At the risk of beating a dead horse.....
This week, the U.S. Congress did not act (yet) to extend unemployment benefits, meaning those benefits ended for millions of Americans. Of course, the Democrats are all aghast at the heartless Republicans for standing in the way of another UNFUNDED extension of these payments for who knows how long. But the Dems want you to ignore one little thing - that these Americans were in their 99th week of receiving those benefits!
Now as anyone reading this blog knows, I'm an independent / libertarian sort, and I really couldn't care less about either party's ideology, especially those on the fringe. But here, it's time for the Democrats / liberals to get real.
99 weeks of unfunded, taxpayer-subsidized unemployment benefits? 99 weeks! Are you telling me those folks could not find a job, or be re-schooled / re-trained for another job in almost two full years' time? I'm sure there are plenty of difficult situations, but I'm also positive there are employable people who are just fine with doing nothing and picking up their unemployment check. I personally know some of them.
I may not be the most compassionate person, but I'm at least compassionate-average, and I've had it with paying for people who don't work. I'm also skeptical anytime I agree with the likes of Senator Mitch "Turtle" McConnell, but our society cannot afford this. A certain U.S. electorate apparently agrees, considering the results of this past November.
Sorry 99ers, but we need to cut the cord on this abusive, one-sided relationship.
"This week, the U.S. Congress did not act (yet) to extend unemployment benefits, meaning those benefits ended for millions of Americans. Of course, the Democrats are all aghast at the heartless Republicans for standing in the way of another UNFUNDED extension of these payments for who knows how long. But the Dems want you to ignore one little thing - that these Americans were in their 99th week of receiving those benefits!"
ReplyDeleteWhat luxury items are these folks buying? Know any that lost a job they had held for 30 years at 55 yo, without a high school diploma/GED? How about from a company town in South Carolina where the company went to India (cheaper labor, the capitalist way!)? How do you reeducate 300 people and find jobs for them in order to maintain the churches, schools, bank, McDonalds, grocery store, fire and police departments that these 300 jobs supported? If the order of the day is move, who buys the houses, apartment buildings, and pays the moving expenses? The pay rates didn't foster the huge private savings that would be necessary for these 300 (and the partner and kids) to do this on their own. If Des Moines shut down tomorrow with no warning, how long would it take you to get rid of your house, pack up your bike, get the kids out of school, and decide where to go with no job prospects? And how long would it take you to decide to do this if Grandpa & Grandma, Mom & Dad, Uncle John & Aunt Kate, and all of the cousins and the only friends your kids have ever known live within a 10 block radius. Oh, and you've never been outside the mid west because you couldn't afford it on your wages?
What is your position on the new unfunded tax cuts for millionaires (extending sunset date used in order to present a balanced budget)? How about the changes in estate taxes (how is it that an inheritance is earned)?
How are corporate farm subsidies funded? Ethanol? Student loan guarantee losses?
What exactly is funded?
64
PS Regarding your earlier east coast bias comment and the hurricane; 4 days coverage of a midwest snow storm! WSJ, NYT, and WaPo covered this AND the October storm.
ReplyDeletehttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/12/extreme_cold_to_grip_eastern_u.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/10/AR2010121007492.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121200823.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/12/12/GA2010121201505.html?nav=hcmoduletmv
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/12/metrodome_roof_fails_in_minnea.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/sports/football/13giants.html
My favorite online comment:
I happen to be in Minneapolis this weekend. I never want to hear anyone criticize DC for not being able to handle snow. These people have completely freaked out. The neighbors are all up in arms over the amazing amount of snow...all of 17".
Airport? Closed
Busses? Cancelled
Public events? Cancelled
Snowplows? Pulled off the roads during the height of the storm
Our street? Unplowed ( although they did plow the alley already?
lots of cars, SUVs, and trucks stuck in the snow and abandoned.
They had already postponed the Vikings game, even before the Metrodome collapsed...
That was yesterday. They get lots of credit...today, the airport and busses are back running and the plows are doing their work and people are shoveling their walks despite the -20 wind chill. But let's not pretend that they handled this any better than Washingtonians.
64
Hey Sixty (or 64, whatever). Sorry it took me 4 months to reply, I've been in hibernation over the winter. That's what we do in the Midwest you know, because we can't handle snow like you hearty easterners, where businesses and schools shut down for an inch of snow.
ReplyDeleteAbout those 99ers...all of your excuses and false analogies for indefinitely extending unemployment are invalid in the face of one simple thing - governments fail when they compensate people for not working, while at the same time interfering with the compensation of people who are working. Give Mikhail Gorbachev a call, he might help explain it to you.