Republican's Kill Bill Aimed at Providing Relief to Unemployed

[Rikter8]

Well, I can speak from one of the hardest hit states.

Jobs - even simple jobs aren't available. They are taken up by seniors bumped out of their benefits and stolen pensions. Many are working small "easy" jobs just to afford health insurance.

My family member has been out of work since 2009, and has applied over and over, done the workshops, done the job fairs, and even took advantage to the Governmental schooling to be "re-trained".

Speaking of that...colleges have jumped on the corrupt-o-wagon and are promising these people that they will have assistance finding jobs, and with "Our program" your guaranteed to find work... What a Joke. My Family member went through the re-training process, and it was clear that the colleges are using this as a cash cow. There was no "Job hunting assistance" - all smoke and mirrors.
All for a certificate/degree that nobody wants or will recognize. - but the colleges are a bit more wealthy.

Corporations continue to lay off workers - It's all about looking good on paper. It doesn't matter that you slashed 50% of your workforce to continue - it's all about showing PROFIT at the end of a quarter. Since my companies heading for the 3rd and 4th quarters... guess what? More layoffs - possibly my job this time.

I hate my job - so much so, that my health has degraded to where medications no longer can fix the issues.
Even with dual degrees, a wealth of knowledge, 15 years of solid work history... Nothing.
All because companies are in a race to make the most profits at the end of the year.
If I get laid off it would be a blessing in disguise health-wise, but because I can't find another job, I'm stuck.

The massive split between rich and poor, and the middle class dissolving into nothingness will be what our future is.
Our home prices are going to plummet faster than ever before. The amount of forclosures are going to force home prices down to next to nothing. People that want to sell (Like myself) can't, because the house is now worth less than what is owed.

Violent crime is going to skyrocket. People have nothing left to loose, and death would be a blessing.

 

[deleted15807]

Violent crime is going to skyrocket. People have nothing left to loose, and death would be a blessing.

Wow Rikter I didn't think I could be 'out gloomed and doomed' but you got me beat.

 

[b.c.]

I appreciate those of you who've offered thoughtful insight into the far reaching implications of this failed initiative.

Conservatives who quickly want to dismiss their lack of foresight and typical contempt for the average guy are quick to try to shift the focus by bringing up bogus issues like the few who have abused the system in some way.

There are abuses on both sides of the spectrum. They want to highlight some "joe" misusing a welfare or unemployment benefit while ignoring corporate abuses of bailout money, for example, and other high level misuse of capital.

They can try to shift the blame all they want. Voters will remember them for the inconsiderate, narrow minded sob's they are.

 

[midlifebear]

well should of read yesterdays LA Times.

California welfare recipients withdrew $1.8 million at casino ATMs over eight months - Los Angeles Times

deport your illegals and anchor babies and you'll have some water.

I've been to vegas many times. In florida particulatly on beach comuities the same is done. however the is a lot more to the US then nevada or Florida for that mater. maybe sell some lemonade then. I had a homeless gyuy wak me from my hotel in Pittsburgh to the corner store with his umbrella he waited for me to come out and walked me back. I gave him 20 bucks rather than sit around and beg he came with a service he could provide. I was impressed. How's Spain treatin ya? I have a friend over there that says it's getting tough there too.

Big_E:

Thanks for the link to the LA Times piece. Obviously, the problem was primarily with California's Tribal Casinos and Card Game establishments. It doesn't look like we Nevadans received much -- if any, of that debit card money. However, I'm certain if the less-than-intelligent designers of the California Welfare Cards had put in place some means of prevention so the debit cards could not be used in casinos, the folks receiving those debit cards would have discovered some way to work around the system.

As for Spain, it depends upon where you live. Madrid isn't exactly booming at the moment. And those recently who spent the last two to four years of their public educations preparing for technical, mechanical, and service jobs and cannot find work are filling up available spaces in government/provincial/city-sponsored universities. Unlike the USA, in Spain's "colegios" -- basically the equivalent of a US high school -- students have the opportunity to focus on learning a trade and being able go to work as soon as they graduate. And it usually takes them 8 to 10 years instead of 12. Now, many of those who graduated with a specialty in a trade and cannot find work are pursuing international business degrees, seeking and finding work in other EU countries. Almost everyone in Spain speaks at least two if not three or four languages.

Unemployment is still high, but Zapatero's government kept preparing everyone to be hit with 24% unemployment. In the worst hit parts of the economy it's never gone above 14%. But that's still quite high. However, Spain isn't falling apart (as much as the UK would like to see it happen). Unlike in the USA, sons and daughters have traditionally lived with their parents until and even after getting married, with everyone contributing to the general welfare of the family. Even the Romny gypsies are doing OK working as street vendors instead of beggars.

Much worse than Spain is Argentina where, in 2001 the economy, due to bad political stewardship (actually, just corrupt political malfeasance) collapsed in less that 24 hours. Countries such as most of the EU and the USA weren't paying much attention at the time. One Argentine Peso had been pegged for several decades to one US Dollar. Without any real warning suddenly one US Dollar became worth 3.2 Pesos. Currently, it takes about 3.4 Pesos to equal a Dollar. This completely wiped out the entire middle class throughout the country and they quickly had 5 presidents in five days (over a couple of weeks), because no one wanted to take on the Herculean problem of figuring out how to keep the Argentine economy solvent. Argentina didn't bail out their banks, primarily because the majority of them are foreign. Everyone suffered. And Nestor Kirchner, a provincial governor, eventually took the reigns of the presidency and created a bunch of emergency work plans, many of which are still in place, to provide jobs for those whose unemployment finally ran out. Pensioners had to learn to live on a third of what they originally had. But a bunch of ad hoc new service industries suddenly sprang up. There are no parking meters in Buenos Aires. So, the poorest of the poor and the homeless started watching your parked car for a small fee. This wasn't exactly a shakedown by the poor. Car theft is high in Argentina. And the government started a formalized system of cartineros (people who pick up and recycle the trash not picked up by the city garbage trucks). Other measures were taken by the government (like doubling the police force) to train and employ people to ensure public safety. Note: the self-appointed parking police aren't like the guys in large US cities who shake you down for $10 NOT to key the paint on your car. They really do watch out for the vehicles in their "territory" and help prevent car break ins, theft, and petty crime. Things are better in Argentina than they were 9 years ago and even the cranky political parties (there are five or six) agree that despite the Kirchner's tag team presidency (Cristina, Nestor's wife, ran and won the presidency after Nestor had served four years) begrudgingly agree jobs and the general quality of life is returning to almost normal. However, even the Argentine government, who still pays many government employees partially with script (debit cards that can be used only for buying food in restaurants and supermarkets) were smart enough not to allow the debit cards work in ATMs. That's just fucking stupid.

But at the moment I'm back at my ranch in Nevada. I've had to do a little bit of tweaking to keep my own business interests secure and afloat. And I'm happy to report that things are just fine in Elko County, especially for me. Washoe County, however, is having some trouble. Reno and Sparks have about a 14% unemployment rate -- maybe even higher. The big casinos are removing their card and crap tables, replacing them with more and more slot machines which create a better stream of revenue. The old, 1970s style all you can eat buffets have come back and the gambling industry is retrofitting for a "lower" class of gambler. The high rollers who would drive their large barges in from San Francisco and Sacramento no longer throw their disposable income away as they once did from the early 1970s to early 2000s. And it's quite possible Las Vegas will do the same in the next couple of years. However, Las Vegas is still riding it's well-cultivated wave as a destination vacation resort town. But if you've got $200,000 cash in your pocket, you can currently pick up a damn nice previously valued $450,000 to $500,000 home -- with pool. Approximately 30% of the card dealers and croupiers are out of work in that dusty hot town. Same goes for those in service industry jobs.

But Clark and Washoe counties will recover. I don't know when, but they've been in worse shape. After all, the giant electronic gadget, computer/software, and broadcast media week-long conventions (just to mention three) are really the staple of Las Vegas. Where else would anyone be wiling to host COMDEX?

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Republicans kill jobless aid measure in Senate - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

"The rejected bill would have provided $16 billion in new aid to states, preserving the jobs of thousands...

I've been away for a few days, but I think this news story ties in very nicely with a comment I was reading in another thread earlier today...

As a Canadian, I have no dog in this fight. [...]
Your system is so partisan now that no one cares about the Republic or The People any more ... only their allies and comrades in arms.

I think Hhuck is right: the efforts of the Republican caucus on this matter can be trenched in sound financial reasoning, but the real cause might be closer to the partisan truth that they did it because they could.

I have always thought of myself as a socially liberal / fiscally conservative kind of guy who is able to see beyond party affiliations and evaluate an idea on its merit. As such, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you spend far more than you take in, you're going to harm your overall financial health. However, I don't think penalizing the unemployed is a smart thing to do -- it too easily sets up class warfare at a time when our country needs to unite, not divide.

To me, our country's fiscal health is the most important issue in the upcoming election. That is not to minimize the environmental concerns of the Gulf spill nor to push Afghanistan off the radar, but our country's economic strength directly impacts our ability to successfully deal with those important issues. Vote for whomever you choose, but we are in a multi-year recovery that will require investment of tax revenue in unemployment benefits, job stimulation, and growth initiatives. Republicans can pretend all they want that these topics are evidence of evil-doing on the President's behalf, but these are the very same strategies that any rational Republican administration would be employing right now if they were in power. The only difference is that Republicans would likely be enacting simultaneous tax cuts for upper income brackets, further increasing the deficit.

Unfortunately (and, back to Hhuck's point), I think Republicans will continue to promulgate an anti-Obama, anti-socialist message [yes, it's erroneous and misplaced, but the "socialism" meme commands a lot of attention and raises the ire of the less-objective/less-well-read members of our society]. You'll see it in the increasingly hostile soundbites and unnecessarily contentious campaign advertising that will heat up later this summer until it boils over in November. It is unfortunately, "our" system and sadly, I have to agree:

As American's we get exactly the government that we deserve.

 

[midlifebear]

ColoradoGuy:

Excellent post. How did you become so wise? I've become a great fan.

 

[B_Marius567]

that is good people just don't want to work. I am working 58 hours a week and most be nice to have a few months off and relax.

 

[b.c.]

ColoradoGuy:

Excellent post. How did you become so wise? I've become a great fan.

Yes C-Guy. Spot on observations.

 

[faceking]

Republicans kill jobless aid measure in Senate - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

"The rejected bill would have provided $16 billion in new aid to states, preserving the jobs of thousands...

...included dozens of tax breaks sought by business lobbyists and tax increases on domestically produced oil...

...White House press secretary accused Republicans of blocking a commonsense economic package aimed at helping Americans suffering in the recession....

....unemployment benefits will [now] phase out for more than 200,000 people a week....

....Governors had been counting on federal aid....

...The bill had been sharply pared back after weeks of negotiations with GOP moderates...contained new cuts to food stamps and scaled back the state aid provision...

...That didn't move Republicans..."It adds new taxes and over $30 billion to an already staggering $13 trillion dollar national debt," said McConnell....

But cut in doctors' fees reversed...

....the House passed by a 417-1 vote a measure to reverse a 21 percent federal fee cut imposed last week on doctors providing care to seniors....

....That measure was one of the most important contained in the now-dead catch all bill, but it was broken out and passed separately by the Senate last week."

this is a good thing... we are not Greece.