There has been a big disrespect paid to those that have been unemployed by no fault of their own but by the deregulating Congress, greedy wall street types, and the right wing talk media has been spinning that these folks just do not want to work or even look for a job. With a unemployment rate of 10% I would say if there are so many jobs for these folks then why are there 50 to 100 or more applicants for every job listed.
Congress has been giving the illusion of helping out time and time again but they really have not done what most think by reading what little the media has been publishing on a full explanation of benefits allocated and benefits paid for.
Here is where the actual weeks of emergency unemployment compensation that the federal government has allocated.
First the normal state allocation of 26 weeks.
Then a fderal funding of 53 weeks of emergency unemployment that was originally set-up in 2 tiers, then the same number of weeks was changed to 3 tiers and later to 4 tiers but the number of eligibility weeks has not changed from the 53.
So the only thing Congress has been debating if whether to change the dates that would cut off recipiants who have lost their jobs since the banking crash of 2008 and to fund the program they set-up some time ago. So they did and extended the dates to make more sense than previously rendered. This is the current:
- Must exhaust Regular UC benefits by 05/22/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 1 (20 weeks).
- Must exhaust EUC Tier 1 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 2 (14 weeks).
- Must exhaust EUC Tier 2 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 3 (13 weeks).
- Must exhaust EUC Tier 3 benefits by 05/29/2010 in order to be eligible for Tier 4 (6 weeks).
Now saying that there is one exception to a number of states that got an additional funding to state unemployment coffers of 20 weeks only to those states whose unemployment rate was exceedingly high like 12% or more. This is known as state tier 2 benefits.
So all things going well, the can is now kicked down the road till after the election if you are one of those lucky enough to collect the full 79 or 99 weeks of unemployment before the dates not the weeks cut you off again.
Then what? If the Republicans win the House and/or Senate, they can answer to the folks that are going to have a long cold winter.
It makes no sense to not fund the program. Without it there will be more folks staving, more crime as I do not blame someone who will do what is needed to feed ones family. More house foreclosures etc etc…
Now if you want to buy the Republicans argument that these folks just do not want to work…
Just fund the Emergency Unemployment at a 70% level for a 5th tier to get folks through the winter and help more, longer. These folks are going to be your burden one way or another but it is just the right thing to do at this time !
In the time it takes them to figure something out, there needs to be a second stimulus in the form of rebuilding Americas Infrastructure (bridges,dams,water works). It is needed for the country and will create the needed jobs and return a tax revenue throughout the economy, hence having the effect of paying for itself.
The American economy is at a teetering point. A little stimulus now or we will go into deficit spending of no return later. I can only hope the voters do not forget what caused this mess as it still has not been fixed regardless of the latest financial reform act. It was the “repeal of the Glass-Steagle act in 1999″ . Yes, the same legislation that was created from the last time the banks went wild with your money that led to the great depression and it only took the banks 9 years to screw it up again !. Apparently our politicians must come from schools where HISTORY is not taught !