Sen. Kyl: Unemployment Benefits A 'Job Disencentive'
Look closely, ladies and gentlemen, because the Republican party is the face of evil. How could anyone in their right mind oppose unemployment benefits during the worst recession in living memory? Simple: Because when a Republican says people won't look for jobs because they're on unemployment, he's really complaining they still have too much dignity to accept slave labor at slave wages.
Because as always, the GOP is about cheap, disposable labor with no legal protections. With the help of Blue Dog Democrats, they may eventually get their way. But for now, they'll try to strip away whatever shred of dignity a working person has left.
And really, we can't have that, can we? The little people might get ideas above their station:
A debate on the Senate floor Monday over unemployment compensation crystallized, at least for a moment, the divide between the two parties in Washington.
Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting "because people are being paid even though they're not working."
Unemployment insurance "doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said during debate over whether unemployment insurance and other benefits that expired amid GOP objections Sunday should be extended.
"I'm sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue that it's a job enhancer. If anything, as I said, it's a disincentive. And the same thing with the COBRA extension and the other extensions here," said Kyl.
Damn! Someone give these republicans more shovels. They are awesomely digging this hole deeper and deeper.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Dems. In case you haven't noticed.
Oh, I forgot we had to be fair and balanced. Which democrat has been pooping on the unemployed lately? If it was on teevee, I must have missed it.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
trying to figure out ways to extract peoples life savings and funnel it into the accounts of their bosses.
You Democrats = Republicans dumbasses aid and abet conservative lies.
he sure did.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
We have to stop that Mad senator Bunning.
http://liberal.posterous.com/help-me-change-a...
Help stop the filibuster. Brown Forman, GOP contributor who distributes Jack Daniels whiskey and Southern Comfort operates out of Kentucky, Senate Minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell’s state. SPREAD the word.
Include my email as a blind copy info@democratz.org when you send this email.
Email Brown Forman at Brown-Forman@b-f.com
To the Brown Forman CEO:
Your company PAC has given money to Sen. Mitch McConnell in the past. I will not buy Jack Daniels Whiskey and Southern Comfort until you convince Mitch McConnell to stop all filibusters on legislation and holds on appointments for the duration of the Obama administration. Also as of today get your other Senator Jim Bunning to stop the hold on extending unemployment benefits.
Good Day.
I'm not sure I agree with you. But this post is about the dastardly thing one republican said about people who are out of work. There is no mention of a democrat making like minded comments.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
has stepped in the fracas as well. Noting that there are a lot of bills due to expire in coming weeks, he's now placed a "hold" (a notice of forthcoming objection to any unananimous consent requests) on all of those bills. In short, Wyden is vowing to shut down the operation of the Senate until Bunning relents on unemployment benefits.
Wyden is outraged. "Denying [the unemployed] legislation that helps them pay for the basic necessities of life is fundamentally wrong," Wyden told HuffPost. "For people that are getting hammered in this economy, trying literally to figure out from their kitchen table and their living rooms how they're going to get by, this legislation is a lifeline."
And here's the little incident that started the whole thing:
When, on the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection Bunning replied: "Tough shit."
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
I am fascinated with this guy Bunning he is mean as a snake. I was 10 when he pitched that perfect game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alz5d1L0Ggs&fe...
the republi'con's forgot that un-employment insurance, is, well,
INSURANCE, the dummies,
people pay in, it is their money.
It does not belong to the republi'con'S
I did the same on RawStory this morning. F**king Rethugs seem to think it's some damn handout or something. they're such big fans of insurance for health care why are they against it for work? Well of course there's the obvious that Susie pointed out "cheap, disposable labor with no legal protections". And I guess that's all they got.
Only employers pay into unemployment insurance.
It's what they bitch about constantly.
Take a 50% pay cut if you're really interested in finding ways to pay for the unemployment extension. All members of Congress should see their salary decrease, and if they still don't listen they should be fired.
despicable.
some Republicans in your extended family. Don't you have an obligatory redneck uncle or something?
family can be despicable ..
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
nope,we all got together,took a vote,and disowned them.'uncle,what uncle'.much happier now,thanks for asking
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
something like the glowing false authority of Paul Krugman to pronounce
on this.
What have you done lately?
... has never done anything except turn from a curmudgeon into a troll.
i'm still chuckeling as i type this,thanks. smiles are hard to come by these days, thanks
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
How can any sane informed American vote for this **********?
there's no shortage of insane uniformed Americans that's how.
They get so revved up at the tea parties that they'll vote for anyone or anything especially if it goes against their own well being.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
at getting regular folks to vote in direct opposition to their own interests. Neocons are by nature:
Anti labor/anti worker
Anti women
Anti anybody not Caucasian
Anti environment
Anti gay
Anti small business
Anti reform/anti regulation
And yet they are able to convince people to rally against issues that would give them more rights, not less. Conservatism is a categorical failure but it manages to sustain itself by appealing to people's sense of pride and entitlement. Tea Partiers say they're mad that their freedoms are being taken away, when in reality they're angry that others might get a piece of the pie. Can't let those queers, colored folk, and poor people have a chance at happiness!
Disgustipating.
A man called in to Washington Journal (c-span) recently and said that tea bags are meant to be used once and then thrown away. He said that is exactly what the republicans will do with the tea baggers once the have served their purpose for the republican party. I believe he is right but I'm not so sure the baggers will go in the trash can peacefully.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
.
allocated more money for education of its citizens, then I might have remembered that ;)
i am truly surprised with all the disrespect
and disdain the gop/douche bag/teabaggers have
for the middle and poorer citizens, that someone
has not lost it and taken them out. you can
only stomp on a person's dreams before they
break down and lash out. it's coming and if
bunning and kyl keep it up, we may well see someone
snap. and that will be a sad day.
I'm guessing the republicans like Bunning and Kyl are not making any friends amongst the unemployed people in our country right now. Okay except the guy who sent Bunning the fan club letter.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
In politics, when your opponent is in the process of immolating himself, you don't add fuel to the fire....and you also don't come to his assistance.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
but it's not just them. We had Reagan bust unions, Clinton pass NAFTA, and Bush run the economy into the ground.
I say, you broke it, you fix it. Benefits for everyone until the government gets it's head out of it's ass and does something to correct the situation.
Y'all trash the economy and hold the victims accountable?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
He has a rugged individuality to him. Seems like a cuddler.
Ditto and amen to that Wallster . "Digging the hole deeper" , I don't know Patricia , an awful lot of people agree with these shallow pathetic A holes , Repugs are even starting to defend and back this low life Bunning ... as is Kyle . The ones with $ , jobs , insurance , how they love to think themselves superior , look down on and trash the less fortunate , it makes them feel good . Sometimes I think another great depression is actually needed , the real deal , would bring these sorry pathetic people right down to earth real fast , maybe restore some decency and values and sanity .
Nonsense. It's like bank executives, they honestly think they merit the pay they get, that they're doing 'God's work' or are true patriots.
It's not a depression we need, it's another French Revolution. Cart a few of them off to visit Mme. Guillotine.
shy to say... I've certainly been thinking about Madame Guillotine a lot lately...
I've never seen change without a fire
... cut Bunning loose with nothing more than unemployment benefits and COBRA, see how well he does. He obviously believes people are living lavish lifestyles and haven't a care in the world if they're on unemployment.
Then after two months, cut off all benefits and tell him TOUGH SHIT.
Seriously, what does this seeping bag of blowfish shit think? That the unemployed are living it up?
If I were laid off today, my unemployment check would NOT cover my current expenses: it would keep the electricity on and a some nutrition on the table. That's about it. I wouldn't be able to make car payments, student loan payments, etc. I don't resent that; I assume the amounts are meant to help me keep my head above water while I look for fresh employment.
YEAH, Kyl, you colossal dick pimple, if I got every cent of my regular paycheck while on unemployment, it MIGHT make me move a little more slowly, but the fact is that any unemployment check of mine wouldn't be anything close to my current salary. Sitting at home fretfully combing the want ads and job boards is not a vacation and isn't meant to be. Being unemployed generally sucks, if one prefers to be employed, of course, not that connected a gherkin jerker like you would know anything about that.
Piss on you, Senator!
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
That may be one of the most creative phrases ever, "blowfish shit". I would give you some sort of award for that. :)
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
But I can't claim credit; partial credit for using it such a way as to amuse you, as it goes with any good joke, timing is everything, yet I didn't write it. I actually heard it once in the underrated and strange Couch Trip. Dan Ackroyd (sp?) called his psychiatrist and "insignificant sack of blowfish shit", or thereabouts. I just made my own variant.
:)
Still, glad to amuse!
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
I doubt if he will suffer much.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
to the NWO baby.
Mark Thoma here
After Joe Klein here
emphasis added:
See also Mark Thoma here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Good read
Peter Coy here
The economists are mostly under the thumb of the Federal Reserve.
Excellent takedown of Neoliberalism by Marxist Thinker Thomas Riggins here
After DeLong on Kalecki here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
need a set of steel ball bearings to roll around in their hands to perfect their impersonation of Captain Queeg.
historical politicians such as Caligula, Ivan the Terrible, Heinrich Himmler, and Pol Pot must be jealous with envy these days.
that's all i hear in south carolina (remember Andre Bauer -- feeding strays comment? his polling for governor has increased. i'm waiting for Thomas Frank to write a sequel: "what's the matter with south carloina?").
in their eyes, ALL people are who down on their luck are lazy.
The lazy calling the unemployed lazy has such an aroma of irony. When was the last time Bunning or Kyl did a really hard days work? When was the last time they worked up a sweat other than on the golf or tennis court?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
If the democrats don't run these U-Tubes as campaign commercials, they are stupid.
I am so tired of listening to these 30 year old talking points. When is somebody going to stand up and tell lying SOS like this psycho, "there are no jobs you moron, because you republicans wiped out the middle class!"
When ten people in your immediate family are college educated people in their 40's and 50's, who were very successful and never unemployed a day in their lives until GWB and the GOP took over, well...., let's just say this isn't your normal recession.
What a clueless asshole. Ironically however, the white collar types who use to portray the union labor force as uninterested in working, are now being portrayed themselves in the same light - by the GOP scum they supported.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
he is also opposed to raising the min wage...
the economic dodo birds are still around. someone should tell them that they are supposed to be extinct
when the money runs out, what will the unemployed do?
First step is to admit one doesn't have a prayer of ever finding a high paying professional career position again in this economy.
where Aerospace Engineer starting at $56K a year is one of the top ten job prospects.
If you don't mind designing cruise missiles for a living you got ur' foot in the door to the "good life" going home to some cul de sac after a day in your cubical.
Starting and ending at $56k a year. Raises are a thing of the past.
obligatory gold watch and plaque with Thanks for 50 Years Service printed out on a stock certificate.
was walked out of Cubic Defense Systems (they make the electronics for smart bombs, cruise missles, etc) at 60 years old by a security guard and told he had to leave the building immediatley and handed a box of his shit.
Layed off after 30 years of service. He's lucky. He has a pension from them...for now. I can see them pulling that one day.
He has unemployment too, but his options for working as Mr. Kyle thinks he should do are limited. No one is lining up to hire an older engineer.
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a Lunatic Asylum. -Havelock Ellis
just another arm of the military industrial complex....we are at the point where our economy is almost totally supported by war-related occupations and Wall Street trading.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
The GOP may live to regret all their work with the NRA to get gun controls lifted.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
I'll keep that in mind when I send out my resume at least 5 times a day for a position(s) that a minimum of 100 ppl are applying for. Being unemployed is great for my self worth not to mention my bank acct. If I wasn't a runner I would be inside a bottle of wine. This economy s**ks (thanks Bush) and I don't need some out of touch reactionary shaming me because he thinks a majority of unemployed adults not working are inherantly lazy....What a jerk!
in the interview process, don't ask them for money - be prepared to show how you being hired by the company will make ownership richer.
that $250 weekly (before taxes) average UI really helps those lazy unemployed slobs live high on the hog.....feedin' their kids, paying the mortgage or rent, keepin' that car going. And think of the money left over to put in THEIR HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT!!
Oh, yeah.........can't have their lazy butts living off the government dole. (which they contributed to when they were working.)
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Every unemployed person should let Bunning and Kyl know exactly how they feel about what these republicans are saying and doing. Every family, single parent, and single worker should explain to these men that being out of work and living on UI is not as much fun as they seem to think it is.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
As someone currently on unemployment, I can certainly tell you that it is not a disincentive to look for work. If anything, it is an incentive to take a job that pays significantly less than your previous one. Unemployment insurance pays out about 55% (for me at least) of my former income. How many people budget themselves to be able to get on in perpetuity on 55% of thier income? I sit here looking for work wherever I can because I don't like watching what little savings I do have tick down further and futher.
As I said, unemployment insurance actually acts as a downward pressure on wages. When you are getting paid out at 50%-60% of your former wages, taking another job that pays 25% less than you were making actually starts to look pretty good, as it represents 30%-40% of what UI pays out. Trust me, unemployment isn't a disincentive to find work. The only thing it does is put of for a relatively short amount of time the inevitability of either finding another job or moving back in with your parents.
here's what the powers that be are doing to the economy:
When you are getting paid out at 50%-60% of your former wages, taking another job that pays 25% less than you were making actually starts to look pretty good, as it represents 30%-40% of what UI pays out.
Then, once the bulk of the unemployed have taken jobs way beneath what they were previously earning, employers will be able to hire for a lot less and get away with it because the people are desperate. I was making $16.42/hour as an Admin when I got laid off in January of 2009. Now employers want an admin to do reception, answer telephones, file, know 10 different computer programs, do all the composition and typing of correspondence, maintain the office machines, computers, do all the bookkeeping, keep the office clean and scrub the toilets. All for the magnificent sum of $10/hour. Now, I'm not afraid of hard work and will do anything my boss tells me to, as long as it's legal......but NOT for 10 bucks an hour.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
That's what it is. Corporations would like nothing better. Why do you think their profits get ever higher?
It's because they are stealing it from us. Instead of increasing salaries, even at a cost of living rate, they pocket it. Wages have been stagnant for 30 years. I have NEVER been paid fairly. BY ANYONE. EVER. I have consistently seen executive pay rise, 100%, 200%, even more in the corporations I have worked in, while being told by management that budgets are tight, and despite my excellent work, they can't afford to give me a raise this year.
You have to almost threaten to leave to get a raise anymore.
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a Lunatic Asylum. -Havelock Ellis
Absolutely. See my much more foul-mouthed post above. You are too right.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Last Thursday, when all this crap erupted, I called Sen. Bunning's office in Washington and told the person who answered the phone: "Please tell Senator Bunning he is a TREASONOUS BASTARD. Thankyouverymuch." I didn't stay on the line long enough to hear what he said in response......why don't you and all your friends call the good Senator's office and say the same? His number is:
202-224-4343. Be polite, but let him know we think he is POND SCUM! Thankyouverymuch.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
That should read 30%-40% MORE than what UI pays out. My mistake.
UnionOfUnemployed.com
I say this is one brilliant idea!
Unionize the Unemployed!
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
And if things get much worse, give each of them a gun...
It wouldn't hurt if a few tens of thousands of people camped out in DC this summer.
Make that a few hundreds of thousands.
No need for guns.
Just bring drums.
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
.
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
While he was reading a letter from some guy in KY calling for a revolution....I think they're on board. Hey they listen to the tea partiers, beck and limbaugh
but they never say "from whom."
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Sure they do
I wish he were a Marxist!
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
or are the Repugns giving the Demots a perfect opportunity to lower the boom and vacate Senate rules, change 'em, whatever, over this stupid petty distraction, squash Bunning and Kyl and any other bloody c*nt opposing Teh Agenda
then just cram the health care public option acorn onto the bus...
"cuz when you get on that bus... you get there!" (Rusty Cundieff)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO28yMoNYwo
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
These people make me sick. They take their lead from the likes of limpballs.
Send kyl a message, as I did this morning.
http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm
of the pile is showing whoever is looking at your resume something like "I believe I can increase your companies profits by xx percent."
The Christian family values party no less , the biggest lie of them all .
Join the only growth industry still standing!
Being a Senator is disincentive to seeking real work.
Why doesn't Jon Kyl get a real job?
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
What, and leave show business!?
Every advantage for the Employer. No rights (or insurance) for the employed. That's who they are.
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
Unemployment insurance a job disincentive. reallty! This just goes to show just how much the Regressive party hates the American worker. Hey folks in the red states, you're fucking idiots, you're apparently to stupid to recognize when your representatives tell you in as open a way as possible, they don't give a rats ass about you. Now unless I miss my guess, not many folks in Kentucky, Arizona, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisianna, Utah, and so on, your state is not filled with a bunch of millionaires, or even people living in the top 2%. But you idiots keep sending these fucking morons to Washington, who tell you constantly to go to hell.
Hey Kyl, you jackass, homlessness and hunger are most definintely "crime" incentives. At what point will Obama and the Democratic leadership finally get the message these damned conservative assholes could give a damn about America or the working and middle class. When will Obama and Reid stop pussyfooting around with these damn evil people. For God's sake, grow a damned pair and stand up to these bastards.
Desperation drives crime. Poverty drives desperation. Unemployment drives poverty. Perhaps we should frame the whole issue differently. Is it cheaper to pay some poor guy who doesn't have a job 30k a year to hunt for work, or to house him in prison for a year for stealing some food? I have a hunch which one is the better deal from a cost perspective.
madprogressive, you da man! (with apologies to that batshit crazy Michelle Bachmann and Looney Michael Steele).
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
start raiding the WH veggie garden next summer. Maybe his wife can grown him a pair in the garden.
Based on Kyl's thinking, I guess Medicaid and Medicare are a dinincentive to trying to stay healthy.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Well, Democrats you've got to run on this. The repugs can't say it's just Bunning. This disconnected, idiot Kyl is a member of the repug leadership and clearly thinks people aren't working because they're lazy.
...is when these black-hearted pustules will start fining us for being unemployed, pocketing the fees and enriching themselves even MORE, eh?
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
... when they tax the UI benefits is kinda injurious.
I often think it's the Fed that indirectly benefits by keeping the money flowing and interest accruing?
Just wait and see the reverberations of this on personal obligations, late payment penalties exacerbating individual(s) debits, more lost homes, less tax revenue for the localities and state(s), it isn't gonna be pretty... not to mention the physical turmoil! :-/
Study the symptoms not the virus...
Point taken.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Here we go. Insult to injury, I suppose.
Today's SFGate:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/...
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
To see some in congress treat "we the people" as the fucking enemy!
They're supposed to be working FOR US!
of Kentucky and Arizona to stop voting their real enemies repug senators Kyl and Bunning into the Senate. It's clear to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that they don't give a shit about them.
Bunning is basing his objection on the new Pay-Go rule (which he voted against). It just doesn't make sense. When we all make out our budget we do intend to live by it, but when an emergency arrises we have to make other arrangements in order to pay for the emergency. The extentions of Unemployment Insurance began before this new rule was in place. Bunning is doing nothing more than drawing attenion to himself and giving the repubs and tea baggers an opportunity to piss on the unemployed as if they are lesser people.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Could this be a great example of how a limited termer could gum up the works just before they exit stage right? No worries about re-election. No concerns about who likes or dislikes your actions. That applies to both parties. Interesting potential downside.
Definately one of the down sides.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
I think this behavior is auditioning for lobbying jobs.
snake the bastard really is. I'm not religious, but this is one dude I hope burns in hell.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
mmmmmm...bunnnnning....garrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggglllleee
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
.
.
I hope he burns from the slug in his chest.
A bipartisan (Republican/Conserva-Dem) bill restricting voting rights to those citizens fortunate enough to have full time employment?
Oh jeeez, don't give them any ideas.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Both Kyl and Bunning need to meet a single mother who was waiting for that check to buy food for her kids. Let her have her say about this.
When I was a kid we often waited for the postman to bring my dad's govt check (due to a minimal disablility he received during his short time in the Army). If for some reason that check was even a day late, it was a disaster for us. It would mean the difference in having food that night or not. During that time, if the govt had shut down the checks for whatever reason, we would have been distitute.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
it would be useless for a single mother to debase herself in front of these jackasses. They would just castigate her for not having a husband and for popping out a kid she could not afford to care for. They are complete heartless bastards.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Bumper sticker I have actually seen: "Don't breed 'em if you can't feed 'em."
out of and put in every Southern state, where the unwed mothers outnumber that of the Blue States--probably because they all preach "abstinence only". Yeah, like THAT really works!
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
...is that "abstinence only" isn't supposed to work. We need fodder for the factories and for the battlefield. I am not really kidding: when I consider the insanity of denying people basic coverage for health care and preventative medicine, the public school system seemingly being deliberately eroded, and idiocy like not teaching kids about the birds and the bees, I often suspect that this is all part of the grand design to create an ever-increasing population of ignorant (not stupid. People aren't necessarily born stupid, but can be kept uneducated), desperate, harried people with no options other than military service and crap jobs that the rich don't want to do.
Always remember, and I try to tell the few conservatives I interact with who think they will some day be rich and rise above the fray the same thing, not that they listen:
THEY DON'T WANT YOU IN THEIR CLUB. Anybody who is in the club is already a member or has their spot saved for them by their elitist parents. They aren't taking any applications.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Shades of George Orwell!! And, BTW, that seems to be the object of the conservative born again religions, as well. They deride education and intellect, do not want to mingle with or "mix" the races, hate immigrants, and want to keep women barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen. They're building that bridge to the 19th Century!! Yikes!!
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
n/c
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
will always do everything possible to keep the poor and middle-class from exerting political power. Nothing scares these people more than the mob coming for them ala French and Russian revolutions. They have selfishly done wrong to their people. Impoverishing us and murdering us. They are guilty and they know it.
Keep them poor, ignorant, unhealthy, disenfranchised, and divided. Then you can manipulate them to do whatever you want...even die for you.
Unfortunatley, the war on liberal institutions and ideals by big-business and fascists in the last 30 years has succeeded. The thin veneer of civilization that protects us is being peeled away as corporate power grows, replaced by direct control of the country by the oligarchs. Because of the recent SCOTUS ruling on campaign finance, Obama may be the last president who is fairly-elected and has at least some responsibility to the people. If the GOP win again, it's all over.
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a Lunatic Asylum. -Havelock Ellis
That's when the mother tells them her husband was killed fighting in Iraq.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
the middle class is just cannon fodder for the Rethuglicans who glorify war. Sad but true.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
What is certain is that Kyl himself won't be missing any meals in the next couple of weeks waiting for a check to arrive,because he himself is doing very well thank you very much.
"To me, truth is not some vague, foggy notion. Truth is real. And,
at the same time, unreal. Fiction and fact and everything in between,
plus some things I can't remember, all rolled into one big "thing."
This is truth, to me. "
-Jack Handy
If he'd been more honest he'd have mentioned that those jobs would be in Malaysia, India, China...
Trickle down = race to the bottom.
"In theory theory and practice are alike. In practice they are very different."
I look forward to Kyl surrendering his in the interests of consistency.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
How the hell come this doesn't cover Bush and Cheney's pension checks too??? They didn't even work as long for that benefit as an awful lot of the current unemployed worked for their unemployment benefits!
I mean, why draw a pension? It's a disincentive to getting a rewarding job as an elderly Walmart greeter.
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a Lunatic Asylum. -Havelock Ellis
Just wait and see when the trickle down... trickles up!
Study the symptoms not the virus...
THIS is a MAJOR difference between Dems and "Thugs.
The 'Thugs will pile on to join their moronic "leaders" in a race to the bottom while fucking over their constituency, then wave a flag, declaring "victory".
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Two categories of republicans: the rich and the ignorant.
This is not my father's America
Had to live on unemployment benefits!
republicanism/conservatism is a mental illness and it has destroied our economy, our morality, and the intelligence of 40 million Americans!
How many children suffered under 'All Children Left Behind'? Is that figure 40 million?
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I was speaking of the 40 million republican voters! They are just stupid people.
republicanism/conservatism is a mental illness and it has destroied our economy, our morality, and the intelligence of 40 million Americans!
I was making over a thousand bucks a week at my job. But since losing it, I've really become addicted to that fat $300 a week from unemployment. It's so much money, I really never want to work again.
This $300 a week will allow me to retire, reach my financial goals, and most of all provide a wealth of disposable income (like $5-10 a week) to inject into our consumption-based and slumping economy.
Fucking idiot. Do you even know any middle-class people....who like work for a living? You probably don't. They tend to smell and breed to much huh?
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a Lunatic Asylum. -Havelock Ellis
today. Still waiting for my UE to start. We all sat around, fat and lazy, gloating about how much we were able to glean off the dumbfucks that donated our meals, just so we could vote for "the black guy for president". I met a nice woman who wanted me to knock her up in the parking lot so she could get a fatter welfare check too.
Good times indeed.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Then I really don't see the problem w/ extension of benefits. The fed would loan money to the states to cover the excess UI needs. The states are required to pay the loans back w/ interest:
>>>>>Unemployment insurance is a federal-state program jointly financed through federal and state employer payroll taxes (federal and state UI taxes)[18]. Generally, employers must pay both state and federal unemployment taxes if:
(1) they pay wages to employees totaling $1500 or more in any quarter of a calendar year; or,[18]
(2) they had at least one employee during any day of a week during 20 weeks in a calendar year, regardless of whether the weeks were consecutive. However, some state laws differ from the federal law.[18]
To facilitate this program, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), which authorizes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect an annual federal employer tax used to fund state workforce agencies. FUTA covers the costs of administering the Unemployment Insurance and Job Service programs in all states. In addition, FUTA pays one-half of the cost of extended unemployment benefits (during periods of high unemployment) and provides for a fund from which states may borrow, if necessary, to pay benefits. As originally established, the states paid the federal government.[18]
The FUTA tax rate was originally three percent of taxable wages collected from employers who employed at least four employees,[19] and employers could deduct up to 90 percent of the amount due if they paid taxes to a state to support a system of unemployment insurance which met Federal standards,[17] but the rules have changed as follows. The FUTA tax rate is now 6.2 percent of taxable wages of employees who meet both the above and following criteria,[18] and the taxable wage base is the first $7,000 paid in wages to each employee during a calendar year[18]. Employers who pay the state unemployment tax on a timely basis receive an offset credit of up to 5.4 percent regardless of the rate of tax they pay their state. Therefore, the net FUTA tax rate is generally 0.8 percent (6.2 percent - 5.4 percent), for a maximum FUTA tax of $56.00 per employee, per year (.008 X $7,000 = $56.00). State law determines individual state unemployment insurance tax rates.[18] In the United States, unemployment insurance tax rates use experience rating.[20]
Within the above constraints, the individual states and territories raise their own contributions and run their own programs. The federal government sets broad guidelines for coverage and eligibility, but states vary in how they determine benefits and eligibility.
Federal rules are drawn by the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. For most states, the maximum period for receiving benefits is 26 weeks. There is an extended benefit program (authorized through the Social Security Acts) that may be triggered by state economic conditions. Congress has often passed temporary programs to extend benefits during economic recessions. This was done with the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program in 2002-2003, which has since expired [7], and is currently (2008-2010) in force through the Extended Unemployment Compensation 2008 legislation [8].
The federal government lends money to the states for unemployment insurance when the states run short of funds. In general, this can happen when the unemployment rate is high. The need for loans can be exacerbated when a state cuts taxes and increases benefits. All loans must be repaid with interest.<<<<<
So, how does the extension add to our long-term deficits, again?
because the cash their lending is borrowed. in fact it's borrowed from
within our govt. the fed is the largest holder of debt. not japan, china, saudia arabia, no the fed holds @ this point 5.1+ trillion in US
treasuries. next would japan @ 768bl, china 765bl. if it looks like a
car wreck/duck, chances are we're headed for one
republicanism/conservatism is a mental illness and it has destroied our economy, our morality, and the intelligence of 40 million Americans!
"Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting 'because people are being paid even though they're not working.'
Reminds me of a John Kenneth Galbraith observation a few years ago, in the context of opposition to both the graduated income tax and welfare. It fits quite well with this story: [The Republicans] "are laboring under the curious notion that the poor will not work because they have too much money, and the rich will not work because they do not have enough."
...that a component of receiving unemployment is searching out and applying for work weekly. As a highly experienced professional, I have received a total of 5 interviews after sending literally hundreds of resumes. Kyl and Bunning are total assholes who are so out of touch with working people, they havve no business representing anyone.
"Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Hunter S. Thompson
I've always thought unemployment was _supposed_ to be a disincentive toward various initiatives -- to rob a convenience store, bank, or individual, deal drugs, prostitute yourself, carjack somebody, break into a place or go nuts and cause general mayhem. You know. Disincentives toward that sort of thing.
You know what gets me? You have these Oath keepers and these various militia groups running around claiming Obama and the Democrats want to take things away from them, but they never look any further than their own representatives. These are the people that want to take things away from families that are already suffering. If the GOP had their way, we'd all be working for less pay with no social security or benefits. Talk about unAmerican!
So let me get this straight. The money that I've put into the system as being part of the work force is actually an entitlement program? That's pretty astonishing. I guess I should thank the Republicans for clearing that misconception up.
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