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chegitz guevara
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Ft. Lauderdale, FL Communist Party of Apolyton
Jun 2000
time: 00:23
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1 million people to lose unemployment benefits
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Associated Press
Nov. 21, 2002 | WASHINGTON -- Jo-Anne Hurlston can't find a job after nearly six months of searching, even with her master's degree and experience in education, human resources and the hospitality industry.
She's one of nearly 1 million unemployed workers across the country who will start losing jobless benefits three days after Christmas because Congress failed to grant an extension before leaving for the year.
"All the money that's being spent on homeland security and we're left stranded," said Hurlston, 47, a single mother with a 12-year-old daughter. "If they want more money for homeland security, we have to be able to work to pay taxes."
Congress passed a 13-week extension in federal benefits in March, on top of the maximum 26 weeks that laid-off workers typically can receive through states. But the extension benefits start expiring Dec. 28. Without congressional action, an estimated 820,000 people will lose benefits that day, with an additional 95,000 each week thereafter.
Democratic leaders made a last-ditch appeal Thursday to the White House, asking President Bush to urge House Republican leaders to pass the Senate's extension plan when they convene Friday. The White House has remained on the sidelines in the debate.
"We strongly urge you to take action to help these families," said the letter from outgoing Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Minority Leader **** Gephardt.
The Senate and House passed separate legislation last week providing for another extension. But each side refused to accept the other's plan, and the Senate adjourned Wednesday for the year.
House leaders argue that the Senate should have passed their plan, which was approved first. They also say the economy is improving. The nation's unemployment rate climbed to 5.7 percent last month, while in previous recessions, the rate was much higher -- 10.8 percent in 1983 and 7.8 percent in 1992.
On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that new applications for unemployment insurance fell by a seasonally adjusted 25,000 to 376,000 for the work week ending Nov. 16, leaving claims at their lowest level since the week ending July 20.
Hurlston was laid off in June from her $42,000-a-year job at the Marriott Hospitality Public Charter School in Washington, where she was dean of career and student services. She had worked there for three years.
She receives about $550 every two weeks in unemployment benefits. Hurlston, who is living with her mother, is substitute teaching for extra money, but it hardly pays the bills. For that, she's forced to dip into her retirement savings. She's sent out hundreds of resumes and has been called in for just two interviews without success.
"In the beginning there was anger, then frustration and now distress," she said. "I never ever thought it would take this long to find a job. Without my mother I probably would be in a homeless shelter right now."
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney criticized House Republicans for "turning their backs on unemployed workers" while approving perks for drug companies and insurance companies in last-minute legislation before adjourning. That "is just plain mean-spirited and perverse," he said.
The Senate's $5 billion plan would have extended benefits an additional 13 weeks for people currently receiving them. The House passed a more modest $900 million plan of five extra weeks for workers in a few states with high unemployment rates.
Some economists argue that the cost isn't a burden on the rest of government because the federal unemployment insurance trust fund contains more than $25 billion for such purposes. Such spending also will help boost the economy, they say.
"These are economic times that demand using such funds," said Wendell Primus, a director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think tank.
Shirley Deane, 53, said that last December she lost her $25,000-a-year job as an administrative secretary at Howard University in Washington and still can't find work. She ran out of unemployment benefits in August, and has no health insurance and no retirement savings. The future looks bleak, she said.
"I've been taking tests, going on interviews," she said. "I've never had this hard a problem finding a job. Never."
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I am one of those million people.
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Andrew1999
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Well, Che, it's your own fault for being a black single mother with 5 kids. You're probably addicted to drugs, too. The best thing the government can do is stop funding your self-destructive lifestyle and force you to get a real job with a living wage: $3 an hour cleaning carpets.
"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?"
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David Floyd
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The bottom of a large bottle of beer
Jan 1970
time: 05:23
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I guess my question is why should the government extend unemployment benefits in the first place - or have them at all?
I don't see this as an evil act, because if they did it, they would simply be forcing the average taxpayer to pay even more out of his already incredibly taxed income, and THAT would be wrong.
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Capt Dizle
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There you go again David.
I am one Republican that will be on the phone to my reps if this issue is not fixed.
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David Floyd
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The bottom of a large bottle of beer
Jan 1970
time: 05:23
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quote:
I am one Republican that will be on the phone to my reps if this issue is not fixed. |
How about instead you just find one person who needs help, and send them money until they get back on their feet? All nice and voluntary.
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David Floyd
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The bottom of a large bottle of beer
Jan 1970
time: 05:23
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quote:
Unemployment is insurance, not a tax. Businesses pay this, not the average tax payer. |
Taxes on businesses usually end up hitting the consumer in the end, as well they should from the businesses perspective. That's why I'm not a fan of corporate taxes, either.
Any sort of unemployment from businesses should come from case-by-case severance packages negotiated between the individual and business (or rather, the business just telling the individual what, if anything, they are going to be getting).
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Capt Dizle
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A couple of comments. I kinda resent quips on the economy and unemployment from young people who have never had to work to keep a family afloat. Never had to get up at five in the morning for work after staying up until two thiry with a sick baby. Never had $15 bucks left after paying bills and had to figure out how to feed a family of four for two weeks until the next paycheck. Quips from young people who never had to take a pay cut and clean bathrooms during a recession.
Nor do I appreciate quips from the well to do who think that every person having financial problems are bums.
Dang, I sound like a Democrat or something.
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David Floyd
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The bottom of a large bottle of beer
Jan 1970
time: 05:23
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quote:
A couple of comments. I kinda resent quips on the economy and unemployment from young people who have never had to work to keep a family afloat. Never had to get up at five in the morning for work after staying up until two thiry with a sick baby. Never had $15 bucks left after paying bills and had to figure out how to feed a family of four for two weeks until the next paycheck. Quips from young people who never had to take a pay cut and clean bathrooms during a recession. |
I'm sorry, all I got out of that was "Blah blah blah, I'm gonna be condescending because I can't actually argue a point, blah blah blah." If you're trying to say you deserve my money because you've worked **** jobs in the past or have a family, that argument ain't gonna wash with me.
Seriously, though, age is really irrelevant to this discussion. If you can refute my points, fine, do so - but attack the argument, not the person.
quote:
Nor do I appreciate quips from the well to do who think that every person having financial problems are bums. |
I never said this, although many (even most) of them are not doing all they can to help themselves or get help from voluntary sources such as family, churches, and charity.
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Capt Dizle
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quote:
Originally posted by David Floyd
I'm sorry, all I got out of that was "Blah blah blah, I'm gonna be condescending because I can't actually argue a point, blah blah blah." If you're trying to say you deserve my money because you've worked **** jobs in the past or have a family, that argument ain't gonna wash with me.
Seriously, though, age is really irrelevant to this discussion. If you can refute my points, fine, do so - but attack the argument, not the person.
I never said this, although many (even most) of them are not doing all they can to help themselves or get help from voluntary sources such as family, churches, and charity. |
I am not going to enter into a debate with you in which theory excludes logic. You are really threadjacking here, trying to turn what was a discussion of real world issues by real people into another warped David Floyd whimsy.
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MosesPresley
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quote:
Originally posted by DaShi
Can anyone see Bush responding, "Let them eat cake."? |
That should be "Let them eat guns." There is no butter at the national table.
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22-11-2002 21:22
Just because it was done that way in the past ONCE, doesn't make it the norm 
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