault When the Democrats control a majority of both houses? You people are IDIOTS!
If you gave every person in the USA one million dollars that would b 300 TRILLION dollars
As far as the evangelical christians not helping the unemployeed...I beg to differ. I am unemployeed and I am a christian. I have given food to less fortunate neighbors and given money away this past year. I have also received money from people at church. So not all christians don't love thy neighbor. We have given what we can during our times. I cleaned out my freezer and gave one neighbor steak that had been in my freezer for months because he got cancer and lost his job and his wife was so stressed and crying-I felt so bad. I gave them what I could. I have my own problem with some evangelical christians-believe you me I do! But I am one who tries to love my neighbor. I have been unemployeed and have been applying for jobs. I live in the Outer Banks and the sad thing is that 30 people apply for one job. I have been volunteering and I have been doing other things. I lost my unemployment benefits June fifth which made me one week later in receiving benefit extension!!!! So I am in the same boat waiting on Congress and I can't believe all the dilly dallying around on this thing. It's truly ashame and it's totally shameful that these Senators would go on their happy fourth of july while my husband and I eat a baked potato and that's about it. It's totaly cruel.
Hello.....This is what i think? unemploment we need it...its hard to find jobs......in the past I've been in trouble with the law and know no one wants to hire an EXfelon........some one said we need drug testing for "UI" yes i am all for that .......and we need it for "WELLFARE" people on wellfare need to be tested too..... Its funny that people that are well off for now dont care about us..... but as soon as it effect them god for bid.......
I understand that the Republican are concerned about how to pay for the extentions. I totally get that, but find a way to afford it. I mean how can you sleep knowing all these people, people you represent, are struggling. Not only struggling but almost homeless if not already homeless. I know that they feel that they are doing what they believe is right by worrying about future generation. So instead of worrying how our children and grandchildren will pay for these extention why not worry about how to feed and clothe them children today. Look, I am not saying that we should not have to worry about where the money is going to come from but find a way to make it work. If only 50% of the stimulus money has been spent why not use that? Where I live the schools are laying off teachers and no one seems to worry how that will affect future generations. I will drive crappy roads, I will take a drug test, I'll volunteer everywhere, I will do what I have to do. But I will not accept a country that will let my children and my others children go hungry and uneducated. This is there jobs to find a way to make it work. You know what happens to people who don't do their jobs? They loose them. JUST pull your heads out of your rear end and stop kissing butt, find a way to make the people you work for, AMERICA, better.
try being 55 years old...layed off after 32 years with the same company.....living in small town usa .....and trying to get a job 30 other people applied for..and them being under 30 years old....next to impossible...that includes places like wal mart , fast food joints and the local bar and grills!schools gonna start soon...kids need books and clothes and lunches.....maybe the congressmen would go through their colsets and hand down a little...maybe go through their fridge and freezer and hand out a little....come on boys.....i keep hearing it will get better soon....pass unemployment extension so i can hold out till it does get better.....IT IS GONNA GET BETTER.....right??????
I lost my unemployment benifits about a month ago and been on it since oct and been out putting apps in everywhere with no luck and i have lost everything to the point to where we had to move in with my soon to be inlaws and the reason i lost my job is because i got hurt on the job i hurt my back and there dr put permenant restrictions on me of no lifting over 20lbs or standing for more than 45 minutes and with what my job requires thats impossiable i am a CNA and have been for 13yrs and because of my back problems i cant do that anymore and ive been doing it since i was 17 years old and every job i find in the paper says must have experince or some kind of degree . and all the grand ole goverment can do is sit on there asses on vacation for over a week when i dont no if and when ill be able to eat. i cant even get local asstiants because i dont have kids. So i hope they enjoyed there vacations