San José, CA. On June 24, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the number of people receiving Federal Extended Benefits fell by 375,000 in a single week. Between June 5 and June 12, more than 150,000 people stopped getting Federal Extended Benefits (EB), and another 200,000 stopped getting the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC). While some of these people were able to find jobs, the majority were dropped as funding for the Federal extended unemployment insurance ran out.
On June 23, Republicans in the Senate were able to block funding to extend federal unemployment insurance for the third time. Republicans argued that extended unemployment benefits would cause the large federal budget deficit to grow. But under the Bush administration, Senate Republicans passed tax cuts for the rich that helped the federal debt to double from $5 to $10 trillion.
While all Democrats (with the exception of Ben Nelson of Nebraska) have been voting for funding Federal Unemployment Insurance benefits, the Democratic Senate leadership has refused to use the reconciliation process that would end debate by a simple majority vote and allow the bill to be passed. Democrats used this process to help pass their health care reform bill, which won’t take full effect for years, but are not willing to help the unemployed right now.
In the latest vote, the Democrats were able to win support from two Republican senators, and when a replacement for Democratic senator Robert Byrd (who just died) is named, it is likely that the Democrats will have the 60 votes needed to end debate and vote on the extension. But the Republican filibuster has meant that more than one million people have been dropped from the Federal EUC and EB programs in June. With Congress going on vacation next week, hundreds of thousands more will lose their benefits before funding can be passed.
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A "Trickle Up" theory of economy
When do we stop buying into "Trickle Down" economic theory, a Republican consensus. Our current economy should prove that it works the other way. The rich hold onto their money when in doubt or invest it in more permanent assets like real estate and gold, buying up the capital assets that are being lost by the less fortunate. The rich don't invest in labor-intensive capital as the Republican Party would like us all to believe. They're playing it safe until things turn around. Our government keeps bailing out Wall Street, the banks and large corporations who then give themselves bonuses without increasing jobs. If we want the economy to turn around, how about continuing to bail out the unemployed so they have money to spend on basics which will in turn spur business ahead. Government doesn't want the money in the hands of the working classes because this would stimulate small business and risk creating competition for big business, as proven in the Great Depression when the largest small business movement in our history made leaps forward while greedy "fat cats" fell. It's no wonder Republicans want to scare us about a deficit which has been there for some time - make us afraid of it so they can scare us instead of following the standard economic principles of leveraging with debt through our hard times. Why don't they fix the deficit by stimulating the economy from the bottom which will result in tax income! It'snot the time to cut the budget and make more unemployment in a crisis! Republicans would have us believe that cutting spending will help, but any Economics 1A class will teach you that government should spend more and decrease taxes to the lower income groups in a recession. Government would also have us all believe that helping the poor means helping the poor be lazy, but if you've ever been there, you would know no one wants to stay poor and they have plenty of motive to get work. Get a clue! Give the unemployed and underpriveledged money so that it can TRICKLE UP - where 100% is likely to reenter the economy as a necessity. Let big business collect whatever crumbs they can earn for contributing to the economy, not huge rewarding bailouts after stripping our economy to the bone!
Right now I get the
Right now I get the equivalent of about $15/hr on unemployment compensation benefits. If I see a job that is open that pays $12/hr, what incentive do I have to apply for it? So I can work 40 hours a week and make less money, now that makes no sense. Id rather leave that $12/hr job open for someone who has no job or is making only $8-$9/hr on UE. However finding a job that pays $15/hr or more seems to almost be nonexistant, so here I sit, collecting UE, waiting for the right opportunity to come around.
Why or Why McCain did you have to be such a poor presidential candidate and then insult everyone by having an even bigger fool for a running mate.
demo
Call and make fight back actions in front of your local big banks.
Don't Blame Republicans
I am one of the effected unemployed. I DON'T expect assistance forever - and I completely agree that it has to stop somewhere if we can't pay for it. All OB talked about when campaigning is a change in Washington - and all I've seen is politics as usual. I'm angry that he felt spending all that time on the health care bill was more important than the economy. Stupid decision. I'm angry that he did nothing but blast previous administrations about the deficit yet he has managed to more than double the already record setting deficits we had in less than 2 years no doubt. I can't imagine how high it will be after he finally leave office.
I lost my job, am about to lose my home, have no medical, no saving, no retirement - and I completely understand and agree that it has to stop somewhere. We cannot keep extending the debt to future generations just so we can keep living the lives we've been entitled too in the past.
What job did I get laid off from? Seeking out and assisting the homeless - irony at its highest.
Three degrees, now going back to school, no income!!!!!!!!!!
I just want to say I hope that all of the people that vote again the unemployment bill being passed that you have a great holiday. My holiday will consist of mourning the loss of my spouse 2 yrs ago on the fifth, a year later being laid off from teaching, using every cent I had going to interviews all over the state of Texas, paying almost $700 in a government apartment, $594.00 electric bills in the cold of the winter, spending at least 18 hours a day on the computer trying to find a job, raising 2 children, trying to do online courses for a Masters Degree, all the while trying to figure out how I am going to pay for my rent due on the 6th! Can't even get hired on a local stores for being over qualified and thinking I will leave that job for another.
Great 4th. Can't even take my daughter out of town to see her daddy's grave.
Where is President Obama?
By now, we all know what the Republicans are up to . . . and they are not about to end their game just because nearly three million tax paying, hard working Americans are spiralling into abject poverty. How about giving credit where credit is due? How about our illustrious and grandiose President Obama? I just heard him on a radio clip boldly declaring that regarding jobs stimulus, "Make no mistake, we are headed in the right direction . . . not as fast as some Americans would like . . ." Headed in the right direction?!!!!! Who the hell is he trying to kid? How can this country be headed in the right direction when it is leaving millions of unemployed behind? I think Obama deserves most of the heat over the failure to extend unemployment benefits. Instead of jumping everytime the media reports something negative about him regarding the BP oil disaster, he needs to remember how many of us now struggling to survive, believed his eloquent promises for change and blah, blah, blah and voted for him. He needs to exert some of his executive power on behalf of the American people who are now in grave trouble and put an end to the Republican political "Super bowl". It won't be the terrorists who destroy this country, we have enough politicians and a President who won't stand up and do the right thing for Amercica's suffering citizens to head this country right into ruin.
no jobs no unemployment its vacation time again
since the end of extented benefits may 31 congres will have been on 2 vacations
......the week after memorial day........ and the week after july 4
thats 2 weeks out of 5 weeks
i tell ya life sure is rough for them in congress
47 republican senators ..................... 15 million unemployed
oh yeah summers getting started that means summer vacation too
coming soon !!!!!!!!!!! sure make me proud to be american!!!!!!!!
Don't vote for any Repulican senators in November
Hi All,
Please do not vote for any Repulican senators, let them stay home and enjoy vacation with their family. Repulican senators never understand how much suffer unemployment people have, and how much anxious and anxiety every month without any income. On the behalf of all unemployment people, I just want to let Repulican Senators to understand that we never want to stay, beg and wait for your dripping water into our mouth. We really want to work and earn much more money than what Repulican senators think. They supported Bush Administration to cut taxes for rich people to increase the deficit from 5 to 10 trillion dollars. Please put our hand together to vote "NO" for all Repulican Senators to let them know what unemployment people message are.
thanks.
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