More delays on helping unemployed job seekers, no replacement for Byrd until July 19

[DimplesinMI]

Source: Examiner.com

Delay is the word of the week, while millions wait for legislative officials’ actions to assist unemployed job seekers. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has decided not appoint an interim replacement to the late Senator Robert Byrd (FR-D-WV) seat until Friday, July 16, and as late as Sunday, July 18.

“In a perfect world, Friday night I make an appointment,” he told The Associated Press yesterday. “In a perfect world, by Monday I make my announcement of what my intentions are.”

The latest statement by Governor Manchin pushes the date back on a vote taking place in the Senate on one of the two unemployment extension bills; American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act -H.R.-4213 and Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act-HR-5618, until the week of Monday, July 19.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-48896-Detroit-Job-Search-Examiner~y2010m7d13-More-delays-on-helping-unemployed-job-seekers-no-replacement-for-Byrd-until-July-19

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Manchin is playing games...worried more about himself (i.e.-Running for the seat in November 2010), then getting this issue done and over for unemployed job seekers. I swear, I get more tired each day on all of these delay tactics.....

[lark]

1. Self serving SOB

Kick and Rec

[DesertFlower]

2. they don't care about people only

about lining their own pockets.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. In a perfect world, there would be a lot more Americans asking why

the damn UC Benefits are being used as a political plaything.

These are human lives being destroyed by politicians and their games. I was lucky enough to get my SS Disability approved just as my UC benefits would have ended. It wasn't a lot of money, but it made an impact on our daily lives and allowed us to keep our house.

Most of the people who need these benefits are good decent people. We aren't a bunch of lazy do nothing people who would rather stay at home and sponge off of the government. They spend every day looking for a better way to feed their families than what UC pays.

Most of us didn't create the economic meltdown caused by the avarice and criminality of our elected officials, the corporations and the banksters but we sure as hell paid the price for their reptilian disregard for the "small people".

I don't care how it gets done, but the UC benefits better damn well get approved ASAP!!!!

[DallasNE]

4. Not That Straight Forward

There are conflicts in the language on replacement. One part says that a special election is required if more than 30 months remain in the term. When Byrd passed away there were 30 months and 5 days remaining. It is also past the filing deadline for the November election. For that reason the Governor is calling a special session of the Legislature on Thursday.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJNsYvo9r6oANYKQgXuqtlBabdMQD9GTMOOG1

His recommendation is expected to be for a special primary election around Labor Day then in November the permanent replacement would be elected. Republicans could demand that the September election be the special election with no vote in November. The odds of a court challenge are probably pretty darn high regardless. Under the circumstances I give the Governor high marks for his handling of this issue.

[okcnhra]

5. Pure and Simple

Problem here is that the bill is not "just" about unemployment benefits extension and tax credit extensions which is something I think everyone agrees needs passed! If you want a bill to pass 100%, make the bill only about extending the unemployment benefits and tax credits instead of throwing all the kitchen sink attachments onto it like a tar baby.

For instance, Section 413 deals with a additional 15.3% tax on small business that has less than three owners and basically gives the Internal Revenue Service an open door to write new taxation provisions that will effectively kill a lot of small family businesses that are just barely getting by now. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and other small business advocates are going crazy fighting this section to get it out of the bill. And that's a just cause and needed.

Don't think that section is about unemployment nor tax credit expirations....

So the news soundbites of non-passage make it sound like the unemployed are expendable when it's the same old political game of taking a sure bet and dragging it down with issues that are much tougher, less likely to find a foothold of passage and take a chance that they might just sneak through on the coat tails of the sure bet.

And the whole bill passage process slows down to a crawl or fails as all the hanger's on try to hold on.