Since the Banksters and the Rich

need to be bailed out, our illustrious Congress feels the unemployed must be sacrificed to help them.

After all, the unemployed are too poor to contribute to political campaigns.

WSWS:

As is often the case, there is a certain division of labor between the two parties of big business on this issue. Republicans evince unconcealed contempt for the unemployed. Asked recently by a reporter to square his party’s call for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans with the elimination of unemployment benefits for the poorest—when the latter stimulates the economy far more effectively at far less cost—Rep. John Shaddeg of Arizona responded mockingly, “Unemployed people hire people? Really? I didn't know that.”

For their part, Obama and the Democrats—who still control both houses of Congress—have responded with palpable indifference, along with their usual admixture of cowardice and dishonesty. Their line from the beginning has been based on the lie that benefits cannot be extended without Republican support, which they know full well is not forthcoming. Early speculation that the extension of benefits might be wrangled from the Republicans in exchange for extending Bush-era tax cuts for the rich—which are far more costly—has evaporated.

Both political parties are on the same team, thanks to systematic bribery of the political process.

And Of Course Both Parties are on the Same Team

when it comes to "extending" unemployment benefits, which in reality haven't been extended in over a year. Now Congress doesn't even want to push back filing dates for the various tiers, lest anyone think the UI rate is higher than is being claimed by the government.

And for those of us who have exhausted all benefits, well, it's too bad, so sad.

WSWS:

Thus, it would actually be highly popular for Obama to take up the cudgel for extended unemployment benefits. His refusal to do so demonstrates the actual class forces that the Obama administration and both the Democratic and Republican parties represent. The entire official political structure defends the interests of “the corporate chiefs and titans of Wall Street who are at the heart of the American aristocracy,” to use Herbert’s language.

Far from taking measures to alleviate the impact of mass unemployment, let alone provide jobs for those who desperately want them, the Obama administration and the American corporate elite as a whole are using mass unemployment to impoverish the working class and drive down wages throughout the country.

The NYT Has a Pretty Good Editorial

about how Congress couldn't care less about "extending" unemployment benefits (which isn't "extending" them at all, of course, as the exhaustees are now thrown out on the street) unless somehow there is some kind of deal cut to allow the parasitical class to keep their outrageous tax cuts.

But the paper shouldn't be shocked. Congress doesn't represent the people any longer.

Congress is Not Your Friend

Not only did the House refuse to extend UI yesterday using procedural schemes, but the Senate hasn't even scheduled a vote on the legislation.

Both parties are in cahoots to destroy this country in order to enrich a few.

Lotsa luck trying to get anywhere with protests.

News, Etc.

The House decided to ape the Senate for its worthlessness and shot down extending the filing dates for federal UI benefits thanks to procedural nonsense.
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Brian Sandoval might ditch the Nevada governorship and challenge incumbent senator John Ensign, who has indicated he will run for re-election despite investigations and scandal.

Or maybe Sharron Angle can offer a challenge.
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Apparently some college administrators never heard of IDEA or ADA.

Disgusting.
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This is so tragic I can't believe it:

By the time he arrived at the pound on Monday, the shelter employee in charge of euthanizing animals that day had apparently picked the wrong dog out of the pen and administered a lethal injection, performing what the shelter referred to as “P.T.S.,” or put to sleep.

“I am heartsick over this,” Ruth Stalter, the county’s animal care and control director, said in a statement. “I had to personally deliver the news to the dog’s owner, and he and his family are understandably distraught.”

Barraged with criticism, the county ordered an investigation and placed the unidentified woman who euthanized Target on administrative leave. “This is unacceptable,” Ms. Stalter said, “and no family should be deprived of their companion because procedures were not followed.”

And If the Below Post Didn't Warm Your Heart,

don't expect this dead duck Congress to do one goddamned thing for the currently unemployed.

While the continuation of the tax cuts for the rich appears to be a near-certainty, the extension of special funding for approximately 2 million long-term unemployed American workers is unlikely to be met by the November 30 deadline. This means that benefits will immediately dry up for 800,000 workers, followed by another 1.2 million by the end of December.

According to most media accounts, there is virtually no chance the jobless benefits extension will be acted on by November 30. After that, liberal Democrats may barter away tax cuts for the rich for an agreement on the extension of the long-term benefits until next year, when the program is almost certain to be scrapped. But other Democrats have indicated they might propose a bill that would gradually draw down the benefits. “There is a desire to see that any reduction in weeks be connected to the state of the economy,” a Democratic congressional aide told the Wall Street Journal.

The tale of the two extensions—jobless benefits for the unemployed and tax cuts for the rich—exposes the blatant hypocrisy of the supposed “concern” in ruling circles over deficit spending. The long-term unemployed benefits would likely cost about $35 billion for six months, the same price tag, on an annualized basis, as the cost of the extension of the tax cuts for the rich.

Naturally UI benefits the economy, while the rich just sit on their stupid asses and hoard the money.

The economy dies as a result.

Fat Chance Congress

will do one thing about the extended unemployment benefits; they are taking their cue from the WTO, etc., members of whom want Chinese wages in this country. The more people who are unemployed and underemployed, the more wages and salaries are pushed downward.

60 Minutes

had a good segment tonight about the longterm unemployed; to be specific, those who have exhausted all benefits:

link

It is a depressing segment. I am going through much the same thing.

I am "working," if you can call it that, substituting as an teacher's aide for a piddling $11.58 an hour but of course it isn't reliable work. When I substitute taught in Nevada, I never even cleared a thousand dollars a month. Even if I had a "full-time" job doing this stuff, which I wouldn't do, it would pay only about 15k a YEAR. Not enough to even rent a place, so I would not do it. Not for a job requiring heavy lifting, tube feeding, toileting, and even inserting catheters.

I am also looking at working a temporary clerical position for the Christmas season. At least it pays once a week, unlike the SOESD position, which pays only once a month.

I can hardly stand it anymore.

Ten Cents Says Congress Won't Do One Thing

about "extending" jobless benefits--this is about creating an "austerity" program whereby all of the peons have to pay for the banksters' and other rich elites' screwups.

I didn't hold my breath about a Tier 5, and I sure won't be holding my breath for ANY further help for those still on extended unemployment benefits.

More Bullshit from the United States Senate

as Republicans "blocked" an attempt to help the 99ers on extended unemployment benefits.

Nothing will ever be done because this is the way these fuckers in Congress want it.

Is It Any Wonder

why I can't stand the United States Senate? Stabenow threw a bone for the EUI exhaustees, but of course Congress has absolutely no intention of doing one thing about it.

Hell, the IMF is worried about uprisings around the world, but Congress sure as hell isn't worried.

link

Is There Hope After All?

Michael Thornton, who has done such a great job keeping us informed of what is going on regarding unemployment legislation, or the lack of it, for those of us who have exhausted all benefits, says Ed Schultz has some major news tonight. I won't be around to hear about it as I am on this computer for only a little while (I am back in Reno until Friday, I believe, getting all my things moved to storage and then I will be returning to southern Oregon).

Aid can't come soon enough. I am just about totally broke.

Well, Shelley Berkley of Nevada

says she is going to draft a bill to add a Tier 5 for those of us who have exhausted all benefits to be introduced in September.

Why can't Obama simply call a special session of Congress and get this shit over with?

What is needed is an automatic trigger of benefits to kick in when the national unemployment rate is over 7 percent. It has been done in the past.

Obama Should Call a Special Session of Congress

if it is indeed true that at least one representative is willing to write legislation adding a "Tier V" to the federal EUI. We KNOW it would pass the House; there should be pressure also on the Senate to actually craft it and put it up to a vote--BEFORE they, too, take off for a goddamned month.

Talk is Cheap, Senator Schumer

Ditto for Senator Stabenow. All this talk about adding more weeks to EUI, which should have happened a long time ago, will just disappear along with these politicians when they take yet ANOTHER break. The House takes off after Friday, with the Senate leaving the next week.

Then when these hardworking politicians return from six weeks of a working vacation, they will labor for two weeks before they take off again.

Must be nice.

Last year, Congress enacted several pieces of legislation that ultimately gave the unemployed in some states 99 weeks of benefits. With nearly 15 million unemployed competing for just three million jobs available, 99 weeks isn't enough time for some people to find work. Hundreds of thousands had already joined the ranks of the "99ers" in April. The Washington Post reported recently that the total had reached 1.4 million

Political Crap

While Dean may be correct Fox News is racist, the REAL issue in the Sherrod debacle is the White House seemed to have caved in an effort to pander to the right and to "independents" and were made to appear weak.
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Oh, please. Nevadans aren't THAT stupid they are going to put in a complete dipshit in the United States Senate. The media needs to quit making a horse race out of something that was over and done with when the GOP picked Angle to run against Reid.
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Senator Charles Schumer of New York is ready to craft legislation that would add more weeks for those of us out here who have exhausted all unemployment benefits and face complete destitution, but he needs at least one Republican to sign on. If it means Democrats have to use the stimulus money, so be it. We have a jobs crisis out here, and something must be done.

Sharron Angle

apologizes to all of us hobos and bums when she said we were "spoiled," yet she still peddles her silly right-wing nonsense about the economy.

Partial UI is already possible if one takes a part-time job or temporary job, just as long as the person continues to file weekly claims and is seeking regular full-time work; unfortunately in this economy, the most unskilled jobs generally have the most applicants, so drawing partial benefits doesn't apply to many people.

More About EUI

from tonight's Ed Show:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Senate Finally Got Around

to pushing back the cutoff date for filing for extended unemployment benefits to November 30. The vote was 59 to 39, when not one damned person should have voted against it.

Not one thing for the exhaustees like yours truly, but it is rumored Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan is working on such a bill.

It is desperately needed out here.

In the meantime, I sent in my resumes to the person who handles the Experience Works program for people over 55 years of age. We will see if she gets back to me on this or if there is a long waiting list to be placed.

"Stripped Down"

doesn't begin to describe the piss-poor excuse of a UI "extension" which it is obviously not.

We must pay for the fuck-up the banksters and other elites created; you know, "austerity" for the peons while the asshole rich do better than ever.

Tuesday’s vote was based largely on electoral calculations. Democrats hope that Obama’s attack on Republicans, whose opposition to the temporary extension was nearly unanimous, will resonate under conditions of the worst jobs crisis since the Great Depression.

The longer-term prospects for those depending on extended jobless benefits remain grim. Whereas an earlier version of the bill would have expired at the end of the year, in the new Senate version benefits will dry up in November, soon after the midterm elections. With Republicans widely anticipated to add seats in the Senate, it is highly likely that extended jobless benefits will cease after the start of the 112th Congress next January, if not sooner.

The bill itself is a stripped-down version of similar “jobs bills” passed over the past two years. While it will retroactively reinstate benefits to millions of laid off workers, what has been left out of the legislation will result in increased hardship and poverty.

Third Worldom here we come.