Election Day is one week from today and that event seems to be getting the bulk of media attention, and rightfully so. This election is about fairness, financial security and jobs, jobs, jobs. America is currently suffering from multiple ills that are being completely ignored by Republicans whose only goal is obstructionism, especially in the Senate.
What do you think the Republicans have as a goal in the next two years? Would their most important goal be to work with Democrats to create jobs? Maybe their goal could be shoring up Social Security, so it’s available to future generations. What about Republicans getting behind legislation curbing job outsourcing? Forget that kind of agenda, Republican are more concerned about elections than the electorate. Sen. McConnell (R-KY) put it this way in a recent interview:
MCCONNELL: We need to be honest with the public. This election is about them, not us. And we need to treat this election as the first step in retaking the government. We need to say to everyone on Election Day, "Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job."
NATIONAL JOURNAL: What’s the job?
MCCONNELL: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.
There you have it from the lead horse’s mouth; Republicans will not fight for Americans and a better future, no, they will only fight against Pres. Obama.
While 15 million unemployed and 15 million underemployed struggle to make ends meet, Republicans are focusing on fighting a four-year battle that ignores those millions of Americans in order to pry the presidency away from Obama.
Up to 5 million of 99ers are facing economic calamity because Republicans refused to support The Americans Want to Work Act (S.3706) that would have added 20 weeks of unemployment benefits to states with an unemployment rate of 7.5% or greater. Is this a save-all for 99ers? No. This bill would help the majority of 99ers, but it wouldn’t help those in states with lower unemployment rates. Still, it was the best option available for the jobless millions who have exhausted unemployment benefits.
With Republicans expected to make normal election cycle gains in the House and Senate, S.3706 is going to face an even stiffer Republican challenge during the lame duck congressional session that begins November 15 and ends the following week:
Under a scheduled laid out by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate would return on Monday, Nov. 15 for a single week before breaking for the week of Thanksgiving.
The upper chamber would then return to business on Monday, Nov. 29. It is not clear how long the Senate would then remain in session.
If the past is any indication of how long the Senate will remain in session, it could be for no more than a week or two before they adjourn for the year.
During that short time period, Congress could tackle tax cut legislation, a defense authorization bill, the DREAM Act, and an unemployment benefits extension. Republicans will be demanding tax cuts for the wealthy before they move on to obstruct other legislation. As a result, it’s quite possible that both S.3706 and any unemployment extension will have to wait until the new legislative year starting January 3. Republicans are more concerned about delivering their wealthy clientele a tax break for the holidays than delivering an unemployment check to millions of jobless Americans.
Another wildcard will be the mood of any Tea Party candidates who win congressional seats. If Sharron Angle beats Sen. Harry Reid, you can bet that the unemployed stand a much worse chance of seeing an benefits extension. Angle’s view of the unemployed is that they are rather lazy and unmotivated to seek work:
RALSTON: How would you have voted on that bill to extend unemployment benefits?
ANGLE: I would have voted no, because the truth about it is that they keep extending these unemployment benefits to the point where people are afraid to go out and get a job because the job doesn't pay as much as the unemployment benefit does.
You can read and see a video of the remaining interview: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/sharron-angles-unemployme_n_631350.html
How many unemployed will lose benefits if unemployment extension legislation is not passed by November 30? According to NELP 1.2 million:
If Congress fails to act, 1.2 million unemployed workers will be cut-off from federal jobless benefits this coming Holiday season. And millions more would face losing those benefits in the new year.
You can sign a NELP petition that demands legislation be passed by November 30 at: http://www.unemployedworkers.org/page/s/Sign_the_Petition_to_Congress
It’s somewhat disappointing that NELP didn't include the millions of 99ers and S.3706 in their petition, but it’s available for those non-99ers that want to sign it.
All is not lost. If Republicans and Tea Partiers fail to gain control of the House and Senate, then unemployment legislation may be able to move forward. Your vote will count. Be sure to vote for you, and your family’s interests, and not simply the special interests.
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I'm looking for stories from people who have been rejected during the hiring process for being unemployed. Have you been the victim of a temp agency that won't give you an interview because you are unemployed? Have you seen jobs ads for "employed only" or "unemployed need not apply"? Send your job rejection experiences to mike@layofflist.org.
You can also view my updates and new posts at Twitter: http://twitter.com/layofflist
Huffington Post
Last week Huffington Post was kind enough to give me a chance to post my work at their site. I hope to be able to spread the 99er word using their large audience. You can see my first effort at: 99er Advocacy Group Supports Dems: Better the Devil You Know Than the Devil of 'No'
Comments
In addition to the auspices of Examiner.com, I was glad to see you published @HuffPo.
In addition to Big Ed's effort, at the least the phrase "99er" was MENTIONED (featured?) by one of the "free" networks that only needs three letters (C_B_S) that doesn't require a cable/satellite feed to see their programming.
What are ABC/Disney and NBC (whoever bought/is buying them) waiting for, 11/30/2010?
The Repukicans disgust me. It is all about them, not the American public.
Wrong, it's not even about the Republican'ts...its about the rich who give them campaign. The Republican'ts don't even care about the majority of their constituents.
Mike,
Now you know why I feel like I’m wasting paper / email bandwidth / fax paper when I write to Mitch.
(Resident of Kentucky, and often wishing I wasn’t…)
The inequity of having some states pay more UI benefits than other states for different lengths of time as well as the exclusion of some states from receiving additional federal UI funding because of their employment rates is an injustice that should be corrected. This is a form of discrimination. Not paying equal unemployment insurance compensation is DISCRIMINATION BY LOCATION for being in a particular state or locality. Compensation discrimination by location is as bad a racial, sex, or any other form of discrimination and should be outlawed.
yeah, its the Republicans fault. All their fault. They control the White House, Senate, and House of Reps. Oh wait....
NELP has betrayed the 99ers. I will not have anything more to do with them.
Nor will I. NELP has been useless and unresponsive. I believe we should focus on the sponsors of S.3706 themselves, especially during the lame duck session. If they don't care now, no one will ever try to help.
Despite sending hundreds of emails to the largely unresponsive sponsors of S.3706, a couple of them (Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator Stabenow) have replied.
I remember when these things are really starting to fire up. I heard people who said they send hundreds of application and resumes. Well I did a homework myself. Three weeks ago, I dropped 17 applications from 99 cents store to Wal-Mart, over 20 employment agencies and at least 5 online application. Add all those up and I have at least 42 in three weeks. So if I am a 99er if I average let's say 10 applications a week (seeking that I did at least 42 in three weeks and I am downing my application number), and I am a 99er, I sent more or less than 990 applications!? It sounds off the chart, but that is possible although some of the employment agencies I went to the past few weeks are reapplication. One of them keeps an application for only three months. Still that being said that is a lot of what I did, because I NEVER miss a follow up weekly call and application when I lost my job. My phone bill can back up those claims. Mike maybe the statistics is wrong when they say that 1 job opening per 6 applicants is on the chart. Maybe it is 1 to 8 or 1 to 10 now. Today I thought I finally made a break after over two years of not having a job. I was called in, they have a position for shipping and packaging, and then when I got to the agency they said, "Sorry, but you didn't met the quota they are looking for." I asked, "What do you mean?" They said, "There is a number of people they can get and you didn't made the cut." Man oh man what a let down. I am willing to get an $8.50 an hour job and when I got everything on the track there goes the bombshell. So Mike in 36 days there will be more 99ers huh!? Well if the Democrats lose the house and the senate, and hope that it won't happen and I am voting for Democrat, I wish they leave with a BANG! Pass the bills for the people that even in their last days they show that they it's the Americans that matters the most and not AmeriCorps.
I agree. And I cannot figure out why Democrats were so much more motivated to run home to campaign than to do something meaningful to help their constituents! Nothing speaks louder than actions, and I suppose we will have one last chance, during the lame duck session, to see if any of them (especially cosponsors of S.3706) are willing to do anything more for the 99ers than grandstand.
It should be easy to get action on S.3706, since some Democratic cosponsors of the bill have agreed to extend tax cuts even for some additional upper income brackets. Democrats should insist on passing S.3706 and extending existing tiers through 2011, along with tax cut extensions for all. Perhaps they could extend both for a concurrent time period?
Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi should focus on a broad economic package during the lame duck session-- although they have shown no inclination so far to even put items like S.3706 on the agenda. If Democrats truly care about 99ers, they should use the lame duck session to help 99ers and all of the unemployed. Here's why:
(1) Republicans really want tax cuts to pass before January 1st, for all Americans. This should be an easy tradeoff for Democrats, considering the importance of leaving tens of millions out in the cold. Yet the pressure is on Republicans more so than Democrats in the lame duck session, since they are the primary proponents of tax cuts, and after January 1st, the issue would be moot, even if Republicans control the House. Democrats and Republicans can easily accomplish both if they are willing to work together as adults.
(2) There is over $100 billion in unused stimulus funds remaining, according to a report on MSNBC this morning. That would easily pay for S.3706, but if Republicans take the House, unused stimulus funds will revert to the Treasury on January 1st.
(3) If necessary, Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi could also keep Congress in session through January 1st, as they threatened to do with healthcare reform. But are they as concerned about 99ers as they were about healthcare reform? Time will tell, but we all know they could have mounted an effort like this long before now.
Genuine leadership from Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi during the lame duck session, and both parties, working together as adults, is all that is required to get this done. And I believe that the lame duck session will be an ideal time to get it done, while both parties are compelled to work on issues addressing "Main Street".
Obama panel mulls end to mortgage interest, child tax deductions...
Obama wants us all on welfare like Commies
Sacrosanct tax breaks, including deductions on mortgage interest, remain on the table just weeks before the deficit commission issues recommendations on policies to pare back with the aim of balancing the budget by 2015.
The tax benefits are hugely popular with the public but they have drawn the panel's focus, in part because the White House has said these and other breaks cost the government about $1 trillion a year.
Republicans want the long-term unemployed in tent cities, since they have not backed job creation or unemployment extensions. Republicans blocked a bill that would have slowed job outsourcing! Tax cuts for the wealthy ARE NOT popular, since they increase the deficit by $700 billion over ten years. Your wealthy cronies have reduced wages, increased health care costs and put millions of people out of work. Haven't Republicans done enough damage?
Instead of staying at the White House and working on the Economy and helping the unemployed Obama has spent more time on Vacations and playing Golf, now he is Campaigning for all the losers who back stabbed us. Campaigning is like another Vacation for him and Michelle.
Medicare will be cut by 500 BILLION thanks to the Democrats.
to pay Obama pals
Where have all the trolls come from lately? Facts: For those eligible, Medicare services are NOT being cut $500 billion . Payments to hospitals and killer insurance companies are being REDUCED. The law calls for cuts of about $500 billion over 10 years from projected payment increases to hospitals, insurance companies and others under Medicare and other government health programs. But the Congressional Budget Office places the overall cost of Medicare over 10 years at $7.1 trillion, making the reductions required by the new law amount to 7 percent of Medicare costs. http:// www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/gop-ads-attacking-health-_n_708601.html
Poor bloated insurance companies and over compensated hospitals will receive 7% less. I'm sure they will still be able to provide services. Under Republicans there was a donut hole in prescription drug coverage. Under Democrats that is being closed. Under Republicans infant mortality did not decline: The U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline from 2000 to 2005.http ://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db09.htm As that stat shows, Republicans are not helping children. Trolls...........
Will NOT sign the NELP petition. They are media wh*res who have only their own self interests in the forefront. Id like someone to write an article about that.
Holding nose and voting for DEMS - the carrot danglers and wusses who could have help us but refused to push with all their might.
"Have you seen jobs ads for "employed only" or "unemployed need not apply"? Send your job rejection experiences to mike@layofflist.org. "
I have seen jobs ads (most of those jobs I have been wanting to apply and even ended up applying with no reply...) stating words equivalent to those you described above such as "...experience must be current..." or "...continuous experience...", "...no gaps...". Employers have been totally discriminating those who by no fault of their own lost their jobs and have been out of the workforce for a while. They are trying to hide the true words "unemployed need not apply" by using alternative words in a very discrete way. NOTHING has been done about this, and the unemployed continue to be called lazy, unwilling to work, etc, you name it! The French are no wimp, they fight for their rights. What about us, the Great and Brave Americans? Hello?! What are we waiting for, for the Tier V to be considered? Just complaining and letting ourselves being humiliated by those idiots up there who must be laughing at us, the little people, everyday while living an awesome life with no needs, neither they or their families, being supported by OUR tax money!
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