http://www.thenation.com/outrage/index.mhtml?bid=6The Daily Outrage by Matt Bivens
When the economy sours, we traditionally gin up some extra aid for the unemployed. That's just smart economics: It keeps people who want to work but can't afloat, just long enough to find work when the economy revives. (Otherwise they sink beyond help, and end up being far more costly to society.)
But this year, the Bushies have decided to turn off that federal aid spigot even before the jobs picture improves. Hell, it might eat into some of the money set aside for more deserving people!
So what do we have? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, some 760,000 jobless workers so far this year have exhausted all unemployment benefits. In fact, data from Bush's own Labor Department shows that 350,000 individuals exhausted all benefits in January -- the largest amount to do so in a single month ever since records started being kept 33 years ago.
All of which has economists and sensible people arguing for reinstatement of temporary unemployment aid, if only to help the children of three-quarters of a million American families.
The Bush Administration response?
A bold new stance on gay marriages.