Long-Term Unemployment: No Help For The 99ers

[tonysam]

Piles of money for Wall Street, for Greece, but if you have either exhausted all EUI or are about to, Congress doesn't give a flying shit. Even "Democrats" think long-term unemployed are "lazy."

This week Congress will consider legislation to reauthorize extended unemployment benefits for the rest of the year. It's going to be an epic fight: Republicans in the Senate will likely do everything they can to stand in the way of a bill projected to add $123 billion to the deficit, forcing Dem leadership to round up a supermajority for a last-minute Friday vote before Congress adjourns for its Memorial Day recess.

Too bad the jobs crisis, in a big way, has already left this bill in the dust. Hundreds of thousands of people have exhausted their extended unemployment benefits. In some states, laid-off workers can receive checks for 99 weeks -- and that's all they're going to get. This bill isn't for the "99ers" and there's no proposal on deck to give them additional weeks of benefits.

"What's frustrating is that our government doesn't seem to think this is an important issue," said Christy Blake, a 35-year-old mother of two in Fruitland, Md. "We didn't put ourselves here. It wasn't our choice. I have been diligently looking for work."

Blake told HuffPost she received her last biweekly $618 unemployment check in February. She said she lost her job as an accounting associate with the city of Fruitland in September 2008 (jobless Marylanders can get 73 weeks of benefits). She said she's three months behind on rent and has no idea how she'll pay the $205.63 electric bill that came with a May 28 cutoff warning. She said she's applied for jobs at Walmart, Target and McDonald's without any luck. She has no idea what to do.

link

Live out of your car or go on welfare, provided you can get it. If one is single and with no kids, forget welfare.

But the current propaganda says there is more hiring. Bull fucking shit. There is NOTHING out there without hundreds if not thousands of people standing in line for those same "jobs."

People scoff at the tea party types, but there is such anger out there it is going to rise to a fever pitch if this worthless piece of shit government doesn't do anything about jobs or the unemployed.

Nothing else matters. Democrats better get a fucking clue or THEY will be out of work in November.

Good comment here:

v eyepete

Reading through the comments, it is a wonder to me that so many people can be taking this news of impending doom so lightly. I suppose they feel secure in their jobs and have never run out of money to buy food. I don't think they would be in the mood to joke had they ever had this experience. What will happen when all these millions of people are cut off'? Where will the money come from to buy things? When they stop buying things, companies will go out of business and downsize and more people will be out of work. Doesn't anyone get it that the same Repugnantcan legislators who voted for the deregulation that caused this mess, are still doing things to throw the country in chaos? When there is proper madness in the streets, do all those people who took the bailout and ran to their homes with high walls think those walls will protect them? I think it is wiser to keep people eating. Stop that ridiculous war and save money there.

[dana_b]

1. k&r

although that brought it up to "0".

What do they care? They make millions.

You know she must be lazy. It's so much easier to be near homelessness than to work. :sarcasm:

[tonysam]

2. This thread needs to be rec'd.

These morons in our Congress won't do one cotton picking thing. Then THEY will be out of work in November.

I have never seen anything this bad in my lifetime. At every street intersection it seems there are people begging for money, sometimes with pets and kids in tow.

Hey, they can go out and get a job. After all, we have a "recovery."

Naturally, the economy will go further south when there are no more of the unemployed spending money.

[NNN0LHI]

5. 99 weeks of unemployment is unprecedented

You think you are going to do better with Republicans?

Most I could get under Reagan was 39 weeks when I was laid off nearly two years.

Good luck.

Don

[tonysam]

6. Tell that to the voters. Democrats OWN this. They have the votes.

They won't if they don't fucking deal with it. They will be voted out in November. 99 weeks ISN'T enough with NO JOBS being created.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Good then put the Republicans back in charge and see how fast it goes back down to 39 weeks

Good luck.

Don

[tonysam]

9. So are you accusing me of being in favor of Republicans?

What a crock. Making excuses for Democrats' inaction won't cut it in November. Of course the GOP won't do shit, but Democrats--especially Senators--are making excuses. They have the votes NOW--they won't if they don't do anything.

Once millions of people fall off UI and aren't spending money, this economy will tank further big time.

[tonysam]

7. It was regarded as a crisis then. Today is nothing like then.

We have a major crisis. Have you been outside and looked around in your city and seen how many people are hitchhiking and having "will work for food" signs? I have. It is HORRIBLE out there.

Cry me a river about how bad you had it 30 years ago. I was unemployed then, too, but managed to find work eventually. Two years unemployed now, thirty years OLDER, and I can't get SHIT, not even temporary work.

[tonysam]

3. Another post I liked

You want to see a march on Washinton, let people (children women and men) starve to death in large numbers and you will see something the Tea Party could not be on its best day (legitimately outraged). If we have reached the point where the government feels people are glad to live on "$618" every two weeks, then we have reached a critical stage in these transformative times. I want the government to come out and just say it -- you people do not matter, prepare to die. Be honest boys and girls.

Here Goldman, here AIG, here Big Pharma and insurance, have some more money, we got plenty to spare for the likes of you. When you need soldiers to fight your foreign/domestic wars, send your daughters and sons, do not look to the people you consider lazy, of no worth and value. Just come out and say it – I got mine, you get yours. Then hurry home to lock your doors and lock and load you weapon for that dark form moving ever closer will be the people cominfg to feast upon fat cats, cronies, cohorts, and charlatans.

The foreclosed upon homeowner has no remedy in government. The gambler on Wall Street has the government to come in and offer 100 cents on the dollar for devalued assets. How convenient and truly American that is. How does one get such a license to steal?

I say have tent cities all over D.C., near the WH and the Capitol, and maybe, just maybe, these idiots would get a clue.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. K & R!

:grr:

[undeterred]

10. Ed Schultz is doing his show on this today

and lots of 99ers are calling in talking about everything they've done to try to find a job. I am just starting tier 3 benefits myself. It seems like Congress doesn't have a clue that people just can't find jobs, any kind of job.

Edit: I was off for 16 months during the Bush Recession of 2001-2002. I was laid off 6 months before September 11. I wrote to the entire congress (House and Senate) about extending unemployment benefits but when they finally did it was March 2002 and they did not make them retroactive. So I had months with no income at all. The people helped most were those who lost jobs on September 11 -they got it just in time. I hate Republicans. If there were Dems in the majority at that time I'm sure it would have been better, as the current number of extensions demonstrates.

[tonysam]

12. I have just ended my Tier III and am going into Tier IV

I am SCARED to death. I am having to move in with family, something I do not want to do, and try to save what money I have left to get to tide me over to perhaps find some seasonal work this fall or to go back to school. Too old to work--55--and too young to collect SS.

[undeterred]

15. Hang in there.

You can only live one day at a time. Keep applying for jobs and let the temp agencies know you're available. I did find a 3 month temp job which ended recently and now that its over I am studying for a certification which should help me find something better. If not maybe another short term thing will come up.

Its forcing a lot of us to make choices we don't want to make.

:hug:

[tonysam]

16. I lived 26 years in Reno, Nevada, and I can't do it anymore

I can't pay the rent and the utilities and be able to do much else--and I get the maximum in this state. I shudder to think of people who get less. With 13.7-percent unemployment in this state, there are few jobs to be had, and what ones are advertised are so exacting in their requirements it's impossible to qualify.

I don't want to lose everything I've worked for. I did apply for my PERS pension, which may be only about 300 a month thanks to the school district wrongfully firing me, but it would help pay my auto insurance and any storage unit rent I need.

[tonysam]

11. Executive orders can't be done

The President will not issue an Executive Order for a bill that will easily cost more than $200 billion. Doing so would only cause further division and as stated above, there really is no specific law that gives the President the authority to place into Executive Order such a large bill that would affect so many states and persons especially when the bill would be deficit spending. If such an Executive Order were to happen, it is subject to Supreme Court challenge and it would certainly receive that challenge when we consider the facts about the use of previously used Executive Orders and the current political climate in D.C. just to extend the dates of the current unemployment tiers.

In fact, it is more likely that all of the Senators in Washington would sing Kumbaya and begin working with each other rather than against each other than it is that the President will issue an Executive Order of this magnitude that would ultimately be challenged in the Supreme Court and could result in millions of Americans having to repay any benefit amount that would be received if such an Executive Order were to happen.

Everything in this post has been sourced and is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Any political assertions were based on the knowledge of a blogger who not only blogs about unemployment - but also has been blogging about politics for a long time and is passionate about the subject. However, this blog is intended for unemployment information only. While the issue of unemployment insurance is political right now, some political knowledge is needed to be made known to the public so that everyone is aware of the facts and so that everyone knows the true probability of what will happen if legislation to extend the weeks of unemployment benefits becomes law.

US Unemployed

[Greyhound]

13. K&R. So sad.

And too bad we elected a President who has utterly failed to even attempt to address the problems mere people are facing on this issue.:grr:
:kick: & R

[tonysam]

14. This comment from US Unemployed is good

Based on my observation it has became more difficult because Democrats no longer hold a super majority in Congress. The stimulus was passed with 60 democrat votes in the Senat. Thanks to the Tea Party and loud vocal protest to government spending, anything that has a price tag attached is immediately over politicized as wasteful spending by Republicans. Even tax cuts included with some items which Republicans have recently been in favor are subject to scrutiny.

See on the sidebar of this blog and click on the item under "Jobless In America" articles and take a look at the March numbers with Senators. You will see a near equal amount of Republicans to Democrats who represent the states with highest unemployment. That's the problem. There is no majority when talking about the states with high unemployment and Republicans know this spending is necessary but they object to these extensions every time it is on the floor and harp on PAY-GO. This places 100% of the political burden on Democrats and that's exactly what Republicans want by grandstanding on vital issues such as unemployment legislation. As noted in the post, this type of inaction gives them the unique opportunity to say one thing to the camera and do the other on the Senate floor.

People underestimated the severity of this recession but we also underestimated the serious divide of the two political parties in power. I suppose it has mostly always been this way hence the saying, "it will take an act of Congress to get ___ done. " When you're working and the economy is well not as many pay close attention to C-SPAN and all of the details that is happening but if you are unemployed most are watching every detail and educating themselves to procedure and which Senator is doing what. There's time to see the how, when, what, and where but we seldom see the why. For instance, I am still trying to determine how Democrats reached the figure of less than 8.5% for a three month average to cut off federal funding when 8.0% still equals millions of people in some states and hundreds of thousands in others. How this percentage was reached as a determination is not documented anywhere that I can find.

You asked me the why - that's what everyone is trying to figure out. There are the few obvious things that we know. (There could be other issues not made public). We know it has became extremely politically unpopular to do any deficit spending (yet both parties are doing it and these things where they agree do not make news). We know that one side of the aisle is very vocal about this and that they have a political base to appeal to to oppose the spending.

You're absolutely right, they cannot ignore long term unemployed forever. All they have to do is say that they are implementing the bipartisan Republican solution and do nothing though and the media will report it as fact and not question it until election time. All we can do is continue to bombard them with our interests and our needs. We need people in the Southern states helping also but my response from Senator Alexander and Senator Corker is a form letter that states information such as that "Congress recently did: _______. And that action will do this: _____."
Yet the action is not something either of them voted in favor. Do you see how they are getting away with taking credit for some congressional action and doing nothing or voting against that action?

It does seem that both political parties are hitting the ignore button on 99ers on the surface. I hope as time develops that 99ers can look back on this dark period and we will all eventually know more specific details as to why this long delay... Right now the answer of why equals a political argument based on speculation and our open discussion about it is causing division among our fellow unemployed but it's more than likely fact that a portion support one party and another portion support another political party. (Just pointing out the giant elephant in the room). The Great Recession did not discriminate against anyone's political affiliation.

We should all hold Senators to their statements and vote our conscience this November. Kirsten Gillibrand is on video saying yes to support for Tier 5 thanks to that Facebook session last month. Charles Schumer is on record being in favor of Tier 5 because so many out of work New Yorkers are getting a form letter from him stating his support for extending the weeks and/or creation of a Tier 5 and there have been independent journalist who confirmed these statements are real. These senators can be boxed in through their statements if someone has the ability to get them on video saying it.

We need the resource of a camera crew standing outside the Capitol building with cameras and microphones asking specifically about Tier 5 extensions and getting more on the record. Essentially, mainstream press.

I agree with you, the economy will take that double dip back into deep recession numbers for the GDP if the 99ers are not extended. It's the simple math that there are not enough jobs for everyone unemployed. If you are wanting political power back this November you want this double dip of a recession. It will make an easy win for you. If you are a Democrat in power right now you are having to work with the colleagues you have and not the colleagues you want.

I've said many times and I'll say it again, the unemployed would be better handled by the DHS or FEMA or any other government agency that is not this politicized. These are people's lives we are talking about here. It should not be a political game up for grabs by any party. The fate of someone's mortgage should not rest in the hand of Congressional lawmakers at odds with each other. Unfortunately, the reality is that is exactly the case right now and it's not a comfortable situation for anyone who is a 99er or long term unemployed.

I wish there was a more direct answer to your question but the entire issue is political and there's nothing abundant but mass speculation and educated guesses.

[MadHound]

17. And then there are those of us who don't qualify for unemployment benefits at all

I went back to school four years ago, looking to become a teacher, help to mitigate some of the damage being done by Bushco and NCLB. Besides, they always need teachers, right?

I graduated two weeks ago, and now not only am I facing an utterly horrible job market in education, and elsewhere, I'm also now facing a president who is actively working against me and my profession.

[tonysam]

18. Students don't get anything if they haven't worked or worked long enough. Teachers can if they are

laid off or fired. I was able to get it when I was let go after a temporary position ended in 2002-2003. I was wrongfully terminated by the same district in April 2008, and I received my UI without any problem.

It's if you try to get UI during the summer months while still employed which disqualifies you.

[tonysam]

19. Everybody should send Congress their unpaid bills, including student loans.

n/t

[tonysam]

20. kick n/t