Can they get 5 GOP votes to extend Unemployment?

The heartless and soulless, and morally challenged party of the elite the GOP again is the only bar to the 1.3 million Americans getting an extension on their unemployment extension.

Imagine in some parts of the country the temperature is 40 below, imagine being in the position of losing your only money for so many of our American brothers and sisters, and living with the fear of being thrown out on the street with this weather.

Senate Set To Vote On Unemployment Bill “I'm optimistic, cautiously optimistic, that the new year will bring a renewed spirit of cooperation to this chamber," said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in the first remarks of the year on the Senate floor. Within moments, he pivoted, accusing Republicans of "never ending obstruction" to President Barack Obama's proposals over the past five years. A test vote on the unemployment bill — the year's first showdown — was postponed at the last minute until Tuesday morning at the behest of Republicans, who noted that more than a dozen lawmakers had been unable to return to Washington because of bad weather. Even then the rhetoric was heated. "It's transparent this is a political exercise," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, moments before Reid agreed to the delay. Democratic supporters of the three-month extension of jobless benefits said they were close to the 60 votes needed to advance the White House-backed bill. Their chances hinged on securing backing from at least four Republicans in addition to Sen. Dean Heller of high-unemployment Nevada, a co-sponsor. The bill would restore between 14 weeks and 47 weeks of benefits to an estimated 1.3 million long-term jobless affected when the program expired on Dec. 28. Payments, which average about $256 weekly, will be cut off to thousands more in the coming weeks as their initial 28 weeks' worth of unemployment benefits expire.”

Let's hope our leaders do the right thing!

What I could never understand was why oh why the Democrats who had full power in 2009/2010 didn't simply create a few million jobs by limiting or even stopping certain imports ?

They had the chance of a lifetime to save face and actually do some good for the majority of citizens.

Never could understand that lost opportunity.

But I guess more tax revenues spread out wider and less national debt is beyond their thinking.

It must have been the vote mining.

How long should it be extended in your point of view. I am not being sarcastic, I am honestly curious.

In my family we pretty much exist hand to mouth, so I do feel for those who do the same and for those that are less fortunate. I don't think anybody should go hungry and I don't think children should be punished by having to go without for whatever reason.

So they extend this bill up to another 47 weeks.... then what? Another extension? How many extensions is too many?

I am genuinely curious. I am not sure what the answer is to the economic problems we are facing, but how long can the government keep paying these benefits before it is ok to stop?

Are we making folks more dependent because they know they have "x" number of years to find a job but still receive some form of support?

xuenchen
What I could never understand was why oh why the Democrats who had full power in 2009/2010 didn't simply create a few million jobs by limiting or even stopping certain imports ?

They had the chance of a lifetime to save face and actually do some good for the majority of citizens.

Never could understand that lost opportunity.

But I guess more tax revenues spread out wider and less national debt is beyond their thinking.

It must have been the vote mining.

You don't expect them to give up their "kickbacks" do you? One party always wants the other party to give up their "monetary kickbacks" for not doing/doing certain things, thus nothing ever gets done that benefits anybody besides themselves.

But I know you knew that already.

reply to post by Willtell


How long do you extend unemployment benefits before we just call it well-fare?

I am not being heartless, but a year or two is enough to find a job.

Q: Why are these people unemployed?
A: Bad choices.

Q: Why should I be concerned?
A: Quite frankly ... I am not.

Q: Why is it a 'given' that only 5 conservative votes are required?
Q: Why is there 'no question' every liberal will vote for this extension?

I thought we were in an economic recovery.



Isn't Obama president? I thought he was in charge.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


This is considered a special time and case because the politicians know the harm the Banksters did to the economy

They know the trillions of lost 401 k’money to the middle class and poor. I personally know people who lost 6 figures in 401k money, lost forever.

They should extend these benefits until the economy gets closer to where it was before the 2007-8 depression.

This is also a reason why we need a national job initiative something the GOP again is fighting.

They want more austerity. Austerity HAS NEVER WORKED, WILL NEVER WORK AND IT ISN'T WORKING.

Willtell
reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

 

This is considered a special time and case because the politicians know the harm the Banksters did to the economy

They know the trillions of lost 401 k’money to the middle class and poor. I personally know people who lost 6 figures in 401k money, lost forever.

They should extend these benefits until the economy gets closer to where it was before the 2007-8 depression.

This is also a reason why we need a national job initiative something the GOP again is fighting.

They want more austerity. Austerity HAS NEVER WORKED, WILL NEVER WORK AND IT ISN'T WORKING.

Funny.

Not once did you blame the president.

I thought he was the one who signed off on these bills.

reply to post by Willtell


Flame me all you want...... but giving more and more unemployment extensions does NOTHING to help in the long run. Eventually people have to actually work. Extensions are merely putting on band aid over the stump of a gushing wound where a finger was before it was cut off. Sooner or later there has to be a limit to how much unemployment you can draw. some people were getting almost a year of unemployment benefits.

Create Jobs or get out of the way of business and allow THEM to create jobs. Otherwise we might as well just get use to letting people get money for contributing nothing. Personally, I'd rather our Leaders focus on ways to employ more Americans and get them paying taxes rather than spending yet more money on things that just put us further in the hole. My pockets are tired of being picked by my Government. I don't get any benefits or breaks for working and being successful, instead I'm told "You're not doing enough, you need to contribute more", by people who don't even contribute.

“The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.”

“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

reply to post by Willtell


If they should be extended until the economy gets better, then as others have said, this isn't unemployment insurance anymore. It's a new form of welfare. Employers are still paying it as unemployment insurance and that cost is going up and up as the money goes out, raising the costs of goods and services.....but that's icky economics stuff.

The basic thing is, if we are going to extend a program that was never, in it's wildest imaginings, meant to go beyond short term assistance? They need to rename it. It's nothing like what the name implies anymore. Simple as that.

Snarl
Q: Why are these people unemployed?
A: Bad choices.

Q: Why should I be concerned?
A: Quite frankly ... I am not.

Q: Why is it a 'given' that only 5 conservative votes are required?
Q: Why is there 'no question' every liberal will vote for this extension?

Q1 answer, not always, sometimes they are out of your control.

Q2 answer, you should be, most are but two pay checks from bankruptcy.

Q3 answer, you say liberal like it is a bad thing, they want to feed the poor and insure that everyone has healthcare, but by being a conservative, you wish the rich to get richer, while your middle class lifestyle goes to hell.

reply to post by Willtell

This is considered a special time and case because the politicians know the harm the Banksters did to the economy

They know the trillions of lost 401 k’money to the middle class and poor. I personally know people who lost 6 figures in 401k money, lost forever.

These would be the same bankers that Obama and his DOJ refuse to criminally prosecute?

While I don't want people hungry or in the streets this is nothing but a political move by the democrats ahead of the mid-terms. If they pass it they look good, if it fails they show how evil the GOP is.

From what I've seen the GOP is willing to pass this but wants some cuts somewhere else to compensate. Which sounds logical to me, everyone knows how over-bloated the federal government is. What was it the HHS squandered in mistakes and fraud, $60+ billion.

pavil
reply to post by Willtell

 

Flame me all you want...... but giving more and more unemployment extensions does NOTHING to help in the long run. Eventually people have to actually work. Extensions are merely putting on band aid over the stump of a gushing wound where a finger was before it was cut off. Sooner or later there has to be a limit to how much unemployment you can draw. some people were getting almost a year of unemployment benefits.

Create Jobs or get out of the way of business and allow THEM to create jobs. Otherwise we might as well just get use to letting people get money for contributing nothing. Personally, I'd rather our Leaders focus on ways to employ more Americans and get them paying taxes rather than spending yet more money on things that just put us further in the hole. My pockets are tired of being picked by my Government. I don't get any benefits or breaks for working and being successful, instead I'm told "You're not doing enough, you need to contribute more", by people who don't even contribute.

“The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.”

“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

American businesses will not create jobs, they will send them off shore for less money, and do more for less here. Reaganomics is a joke played on us all.

Bassago
reply to post by Willtell

 

This is considered a special time and case because the politicians know the harm the Banksters did to the economy

They know the trillions of lost 401 k’money to the middle class and poor. I personally know people who lost 6 figures in 401k money, lost forever.

These would be the same bankers that Obama and his DOJ refuse to criminally prosecute?

While I don't want people hungry or in the streets this is nothing but a political move by the democrats ahead of the mid-terms. If they pass it they look good, if it fails they show how evil the GOP is.

From what I've seen the GOP is willing to pass this but wants some cuts somewhere else to compensate. Which sounds logical to me, everyone knows how over-bloated the federal government is. What was it the HHS squandered in mistakes and fraud, $60+ billion.

Bush and his people did nothing to prosecute them either, the financial collapse happened under Bush, let us all not forget that. In fact, most of the bailouts that Obama is blamed for began under Bush.

reply to post by Willtell


I'm getting pretty apatheitic to the plight of the long term unemployed. Yea lets extend benefits to those who are unemployed while gutting the Veterans benefits to pay for them. Sorry, no sympathy here.

Quick joke.

It's so cold right now, I saw a Democrat politician with his hands in his own pockets, rather than others.

BubbaJoe

Snarl
Q: Why are these people unemployed?
A: Bad choices.

Q: Why should I be concerned?
A: Quite frankly ... I am not.

Q: Why is it a 'given' that only 5 conservative votes are required?
Q: Why is there 'no question' every liberal will vote for this extension?

Q1 answer, not always, sometimes they are out of your control.

Q2 answer, you should be, most are but two pay checks from bankruptcy.

Q3 answer, you say liberal like it is a bad thing, they want to feed the poor and insure that everyone has healthcare, but by being a conservative, you wish the rich to get richer, while your middle class lifestyle goes to hell.

LOL

I take personal responsibility for myself and my family. I make sound judgement calls. I have 'worked' my way up from poverty and never asked for more than what I earned.

I expect the same of others.

Keep your hands away from my wallet. What you would propose is that I deny my own in favor of people who make consistently poor choices throughout their lives ... instead of charting a true course to success.

You are perfectly welcomed to call me cold-blooded on this issue if you wish. I will NOT take the slightest offense.

Willtell
They know the trillions of lost 401 k’money to the middle class and poor. I personally know people who lost 6 figures in 401k money, lost forever.

To be perfectly blunt.......they are/were idiots to lose that much. My clients in that same exact time frame lost exactly......well zero. In fact in 2008 they MADE MONEY, money that they will NEVER lose. There are such things, really there are. It all about WHERE you put money and WHEN to put it there. Letting it ride in the stock market on autopilot gets you the results you describe. We turned a $30,000 investment in 2009 into something now worth in excess of $600,000. Knowledge is power.

It really didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the market was overly inflated. People just fail to make rational decisions. Paper gains are just that.....imaginary.

For those of you keeping score.......this latest "recovery" is pretty well spent. And the Fed has no more magic arrows in it's quiver to use. If you have investments in the Stock market, I would be watching them very carefully, lest you want to lose another $100,000.

I feel the US Government and Bankers owe ALL of us a lot of money!

My 57 year old buddy was a well trained Network Specialist for the Rural Indian Health Board. A year ago he got "replaced" by a 30 year old at work. This 30 year old was willing to work for half of what my buddy was making. He had over 150k in his 401k prior to the crash. He now has 27k in it. He also can not seem to get a job in his field and I am here to say straight up that it was not for lack of trying. America does not hire 57 year old's. Except greeters at Walmart.

Should we toss him to the curb? Maybe starve him out? Perhaps make him live life in a box under a bridge? I have no problem saying no to lazy people who never bothered to get an education. However this man followed all the rules of Society. He worked for less money than he was worth because he believed with all his heart in helping low income Indians. He felt he was doing the right thing.

Perhaps he should have used his skills to be a thief not unlike the US Government, bankers and corporate raiders. As far as I am concerned he can have his piddly $1,200 a month unemployment for life. Oh and he has Ex-cutanious Lupis so most of his cash goes to insurance and staying alive. His wife uses her 1,500 a month income to pay for rent, food. Thankfully her job still provides insurance as she has MS.

Yup cut everyone benefits. Screw cutting the cash from the top 1% get it from people that worked in the system that screwed by it.

Middle America got ripped off and stabbed in the heart, and she continues to bleed.

TDawgRex

It's so cold right now, I saw a Democrat politician with his hands in his own pockets, rather than others.

I like that one!!!!!!