Main Street Needs A Bailout - Let's Take The Message Directly To The President

If Congress will not take up the issue of the needs of the long term unemployed, there is only one other place to turn - the United States President, Barack Obama. 

This message is targeted directly to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  The message mentions the petition, "99ers Need A Tier 5",which was delivered to the staffer of Harry Reid and it also mentions the recent testimony given Monday, May 24, 2010 requesting a second stimulus.  This message is straight to the point by emphasizing that Mr. Summers is right on this one and to prevent a backslide in the economy, Main Street does need a bailout.  In the message, the gridlock of the two political parties is mentioned and with this year being an election year, that fact is the reason the longest term unemployed are not able to easily receive assistance from Congress. 

The message asks the President to do anything within his legislative and executive authority to accomplish the goal of extending unemployment benefits to everyone who has been unemployed through no fault of their own through the end of this year.  If the Congress does not have the 'political will' to take this issue up then the President can help to create this 'political will' by advocating on our behalf so that all Americans - employed or unemployed understand the need for this second stimulus.  Persons cannot wait until November for a solution that might happen.  Americans hardest hit need some type of security now.

Whether or not this petition gets signatures depends on those who care to continue advocating for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  Even if you do not want to participate in the form of another petition, please take the time to contact the President with either this message or your own message.  There are multiple ways to contact the White House. 

Here are the links which take you directly to contact pages for the President. 

The offiical page to contact the President of the United States by email is at:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

You can also contact the President by US Mail: 
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
(Please include your e-mail address in your letter)

You can contact the President by Phone:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

You can also send this message or a similar message to these social networking sites: 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse

Twitter:      http://twitter.com/whitehouse

Myspace:   http://www.myspace.com/whitehouse

Linked In:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2199632

It may be useful to use all of these sources for contacting the President.  If you have access to the Internet, all of these resources are free to use.  If you know someone who is unemployed, feel free to print this so that they have the telephone and US Mail address to use. 

The goal is not to just simply have a petition with a lot of signatures.  The goal is to encourage the President and let him know that the American people support a second stimulus as states are cash-strapped, over a million will have exhausted benefits by November, and there is an unfair amount of expectation that exists for the unemployed by not continuing unemployment insurance until there are enough jobs for every American.

The success of the Main Street Needs A Bailout campaign will depend solely on the grassroots efforts of the Americans who see this need and are willing to de-politicize this issue until the jobs return.  Please help to spread awareness about this petition by posting this petition on all social networking sites and re-posting to as many places as you can find where the unemployed can see this campaign and participate.

The full text of the message is located here:  http://www.change.org/petitions/view/main_street_needs_a_bailout_ and reads as follows:

The Americans who have became the hardest hit by the Great Recession are writing you today to tell you that we need a bailout and additional temporary stimulus funds - and we need your support and we need you to tell our story to the American people.  The longest term unemployed [those who have exhausted the maximum of 99 weeks of benefits (as you know some states received less)].  In the last extension, the state of Texas did not receive benefits and if you do the math, an unemployment rate of 8.0% in Texas is nearly two million Texans who were excluded from the previous extensions.


Mr. President, we know that you have received a petition regarding this matter previously and this is documented by many online reputable sources as well as the Huffington Post (which you have mentioned in some of your press conferences) and on Friday, May 28, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi made the statement, "Congress will not take up any measure to give the long-term jobless more weeks of unemployment benefits beyond the 99 weeks available in some states."


As you know Mr. President, the country has lost millions of jobs and although the recent jobs report is encouraging, we still have a job shortfall in this country.  The American people are asking that you continue to make job creation a high priority in your Administration.  Additionally, we also ask that you find a way to extend unemployment benefits for everyone who is unemployed and would qualify for the unemployment insurance benefit - at least until the end of this year.  If there were enough jobs for every American we would not be asking this as we do not wish to depend on government; but it must be understood by everyone in Washington that the persons who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own did not cause this financial collapse and they are depending on this funding and even your own Chief Economic Advisor, Lawrence Summers, made a plea for a second stimulus on Monday, May 24.  This was also made known to the public at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2010/05/25/obama-administration-call_ws_588404.html


Mr. President, the persons who have started this protest are very active in our communities, we do vote, and we have an understanding that the reason this has not been done for the American people is political.  The funding of unemployment insurance should not be a political issue.  As you know, Mr. President the states do not have the funding for this assistance and the current systems for unemployment compensation are out-dated and not designed to handle issues of this magnitude.


This would be the perfect opportunity to consider a second stimulus as Lawrence Summers has suggested and give states the funding to pay for an extension of unemployment insurance benefits until the end of this year when there is a more fair playing field when competing for the jobs that are available.  When these Americans who are now jobless were laid off unexpectedly from their jobs - they were given no notice.  We ask for a notice from the federal government as to when the benefits officially end and we ask that the partisan bickering in Washington, D.C. over the issue comes to an end.


In the United States Senate, there seems to be an equal number of Senators in high unemployment states relative to political affiliation.  Each and every month there should not be this piecemeal approach to extending the tiers available that already exist for the unemployed.  There needs to be a concrete resolution and a resolution which further extends the weeks available for those who have exhausted benefits until more jobs are created and the playing field for finding meaningful employment is more fair.  In urban area, the unemployment rates are well at or above nearly 15% and these are the absolute hardest-hit areas.  Rural areas were hit hard as well and also need this assistance.


Mr. President, we acknowledge that there have been very admirable job gains in the past few months and we are all hoping for this to continue each and every month.  But even by the end of this year, there will not be anywhere near the amount of jobs created that the country has lost.  Mr. President, please fund a bailout of Main Street.  Please be vocal and fired up about this.  The Congress is being too partisan to get this passed and it is an election year.  With the most sincere intentions, Mr. President, please take up this cause and make it a top priority to complete now as an emergency gesture for the unemployed.


These Americans already received a pink slip with no notice from their employer and for the past two years have had limited or no opportunity or they would still not be needing unemployment insurance.  Each and every individual has been qualified by their state to receive the benefit - or they would not be receiving this benefit to begin.  Please extend unemployment benefits for everyone through the end of this year.  If it is decided at that time that funding can no longer be provided, please give the American people a notice so that they can plan accordingly.


Do this to prevent a possible backslide of the economy and help avoid a double dip recession.  Please follow the advice of your Chief Economic Adviser, David Summers and authorize a second stimulus.  Please do this for the millions of Americans who will exhaust their benefits this year and will be trying to compete in a very rare, challenging, and unfairly competitive job market.


Please do this as soon as possible for millions of Americans who have been reduced to poverty through no fault of their own.  This is an emergency as we ask that you treat the matter as such.

Warmest Regards,

Please share this message with as many persons as you know.  While the news is still fresh that Mr. Summers has requested a second stimulus, it is worthwhile to send the President a message of support for this stimulus and the need to further extend unemployment insurance benefits to all states.


You can sign this petition using the widget on the sidebar, or visit the site where this full text is located at:  http://www.change.org/petitions/view/main_street_needs_a_bailout_

Nashville and many other Americans give tribute to Memorial Day

Nashville and many other Americans give tribute to Memorial Day

GOP succeeds at delaying H.R. 4213, long term unemployed ignored until November - all heat on Dems

GOP succeeds at delaying H.R. 4213, long term unemployed ignored until November - all heat on Dems

House passes watered-down jobs bill, Senate on recess until June 7

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | House Passes Watered-Down Jobs Bill, Too Late to Help Jobless

GOP kills Tier V | GOP Stalling on unemployment extensions | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

GOP kills Tier V | GOP Stalling on unemployment extensions | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Just In Case You Missed It - The Long Term Unemployed Hit Mainstream Media

Here is what aired on the Ed Schultz Show thanks to the many of you out there who emailed him and let him know about the plight of the long-term unemployed. 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This was a very quick exchange between Ed Schultz and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  But just this small amount of coverage is better than what the long term unemployed have not been receiving from mainstream press. This is without doubt, progress and a major leap in the right direction for those who have exhausted benefits.

Everyone, help US Unemployed Blogsite and so many others who are advocating for this keep this story alive by continuing to contact Ed Schultz.  A simple thank you for starters for even covering the story to begin and ask him to please keep asking these Senators the tough questions such as:  when will those who have exhausted benefits see relief? 

As posted previously, it is looking more and more like that relief will be coming in the form of a second stimulus act.  Congress is not going to amend $200 billion (or more) to H.R. 4213 for persons who have exhausted benefits.  At the risk of a reader perhaps thinking that I am rude for saying this, I must tell you politics is something that I personally have followed for a long time - during the Clinton Administration even.  This large-scale amendment has not been through the Finance Committee and they would not hold up the benefits that are scheduled to sunset on June 2, 2010 to wait on any amendment.  Doing so would cause them to miss the deadline again this month and it is just not feasible that route would be taken.

Those who have exhausted benefits are making major breakthroughs in just this past week.  More coverage and signals of action within this past week than in the past two months combined to be exact.

Keep up your work.  Keep spreading the word about the petition at Change.org.  Keep sending off the Senate and Media SOS emails and faxes.  Keep calling members of Congress.  There is a door that is barely hanging on one hinge and with a little more push we can knock that door down.

Obama Administration Has Called For Additional Unemployment Insurance Included In Second Stimulus Act (a.k.a. "Mini" Stimulus) - #tier5 #unemployment

Not that members of the Tea Party movement will agree that there is anything "mini" about up to $300 billion dollars of deficit spending, it's being called for by the Obama Administration anyway.  This news should excite each and every reader out there who is seeking additional weeks available for unemployment benefits as this is the strongest signal from the Obama Administration that the unemployed are being heard. 

Today some very encouraging news emerged and since there are more than three sources reporting on it, it is definitely worth bringing to the attention of the unemployed - especially the long term unemployed who have felt abandoned in recent months.


Both Newsweek's article:  Economoist's Agree:  Unemployment Will Stay High Through November and the Financial Times article Obama adviser calls for new mini-stimulus are stating that the second stimulus requested on Monday, May 24, 2010 by the Obama Administration is calling for an extension of unemployment benefits. 

So, if H.R. 4213 is geared to assist the existing tiers through the remainder of the year, what else can this extension referenced be other than additional weeks available to the unemployed?  The second stimulus also being newly known as a "mini-stimulus" is seeming more and more like the vehicle that will be used for a possible Tier V unemployment extension or adding additional weeks to current tiers. 

The testimony given Monday by Lawrence Summers, Barack Obama's Senior Economic Advisor, stated to the United States House of Representatives the following statements: 

“I cannot agree with those who suggest that it somehow threatens the future to provide truly temporary, high-bang-for-the-buck jobs and growth measures,” he said. “Spurring growth, if we can achieve it, is by far the best way to improve our fiscal position.”

“The observation that the economy is again ascending does not mean that we are out of a very deep valley,” said Mr Summers.

As covered by Financial Times, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House stated: 

“We look forward to reviewing the president’s proposal and working together to do what’s right for our nation’s fiscal health and security,”

Newsweek reports that all three major economic groups that have leverage in Congress:  the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the centrist Brookings Institution, and the conservative Heritage Foundation are all in agreement that the national unemployment rate will hover around 10% through the remainder of this year and definitely through the midterm elections.

The full Newsweek article being referenced is at:  http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/05/25/economists-agree-unemployment-will-stay-high-through-november.aspx

Josh Bivens of EPI, advocates a second stimulus bill on the order of $300 billion that would extend unemployment benefits and food stamps, and subsidies for laid-off workers getting their health insurance through COBRA, plus fiscal relief to states facing recovery-killing budget cuts or tax increases.

According to the Newsweek Article, Bivens stated, "We missed our window", when referring to whether or not this action to provide tax cuts to small business to spur job creation would make an impact before the November midterm elections. 

James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation states that the president should encourage private wealth creation through tax cuts and tort reform to protect corporations against the costs of battling lawsuits. But he admits that this would take a while to boost employment figures.  Mr Sherk stated: "The economy moves at a slow pace."  (This will be the opinion taken by the Republican party and as was noted above, reflects the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation's assertion). 

In these articles it is stated that the second stimulus proposed by the Obama Administration is necessary to avoid a double dip back into the recession and sustain any amount of growth. 

If you have exhausted your benefits, you know this.  You know as well as anyone that without a job available to you and without assistance from unemployment insurance the economy will sink.  This is the bailout Main Street needs and according to Mr. Bivens from EPI, economists missed the mark to make a difference by about four or five months.  Does this sound about right to some of you?  Would it have helped to know four months ago (in early February), that your benefits would not be expiring and you could continue to pay for basic necessities that assistance through unemployment insurance can provide? 

No one should be claiming a victory here.  But this is some of the most encouraging news in recent months that signals to the unemployed how the Obama Administration and Democratic Leadership will address the needs of the long term unemployed who have exhausted benefits or will exhaust benefits very soon. 

As we have learned today, it seems the most likely route is going to be the passage of H.R. 4213 for those who have not used the maximum amount of benefits currently available through the end of this year.  And for those who have exhausted benefits or will exhaust benefits very soon, Stimulus Bill #2 is reported to cover unemployment extensions.  It seems logical that the bill that will cost over $300 billion dollars is the bill that will extend out weeks of benefits. 

We need this bill titled and in the finance committees as soon as possible.
Obviously, the full text of the bill for the "Second Stimulus" needs to be presented and when this happens it will likely then be reported by larger media outlets.  Right now it is just a proposal by the Chief Economic Advisor to the White House, Lawrence Summers. 

This additional glimpse of hope is reason to keep going advocates.  Keep the petitions strong and keep advocating for a Tier 5 unemployment extension so that it is quickly clear the long term unemployed are advocating for extending weeks.  Keep your telephone calls, emails, and faxes going to Congress.  There may very well be a form letter referencing this newly introduced measure very soon in replies.

Those who are advocating for extended weeks of unemployment benefits have came too far to let these efforts die down quite yet.  Not until there is a bill on the floor.  (And still even then to counter any Republican objections).  We must not relent until this legislation is passed.

The Newsreel at the top is ticking both Google queries:  Second Stimulus & H.R. 4213.  Both of these stories should be of interest to the unemployed out there seeking information.  If anyone finds any other links that are reporting a similar story in respect to unemployment benefits being in Stimulus II, please post that in the comments for other unemployed readers to see. 

Thanks everyone for doing what you do and helping to make this a reality.  I am hopeful that there will be a bill number to reference soon.  Remember, this was just introduced on Monday.  The story just broke on this today.  There's much more information to find out before anyone can say they know the full story. 

As more information is learned, this blog depends on contributions from its readers in comments and references from verifiable news sources.  Thanks in advance for your support out there and keep your eye open for any article mentioning a Second Stimulus.

Photo:  Washington Monument photographed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, US Unemployed Blogsite

99er’s Petition Delivered to Washington | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

99er’s Petition Delivered to Washington | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Obama Administration Calls For Second Stimulus #Tier 5 #Unemployment

http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/stock-market-dow-jones-obama-congress/5/25/2010/id/28458

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/69bb33d8-678b-11df-a932-00144feab49a.html

By Matt Theal | May 25, 2010 8:30 am

As the stock market begins to show signs of the bear, policy makers look to a new $200 billion stimulus package.

“His plan calls for more loans made to small businesses, an extension of unemployment insurance, and aid to states to prevent teacher layoffs. The announcement is expected to be met by resistance in Washington as right now Congress is looking for ways to cut spending, not increase it.”

This blogger is waiting for more news sources to cover this story and a full article will be posted.  A second stimulus is being requested from an Obama Administration official and we should take this news cautiously optimistic.  We do not yet have the full details or a bill to reference.  This is just raw information as it comes in for readers to stay informed.

President Obama Will Not Add $200+ Billion Spending Bill By Executive Order - #Tier5 #Unemployment

There has been some speculation floating around on the Internet from persons wanting President Barack Obama to issue an Executive Order for a Tier 5 Unemployment extension.  Although a very faint possibility exists for this speculation - that does not make it true or reality.  Let me explain to my readers the history of the use of the Presidential Executive Order and why it is not likely we will see an Executive Order from the President (or any President). 

First, think about the history and the rules for issuing an Executive Order.  More detail is posted at Wikipedia's article, "Executive order (United States)".  Wikipedia tells us that other than a loosely written clause in the Constitution that allows for this, no specific legislation exists that even grants the use of an Executive Order.  This is in Article II, Section 1, Clause 1.  Rules limiting the power of the Executive Order were established in the 1950s.  This is the information available from Wikipedia directly on those limited powers: 

Until the 1950s, there were no rules or guidelines outlining what the president could or could not do through an Executive Order. However, the Supreme CourtYoungstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 US 579 (1952) that Executive Order 10340 from President Harry S. Truman placing all steel mills in the country under federal control was invalid because it attempted to make law, rather than clarify or act to further a law put forth by the Congress or the Constitution. Presidents since this decision have generally been careful to cite which specific laws they are acting under when issuing new Executive Orders.

There is no law that includes a Tier 5 or additional weeks of benefits to clarify.  Therefore, an Executive Order hits a road block on this fact alone.  But there are other factors that would prevent the President from issuing an Executive Order for this listed below.

The states have no money for unemployment funding.  In fact, most states have to borrow the money currently from the federal government now because there were no states ready to handle this financial crisis.  The entire country was not prepared for this financial crisis and the magnitude of the effect of the financial crisis has been underestimated by many.  This recession truly has been the Great Recession and no state or federal agencies ever really touched the unemployment insurance system with any broad scope since the creation of the program during the New Deal when Franklin D. Roosevelt was President.  To see the history of unemployment insurance and how it is currently defined, see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_insurance#United_States

As great of a political P.R. stunt it would be for the President to issue an Executive Order for an additional tier of unemployment benefits, the likelihood that this President (or any President) would do so is just not likely.  Not when so many Americans feel that unemployment insurance benefits keep the long term unemployed from looking for work.  Also, not when nearly half of the legislators in Congress who represent the states with high unemployment rates continue to oppose these extensions by voting "No".  We often witness these members of Congress finding a way to have their cake and eat it too though, haven't we? 

Some will even say to the camera that they support the legislation or if you are Tom Coburn, you would say that you are giving 103 weeks and then extending it even further.  Then when it comes time to vote on the Senate floor, vote "Nay".  These Senators may cite their reason for voting "Nay" is because they counted the numbers and the bill would have passed anyway or they may claim that they did not like how the bill was handled financially.  But at the end of the day, you either vote in favor of unemployment insurance extensions or you do not and that is how the majority of Americans feel about this issue.  That decision ultimately is the decision that determines whether or not you get an unemployment check in the mail.  Tom Coburn's "Nay" vote should have been on the grounds that the cutoff rate of 8.5% does not do enough.  Especially when you consider that 8.3% unemployed is still nearly two million Texans.  However, Senator Coburn never said this was the reason for his vote.  His reasons have always been objections to how the extensions are funded.

Another reason the President is not likely to issue an Executive Order is the simple fact this is something that should be addressed by the full weight of the legislative body.  The full legislative body would be the Congress, the Senate, and the President.  And one would think that this issue would easily be given bipartisan support considering that there are 11 million unemployed right now in this country who have exhausted benefits or are about to exhaust benefits and there are an equal amount of United States Senators from each political party representing the states with highest unemployment. 


To pick apart both parties:  Democrats need to pass these extensions with or without Republican support and do so at a fast pace.  However they do need the support of one Republican each time and that Republican usually has been Olympia Snowe (R-ME) until Scott Brown (R-Mass) entered the picture.  Scott Brown may be a Republican but at least he steps in when needed and breaks from party lines and sees what is best for the country as far as the issue of unemployment insurance extensions are concerned. The rest of the republicans need to quit being hypocrites and harping on rules of "Pay As You Go" laws (which they did not even vote in favor of PAYGO) and if they are so excited about the newly reinstated law, they should read the law.  As has been posted here many times, the rules of PAYGO specifically exclude emergency funding.  For more details about the PAYGO law, you can read the article here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAYGO. The rules of PAYGO are linked to the Emergency Deficit Control Act when the Presidency of William Jefferson Clinton earned the country a budget surplus in 1998 and anyone who would have you believe that unemployment is not emergency funding is the main reason why it has taken so long to pass H.R. 4213 and for the past two months the Senate has had to pass monthly extensions for the existing tiers. 


This post was not intended to crush anyone's hopes.  It was intended to keep persons informed to the facts as they are known and available to the public if you avoid certain cable news outlets and care to do the boring research.  The last thing anyone unemployed who have exhausted benefits need now is division and the destruction of hope.  The intent is to relay facts with verifiable reasons.  Consider the fact that for Congress to extend the dates of existing tiers until the end of the year is going to cost $140 billion.  This is the summary from OpenCongress.org about H.R. 4213:

This bill would extend the filing deadline for existing tiers of unemployment benefits until Dec. 31, 2010. COBRA health care subsidies for the unemployed would also be extended. Other provisions in the bill include an extension of the current rate of Medicare payments to doctors and dozens of targeted tax cuts. The total cost of the bill is estimated at $140 billion, with $80 billion of that being for the extended unemployment benefits. None of the cost is offset with new revenues.

With as much partisan divide that is currently going on now with the bickering of the two political parties over $140 billion dollars to extend the current dates with H.R. 4213, it is very unlikely the President will be extending the weeks available alone and the reason is the Constitutionality.  The bill that would extend the weeks would easily be over $200+ billion and there is a chain of command in government.  For financing this large, the full weight of the legislative body is not just needed, it's required.  This is why the Congressional Budget Office exists and why there are Finance Committees.  Remember, the Senate Finance Committee has not even looked at a Tier 5 unemployment extension yet.

Also, when the Recovery Act was passed that offered an extension of unemployment benefits, many Republican legislators and governors opposed the Recovery Act and the EB program that helped to modernize the system with a "trigger" and extended unemployment benefits last year. They opposed the provisions which allow for the $25 increase in payments per week and $15 per dependent, and the COBRA extensions. 

Just some examples:  Representative Zach Wamp, Tennessee's 3rd District, asserted that the extensions were an "unfunded mandate" as sourced here:  http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/04/15/wamp-asserts-unemployment-extension-an-unfunded-mandate/.  Many Tennessee State legislators agreed with him and there is a video on that link of a State Representative in Tennessee government stating his objection.  Rep. Zach Wamp is also running for governor of the State of Tennessee and I would ask my fellow Tennesseans to consider that Zach Wamp is on record opposing assistance to the unemployed and has a voting record of voting "Nay" on unemployment extensions.  If Wamp opposes unemployment extensions for the jobless as a Representative in D.C., what do you think he will support as a governor who will inherit a very high unemployment rate, if elected?  (Assuming that the situation remains the same or similar until November which most economists only expect a modest growth in employment).

And nearly each and every state in the South has a similar story or worse.  Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina refused to sign the legislation for federal assistance for unemployment extensions until he was over-ruled by the South Carolina Supreme Court.  Additionally, Governor Rick Perry is an active member of the Tea Party Movement which vehemently opposes unemployment extensions and government spending (proudly since 2009) and Governor Perry even pandered to his constituents with talk of secession over the Recovery Act which did include unemployment insurance extensions.

One final example is Governor Charlie Crist, Florida.  He practically allowed dust to set on a bill which would extend unemployment benefits in Florida before signing it into law.  Many Floridians have went needlessly without benefits due to the carelessness of their governor.  He just recently on Monday of this week signed the legislation that would give jobless Floridians extended benefits that other states have already received. 

The President will not issue an Executive Order for a bill that will easily cost more than $200 billion.  Doing so would only cause further division and as stated above, there really is no specific law that gives the President the authority to place into Executive Order such a large bill that would affect so many states and persons especially when the bill would be deficit spending.  If such an Executive Order were to happen, it is subject to Supreme Court challenge and it would certainly receive that challenge when we consider the facts about the use of previously used Executive Orders and the current political climate in D.C. just to extend the dates of the current unemployment tiers. 
 

In fact, it is more likely that all of the Senators in Washington would sing Kumbaya and begin working with each other rather than against each other than it is that the President will issue an Executive Order of this magnitude that would ultimately be challenged in the Supreme Court and could result in millions of Americans having to repay any benefit amount that would be received if such an Executive Order were to happen. 

Everything in this post has been sourced and is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.  Any political assertions were based on the knowledge of a blogger who not only blogs about unemployment - but also has been blogging about politics for a long time and is passionate about the subject.  However, this blog is intended for unemployment information only.  While the issue of unemployment insurance is political right now, some political knowledge is needed to be made known to the public so that everyone is aware of the facts and so that everyone knows the true probability of what will happen if legislation to extend the weeks of unemployment benefits becomes law. 

It has always been my belief that if the unemployed at least have access to the correct information that it would be to the advantage of everyone.  There are certainly some fellow unemployed who do wish that the President would issue an Executive Order, but if you look at the facts about the usage of Executive Orders and the Supreme Court ruling that changed the scope of the Executive Order in 1952 with the case of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 US 579 (1952) - it is a reminder of the reality that an Executive Order from the President is not going to happen as the President does not have this large scale single authority. 

The President has always immediately signed legislation pertaining to unemployment insurance.  There is certainly still hope for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension through Congress.  We must continue to focus on Congress and the Senate.  Long-term unemployed need to continue to ask for assistance from the media and push for the larger media outlets to pick up this story.  If the door exists for a Tier 5 unemployment extension, the key to unlock that door is in the media and in the Congress and Senate.

Long term unemployed must stay focused on finding that key.  Anything else would be a distraction.  Speculation may provide entertainment but it will not provide solutions.  Just an example:  Glenn Beck is proof of this each and every day.  His recipe is simple:  play into the fears of people, exploit those fears, and inject pure speculation followed by a question.

There are no solutions in producing this type of speculation.  Please, let's stay focused on the task to educate the media and contact members of Congress and make pleas to the press to cover this issue.  That is the one and only way to accomplish an extension of weeks for those who have exhausted their benefits. 

Tier 5 Advocates Plan Media Blitz Today For All Week Plea To Ed Schultz, MSNBC

Monday, May 24, 2010 an organized effort to contact the Ed Show and inform the show that there is a desperate need for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  Mention the Change.org petition that was formally submitted to Congress.  The full details of the formal presentation of the 99er petition is posted at WorldNewsVine at:  http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/05/99ers-petition-delivered-to-washington/

For those who have not had a chance to read this article, it is the official account from Robert Grone, Editor/Owner of WorldNewsVine.  Please visit that article for detailed information about the 99er petition that was submitted to the Congressional record and will be in the Library of Congress. 

For those who do not know, Ed Schultz is a political commentator on a nationally syndicated radio program and also does a show on MSNBC News.  He's widely respected and it's quite possible his show may have interest in the plight of the long term unemployed.  Tier 5 Advocates are attempting to make an organized plea for assistance.  To help participate, I plan to contact the Ed Show by all methods of contact. 

Contact Information for the Ed Show: 

Website:             http://www.bigeddieradio.com/
Email:                 ed@edschultzshow.com
US Mail:            The Ed Schultz Show, 417 38th St. SW Suite F,  Fargo, ND 58103-2312       

If you are on Facebook, please RSVP to this organized event at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119581478079936 so the unemployed who are participating know our numbers who are helping spread this message. 

So far there are 13 confirmed who have RSVP'd and 8 persons who may participate. 

We realize that some of you may be on your last leg and frustration is not the word best used to describe the persons who have exhausted all benefits.  Frustration passed for many a month or so ago.  Please remember, our strength has always been in our numbers.  It was the numbers on that Change.org petition that caused a representative from Change.org to state for the record that the 99er petition is the most popular, truly grassroots petition to Congress ever done that was created by an individual. 

That alone and the increase in signatures daily is news worthy.

You may contact the Ed Show anytime this week.  Telephone may be the strongest way tool we can do. 

Call 1-877-934-6833 (Toll Free)   Call anytime during the day and all week long. 

If for whatever reason you cannot call by telephone, please send an email or regular mail to the address above.  Or contact the Ed Show using all methods of contact if you can!  Have a prepared statement with the facts such as for when they ask why you are calling simply tell them...

H.R. 4213 does nothing for millions of jobless Americans and mention the submitted formal Change.org 99er petition to Congress and no action has been taken on this issue after months of calling, emailing, and faxing members of Congress and the President.  Also please mention the millions in Texas who were excluded from federal funding on the last unemployment extension and you feel that if Congress has the money to send to the unemployed in Greece they should find the money for the unemployed in America.  So many millions of lives in this country depend on a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.

If nothing else, please feel free to copy and paste that above paragraph and send Ed Schultz an email about this. (Or anyone in the media you see fit).   Feel free to customize the message above however you want and send it off.  Our goal is not to necessarily have a uniform for our message but we should all keep the message on topic and to the point with factual information for the staff of the show to easily verify.

Our strength is in our numbers.  If each and every one of my daily readers can please participate in this we might make a difference to MSNBC.  Do not forget that MSNBC recently covered INAFJ.org.  This media network does have an interest in the unemployed and the cause for a true extension of available weeks for unemployed benefits is very important.  Extreme cases of poverty beckon without Congressional action. 

Ask the operator to do a quick Google search on all of the persons on the Internet mentioning the need for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  Mention the fact there are many blogs and this need has been reported by many news outlets.  Remember, you are not alone by taking this act of courage to contact the Ed Show. 

Do whatever you need to do to make the case and plea for a Tier V Unemployment Extension

There are many more participating who just have not had a chance to RSVP to the event yet or who do not have a Facebook account.  We have seen different names on multiple forums pledge to participate.  Please readers, make some noise this week.  You will also see this same organized effort on all of the unemployment blogs today because we all realize that our strength is our numbers to make an impact. 

Do not forget when mentioning to the Ed Show that Tom Coburn, the Republican Senator from Oklahoma promised the long term unemployed an additional 4 weeks of assistance (totaling 103 weeks) back in March and also said that number would be extended even further.  This quote was all over the Internet and MSNBC reported on this.  Yet, Senator Coburn will not introduce the legislation for this and Congressional leaders are letting millions of Americans slip further into poverty. This quote is real, to the long term unemployed who still cannot find work that comment counted as a promise yet the jobless who have exhausted all tiers need this assistance as an emergency.

Breaking News | April Numbers Released - New York State Has Fallen To 8.4% Unemployment Rate

The United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest update of unemployment rates by state based on April data on May 21, 2010.  The result of that data is posted. 

(Click on the chart to enlarge or visit http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm). 

There were only slight changes to the March data that was released in April.  The highest states for unemployment percentages remain:  Michigan, Nevada, California, Rhode Island, Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, North Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri, West Virginia, Washington State, Massachusetts, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. 

The states that were mentioned all have unemployment rates at or above 8.5% - the current percentage to receive federal funding for all existing unemployment tiers.

This is worth noting:  According to the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the State of New York has fallen to 8.4%. 

Alaska is also at 8.4% and Texas has went up slightly to 8.3%.  As this blogger has previously noted, a lower percentage does not equal relief.  Many unemployed in Texas did not benefit from the last tier of unemployment extensions as they fell below the 8.5% rate to receive federal assistance.

The State of New York has fallen to 8.4%.  1/10th of a percent below the mark to continue to receive federal funding.  Please, when contacting Congress, ask them to consider the population of a state and not simply a percentage.  Please continue to advocate for a Tier 5 unemployment extension and ask Congress to consider the number of persons - not percentages when making decisions on which states receive assistance.

New Jersey Unemployment Rate 9.8% - 853,358 Jobless In New Jersey Are Depending On Tier 5 Unemployment Extension

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, the total population for New Jersey is 8,707,739.  Based on the data from the Department of Labor, BLS, the total percentage of unemployment in this state is 9.8%.  These equals a total of 853,358 who are jobless in the State of New Jersey.

The Senators for the State of New Jersey are Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  The contact information for these United States Senators is located here:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NJ

As reported earlier by US Unemployed Blogsite, Robert Menendez was the only Senator on the Senate Finance Committee who challenged Doug Holmes' assertion that continuing to provide unemployment insurance to jobless is less incentive for work.  Senator Menendez clarified for the record that there are simply not enough jobs for the unemployed in the country.  He cited that there is only one job for every five applicants.  The link to this Senate Finance Committee Hearing which took place on April 14, 2010, is located here.

The official page for the State of New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is located here:  http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/

Unemployed residents of New Jersey who are sharing information and resources (apart from this blog) are doing so at: 

Unemployed-Friends - New Jersey

Money Smart Blog (formerly known as Four Pillars) - New Jersey Unemployment Benefit Extension Information

If any reader out there knows another source or any information specific to the unemployed residents of New Jersey, please post that information in comments. 

Tennessee Unemployment Rate 10.5% - 661,107 Unemployed In Tennessee Will Need A Tier 5 Unemployment Extension

Based on data from the United States Census Bureau, Population Division, the current estimated population for the State of Tennesee is 6,296,254.  The most recent numbers for unemployment in Tennessee from the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics is 10.5%.  Based on this raw data, that equates to 661,107 jobless in the State of Tennessee.

Each and every one of these jobless in Tennessee deserve to have unemployment insurance as long as they need the assistance until the job market fully recovers. Just like all of the other states, there are not enough jobs for every unemployed person. Congress needs to implement a Tier 5 for unemployment assistance for the long-term jobless.

Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander need to be doing all they can to alleviate the state's job shortfall; not just voting "No" to the needs of the unemployed. Until the job market recovers, the absolute least thing these Senators can do is support and introduce legislation that extends the amount of weeks available for the unemployed in their state. If there are not enough jobs, there are not enough jobs. It's that simple. There should not even be a need to debate it. The debate should be over how to get the assistance to these people fast enough.

The contact information for Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander is here:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=TN

The unemployed in Tennessee are sharing resources and communicating information through this blog and also at Unemployed-Friends.com and Money Smart Blog.  These are the links to those sources: 

Money Smart Blog (formerly known as Four Pillars) - Tennessee Unemployment Benefit Extensions - 20 More Weeks?

Representing the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, John Partlow visits this forum and answers questions for the unemployed in Tennessee.  If you have a question regarding your claim that the unemployment offices cannot assist, please send Mr. Partlow an email at John.Partlow@tn.gov

Unemployed Friends - Tennessee

This is another popular online forum where the jobless in Tennessee are sharing resources and vital information. 

The official websites for the unemployed in Tennessee to file a claim, obtain information, or do weekly certifications are located at:

The offiical page for the State of Tennessee - Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Or to file a claim, weekly certifications, or to view payment history, visit:  http://tennesseeanytime.org/labor

If anyone out there knows another resource for the unemployed in Tennessee to share vital information, please post that information in comments.  The goal is to offer all states the most useful and relevant resources for information, communication, general help, and any other concerns regarding unemployment.

Root Cause Of Voters' Revolt: Congress, Obama, & GOP Ignore 11 Million Jobless

Full story is here:  http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/05/20/root-cause-of-voters-revolt-congress-obama-gop-ignore-11-million-jobless/

Key Quotes: 

The revolt across the political landscape on Tuesday against incumbents wasn’t just an attack against the Washington establishment, but an outpouring of rage against political elites of all stripes who haven’t realized the economic crisis still gripping American workers. As Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, asks sensibly enough, “Why isn’t our government doing more to put people back to work? ”

----And as Christine Owens, Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, observes,”There remains a dark underbelly of long-term joblessness that puts genuine recovery still very far off. Between the jobs we have lost since the recession began and growth in the working age population, we have a deficit of roughly 11 million jobs–a hole it will take many more months and years of strong job growth to fill. [This week's] jobs report is an encouraging one, but the story remains a tale of two cities – even as jobs return for some, the picture is growing more grim for many who remain unemployed.”

The link to this article was at Unemployedworkers.org and the full article is at AlterNet here:
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/05/20/root-cause-of-voters-revolt-congress-obama-gop-ignore-11-million-jobless/

North Carolina Unemployment Rate 11.1% - 1 Million Jobless In North Carolina Need A Tier 5 Unemployment Extension

According to the United States Census Bureau and with the help of Google data, the current estimated population of North Carolina is 9,380,884.  With the current estimated percentage of jobless in that state with numbers from the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is calculated at 11.1%.  Just using the raw data, this makes for over a million who are jobless in North Carolina. Precisely based on these two figures, the total number of jobless that we know are 1,041,278.

Each and every one of these jobless in North Carolina deserve to have unemployment insurance as long as they need the assistance until the job market full recovers.  Just like all of the other states, there are not enough jobs for every unemployed person.  Congress needs to implement a Tier 5 for unemployment assistance for the long-term jobless.

Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan need to be doing all they can to alleviate the problem of lack of jobs.  Until then, the absolute least thing these Senators can do is support and introduce legislation that extends the amount of weeks available for the unemployed in their state.  If there are not enough jobs, there are not enough jobs.  It's that simple.  There should not even be a need to debate it.  The debate should be over how to get the assistance to these people fast enough. 

If you are jobless in North Carolina, please contact your Senators and tell them your situation.  Do not be afraid of these people.  You pay their high six figure salaries.  Government is supposed to work for the people.  Get your voice heard to them. 

The contact information for these Senators is located here:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NC

The unemployed from North Carolina are sharing resources and communicating here:  http://unemployed-friends.forumotion.com/north-carolina-f36/ as well as any comments that may be on this posting that may keep the unemployed in North Carolina updated. 

The official North Carolina Department of Labor page is:  http://www.nclabor.com/

If anyone has any more links for resources specific to the State of North Carolina, please post that information in comments so that all North Carolina unemployed have access to these resources.

Decker 99ers Petition Delivery Update | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Decker 99ers Petition Delivery Update | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Ways and Means Committee to present amendment text to H.R. 4213 today | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Ways and Means Committee to present amendment text to H.R. 4213 today | Breaking News WorldNewsVine

Just so that no readers are confused, there still is no specific discussion of any talks of a Tier 5 or adding weeks to existing benefits.  Do not be confused by the many articles out there with different headlines.  If these sources are reporting the fact, the fact still remains there is no discussion known to the public that are on the record about extending weeks of available benefits. 

We are all still waiting to see if there were any comments made about extending the weeks available from the meeting today with Harry Reid's office from Issa and WorldNewsVine. 

Information will be posted as it is known.  Be that in comments or as a new post altogether. 

H.R. 4213 update, Ed Schultz & Chris Matthews Get A Message

H.R. 4213 update, Ed Schultz & Chris Matthews get a message, jobless claims pop 25,000 to 471,000

Posted using ShareThis

Eve Of Tier 5 Petition Delivery - Michael Thornton, Rochester Unemployment Examiner Helps As Always Reporting Where This Effort Is

This article sums up where we are at this point:  Tier 5: Sen. Reid’s office: will explore long term unemployed policies after passage of H.R. 4213  (Michael Thornton, Rochester Unemployment Examiner). 

The direction that seems to be most likely is the passage of HR 4213 first so that the persons unemployed on current tiers get their extension through the end of the year.  And I'm glad of that.  After thinking about it, if this bill were to get ping-ponged back and forth to add weeks for those who have exhausted weeks, it might slow down the process for those who have benefits expiring on June 2nd.  We must be mindful of that group of unemployed persons as well because so many in that group who have not exhausted benefits yet are helping those who have exhausted benefits with our cause to get a Tier 5!

Congress might not have met the deadline and left many more expiring their benefits if HR 4213 was held up even longer.

With that said, just like the rest of you out there.  I hope that Senator Reid takes up the need for a Tier 5 or extending the weeks on current tiers immediately after HR 4213 is law.  We are continuing to send our messages and contact our elected representatives.  Until there is a bill introduced, Congress will not see any relief from the jobless who have exhausted benefits and who are advocating for a Tier 5. 

No matter what Tier 5 campaign that exists - it is still alive and well and participation is much appreciated.

We are still waiting for the results of the meeting this Thursday (tomorrow) at 2PM that Issa Decker and Robert Grone are having with Mr. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader.  Everyone in the cause for a Tier 5 is hoping to get some type of statement on the record and most importantly, get a bill on the floor!

More information as it is known will be posted and the continuation of the Jobless In America series of articles for all of the states will be continued.  Also, everyone should be aware that the efforts of so many advocates for Tier 5 was noted in the Huffington Post.  HuffPo can bring us more media coverage if they continue to cover the story.  Here is that article also released today:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/19/website-raises-1000-to-br_n_581676.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Calling all Long Term Unemployed: 99ers petition will be hand delivered to Washington May 20th

Calling all Long Term Unemployed: 99ers petition will be hand delivered to Washington May 20th

Posted using ShareThis

Tier 5 Unemployment Emissaries Are Being Dispatched To Washington, H.R. 4213 May Be Coming To Final Passage, & For Millions, H.R. 4213 Currently Does Not Help Them

As most know, a vote will happen this week on H.R. 4213, American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010.  The vote is currently planned to be a simple reconciliation vote at this point and it would be a little unorthodox if any amendments were introduced. 

However, the longest term unemployed are hoping and praying, wishing and lobbying, calling US Representatives and petitioning for an amendment despite how inconvenient it may be for the procedure or the political unpopularity.

There are so many unemployed who would love to see an amendment to this bill that would also extend the weeks of benefits that are currently available which are federally funded.  This legislation has already passed the House of Representatives once and the United States Senate has added amendments.  The United States Senate gave their last vote on this on 3/31/2010.  It is not the fault of the unemployed that the Congress and Senate overlooked this need.  However, long term unemployed might have done more had we began our SOS Attacks and petitioning in February, perhaps.  The problem at that time was that so many did not know that this bill does not include assistance for those exhausting benefits.  It is to the advantage of the jobless to remain united as the unemployment crisis is not over yet.  The economy has only just began to show any substantial amounts of growth for job creation.  If the recession is factually over according to economists and the pill that we swallowed for the Stimulus Act indeed made an impact and reversed the economy then the side-effects of that legislative pill are just as bad as the recession itself for far too many millions.




Many jobless Americans began their efforts in early March to communicate to this Congress as they learned that H.R.4213 does not help the needs of the longest term jobless.  Tier 5 Activists began this in a very respectful and civilized order.  First with sending emails and calling their elected representatives to simply ask them to add an amendment to this bill.  After that seemed to have little impact in the beginning days, we all sat out on our own initiatives to get our voices heard to Congress. The online petition to Congress began on multiple sites (all are still ongoing), however the Change.org petition found at http://www.99erspetition.com/ caught the eye and respect from WorldNewsVine, the Rochester Unemployment Examiner, Michael Thornton, Gather's Mike Rheaume, and MLive.com also broke the news in the beginning of this movement discussing the efforts of so many by reporting on the Unemployed Will Be Heard campaign.  If any news credit was left out it was not intentional.  This information is simply what is chronicled in the US Unemployed Blogsite's Archives and it is certainly possible a source was overlooked by accident.  However, the long term unemployed will give credit to anyone and everyone out there who is willing to take up their message and report information factually as it is known.

The unemployed need to understand that these sources are great but they are not mainstream press yet.  We can certainly make them mainstream by staying loyal to their news articles first and helping these sources stay strong by visiting their sponsors and posting our feedback and thanks to the contributors and the Editors.  Currently these sources mentioned are the only few willing to take up our cause and the longest term unemployed should be thankful to all of them.  Personally, this blogger plans to go steps further and help spread the word about these sources and their excellent reporting on other issues.  It stands to reason that if these sources can cover with such detail the needs of all unemployed they are covering the full story on other issues that impact our lives as well.

WorldNewsVine was able to do something for us over the weekend and regardless of the outcome we should all be grateful for their effort to try.  As some know WorldNewsVine has offered to help hand deliver Issa Decker's 99er petition to members of Congress this week as a result of a Web-A-Thon that was held over the weekend asking for donations to go to Washington, D.C. and submit the message of the longest term unemployed in person and for the very modest donation price of just over $1,000.  Anyone who has ever had to visit the nation's Capitol should take a look at hotel room rates and the daily parking fees in D.C.  The cost of $1,000 was a bargain.  We are all anxiously awaiting the news from WorldNewsVine about more details of their trip to Washington, D.C. but we must be realistic.  There is only so much that these brave persons can do but the long term unemployed are better off to have tried this before the upcoming vote on H.R. 4213 than to not.  Before this vote, there is the opportunity to hand deliver professional copies of over 27,000 signatures for the public record and make a last ditch attempt to express the dire need of urgency to members of Congress.

The longest-term unemployed are sending these missionaries in hopes for answers and more comments on the record.  We are also sending them in hopes that action will be taken soon but there are no guarantees with anything in politics.  We may very well only learn what we already know and that there indeed is no political will to further combat opposing hypocrisy and obstruction. 

Congress needs to muster this political will with the urgency it deserves.  Too many depend on this.

In addition to the plight of being stricken into poverty by many political factors, we have to stay abreast to current events or we lose credibility for what we need to accomplish. United States legislatures are still in need of tackling issues with Immigration, Financial Reform, a Supreme Court nominee to confirm or deny, legislation on Climate Change and Energy, and don't forget about the 2011 Budget and other domestic issues that are currently dominating headlines such as the BP Oil disaster in the Gulf Coast and foreign affairs such as maintaining the wars in Afghanistan and the Iraq war which seems to be finally coming to an end.  If I counted those issues that this Congress needs to handle before the year's end I get a total of at least eight very large-scale and somewhat controversial ticket items. 

No matter what your position is on these issues, it is absolute fact that the 111th United States Congress will want these issues at least started or completed before the end of this year. 

It makes sense and is in the favor of the long term unemployed if this Congress is going to extend the weeks available for benefits that they do so as soon as possible with this many "legislative balls".  (That was an actual term used by an unnamed Congressional staffer for those who don't know).

It just makes sense to most unemployed that Congress finds the money and time to quickly amend H.R. 4213 so that additional weeks of benefits are available for those who are exhausted and who have exhausted their benefits.  That is, if they intend to do it.  Yes, we realize that it would need to go back for the Senate for a large fight again but this is needed and it is an emergency or so many would not be demanding it now.

OpenCongress.org offers detailed tracking of this bill at:  http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h4213/show. 

This bill is not yet law as it still requires reconciliation in the United States House of Representatives and the signature of the President of the United States.  Congress, there is still an opportunity to amend this bill - regardless of how politically unpopular that may be.  This bill in it's current form is a good effort as it does extend the dates for tiers which already exist, it extends ARRA provisions that allowed for the $25 raises for unemployment and $15 for dependents, it extends the dates for COBRA benefits, it extends adjustments to Medicare payments and includes tax cuts.  It's a great bill; however, it has nothing to benefit those who exhausted all tiers of benefits available to them and are jobless right now and still cannot find work.  To be honest, this bill really does do a lot for the jobless but if you are unemployed and have exhausted your benefits - this bill means nothing to you.

The current estimated cost of this bill is $140 billion dollars.  ($80 billion goes to just extending the dates for the existing tiers of unemployment).  This is the current cost without extending the available weeks and keeping this bill in its current form.  The main objection from advocates for a Tier 5 is the fact that this bill does not extend the number of weeks available nor does it add any new tier for unemployment benefits.  The main objections from those who oppose it seems to be that it adds to the national debt. 

This bill is excluded from the rules of PAYGO as there is emergency funding in the bill.  Adding additional weeks for the jobless who have lost their benefits is vital to the economy, Congress.  The long term unemployed have done more than their fair part in this effort.  The burden now falls on Congress to make this right. 

Well wishes to Issa Decker and the WorldNewsVine emissary who are going to attempt to get our message hand-delivered to Congress.  The attention of the current mainstream media should be covering this.  This effort is the most genuine and grassroots effort ever witnessed by this blogger in recent years and it deserves the press attention from mainstream news outlets. 

Everyone, please wish our ambassadors well on their journey to Washington, D.C. this week and please continue the fight!  Please stay clicked into these updates as we get updates throughout the week from the trusted news sources we have and keep your eye open for any updates to WorldNewsVine specifically. 

This is where the issue stands at the moment.  More updates and important information coming soon.

-Photos owned and taken by the Editor of this blog, Washington, D.C. Highway 1 Exit Sign going into D.C. and the United States Capitol Building immediately after sunset.

Unemployed Help WNV Meet Fundraising Goal - Details Soon #Tier5, #Unemploymnet

The Target Goal Has Been Met! Thanks for all your support!

We will be providing the exact details for this event within the next 24 to 48 hours

Support Tier V Petition Delivery to Washington – Tier V Petition Drive
Amount Raised as of 5/17/10 - 9:17 a.m. EST – $1150.05 – with 215 donators

More information will be posted by WorldNewsVine as soon as possible.

http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/05/tier-v-99ers-unemployment-petition-readies-for-washington

Nevada Unemployment Rate 13.7% - 372,675 Nevadans Are Depending On Tier 5 Unemployment Insurance

According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nevada has a 13.4% (recently 13.7 but not much of a difference) unemployment rate.  Las Vegas has a 14.1% unemployment rate.  In areas such as North Las Vegas the unemployment rate is a staggering 15.4%.  Each and every major city in the State of Nevada has double digit unemployment.  As many know, the tourism industry dominates the state's economy.  Because of the nature of the tourism industry, Nevada may be one of the last states to recover from the nation's unemployment crisis. 

According to the United States Census Bureau with the assistance of Google Data, the total population of Nevada is 2,643,085.  This equates to 372,675 jobless Nevadans.  The numbers are high but not measured in millions as is the case in many other states. 

Perhaps I should rethink my previous opinion that most members of Congress care whether or not they get re-elected.  At least on the surface it does not seem that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cares about re-election.  After all, Reid's state is second in the nation for the highest unemployment rate percentage. The 400,000 voters in Nevada who may make their vote based on the unemployment rate can make or break the results of an election and there are at least that many in Nevada who have a close eye on the actions or inaction of the United States Senate Majority Leader on this issue.  Or perhaps Reid is catering more to the needs of the persons who did not vote him into office in an effort to gain bi-partisan support of zero votes?  Not a wise strategy for anyone seeking re-election.

It is notable and honorable that Senator Reid has continued to support unemployment extensions through his voting record.  That is certainly more than half of the other Senators in high unemployment states.  But how many thousands are in Nevada right now wondering if the plug will be pulled on them on June 2nd or have already had that plug pulled and are without any income or an opportunity for a job.  To those thousands in Nevada alone, Reid is not getting the job done if the only two choices are no jobs and no extended unemployment insurance.  Neither of these are choices the jobless have control to change, Senator Reid.

Each and every day the jobless are making it more and more clear to their elected officials and members of the press that they are unemployed and broke - not uneducated and ignorant.  These persons are unemployed through no fault of their own and each and every day wake up to find themselves feeling more and more hopeless as they witness inaction from government to extend benefit amounts beyond the current maximum of 99 weeks, very few jobs on the market, and coping with the stress of finding the need to re-invent themselves and make their resume and their appearance more marketable to compete for the few jobs that even exist. 

The unemployed in this country cannot fairly compete for these jobs without the much needed continued assistance from unemployment insurance and 99 weeks does not fit the needs for far too many Americans.  It was mentioned in one the previous postings that the jobless only recently started to receive the chance to fairly try to compete for jobs.  The economy only began to grow jobs in Spring of this year and the jobs that have been created (although admirable) are still far less than what the economy lost from 2007-2009. 

How many more times do we need to tell government that if there are not enough jobs for every American, how can anyone say that 99 weeks of benefits is the maximum?  Also, why are we basing assistance for unemployed based on percentages?  Would it not be more effective if the assistance was based on population of unemployed? 

Texans have 8.2% unemployment and the State of Texas is home to twenty five million Americans.  That percentage represents nearly two million who are jobless in that state who were left out of the last extension of weeks from Congress.  Why are John Cornyn and Kay Huthison not doing more to advocate for their state they are supposed to be representing?  The population of jobless in Texas exceeds the number of jobless in New York.  What's the deal with all of the "No" votes?  Are Texans really this receptive to voting against their interests because their Senator said it was best?  It's true the country is broke but if we can find the money for Houston to get the United States to planet Mars, surely the money exists to aid the jobless in America.

One would think that the two Texas Senators would give their reason for voting "No" based on the lack of available assistance for the jobless in their states and not just criticize the national debt that both parties helped create.  It would make more sense politically to grandstand on the issue that not enough is being done for the unemployed more so than criticizing this necessary emergency spending. 

Republicans are banking on the short term memory of Americans and many not knowing the full story about how the national debt got so high.  There are plenty of accurate publications that illustrate how both parties helped to get the nation in this situation.  There's a reason why websites such as factcheck.org have harnessed the audiences of so many and that's the simple fact that anyone can present information as a fact and if there are no news stories to counter that so-called "fact", then what gets reported as the known information becomes the fact and it can be perceived by the masses as factual without doubt.

In this digital age of modern information, there is a need to filter each and every report using sites such as factcheck.org.  Unless of course the information that you want to hear versus the information that is factual is able to sway your perception and thinking.  After all, there are not many pages of fact that present the information with neat swoosh sounds and classy car salesman televangelist-style "reporters" with a chalkboard.  I think my readers know who I am referencing here. 

No matter what direction the media chooses to go, we (as a country) need to encourage the lodging giants to offer non-stop campaigns to help get tourism going again.  If I had to guess on the issue specific to cities like Las Vegas, it's going to take quite a bit of time for enough persons to be able to gather up enough money for trips to Vegas anytime soon.  When people can barely make their rent or mortgage payments, taking off and spending thousands (or even hundreds) on a trip to Vegas is the absolute last thing anyone in this painful and slowly regrowing economy can reasonably afford.

Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign represent the State of Nevada.  Their contact information is posted for the public at:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NV

If you are in the State of Nevada and would like to share resources specific for your state with others who are unemployed in your state, check out:  http://unemployed-friends.forumotion.com/nevada-f31/.  Staying connected to forums such as this will allow instant and vital information to be shared quickly by persons in your state who can help you with important information you may have.

More states are scheduled to be covered throughout the remainder of the month.  The goal of the "Jobless in America" series of articles is to cover all states and expose the number of people who are affected and not just a percentage that may seem high or low at first glance but if population is not considered - the percentages only tell us half of the numbers.

Tier 5 and extended unemployment: how the media ignore up to 2.9 million long term unemployed

Tier 5 and extended unemployment: how the media ignore up to 2.9 million long term unemployed

Posted using ShareThis

This Man Has A Great Message - YouTube Videos For #Tier5 #Unemployment

This man has a great message.  He speaks mainly to Preisdent Obama and is stating what many others are stating - he cannot find work.  He is asking the President to please visit town halls where the unemployed are or go to offices where the unemployed are needing assistance. 

Main Street Needs A Bailout, Mr. President.  Congress, work harder and faster.  People are sinking or have already sunk bottom.  We need to bail out our people now.  Spread this video to as many as you can.  This message is echoed by this blog and this video should be posted as a video response to any video with large hits that we can find. 

Here's the link and video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B_EY4i5bjM&feature=player_embedded

Four Pillars Is No Longer Four Pillars - Unemployment Benefits Extended In 2009 Economic Stimulus Package

In any event, this is just an open forum for the discussion that was happening at http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/unemployment-benefits-extended-2009-economic-stimulus-package/

There seems to be a domain switchover and comments are having problems being posted presently.  Within minutes this should be in all search engines.  Blogger is Google and there's no such thing as not being able to handle capacity.  An email was sent to the admin, Mike, at Four Pillars (MoneySmartBlog).

We need an open forum for discussion.

This is a temporary work-around, if needed.  All comments are welcome and no sign up is needed.

More Than Half Way There For WorldNewsVine Goal To Deliver 99er Petition - #Tier5

This post is an update for those interested in the cause to get the Change.org 99er petition to Congress with some help from WorldNewsVine. 

Amount Raised as of 5/16/10 - 10:39 am EST – $674.30 with 74 donators

Source:  http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/05/tier-v-99ers-unemployment-petition-readies-for-washington
The target goal for this fund raising is $1,000.00 based on these expenses: 

-Cost of the round trip from up state NY to D.C.
-Cost of printing and binding six copies, 900 pages each.
-Cost that PayPal deducts from each transaction for the person receiving the payment. 
 **PayPal does charge a per transaction fee and a percentage. 

When it is all said and done, it very well could end up being just over $800 or so to WorldNewsVine and the remainder to PayPal for their services.  However, we need their services to transfer funds quickly and securely over the Internet.  Also, appointments must be made in advance or members of Congress will not meet with the emissary.  The plan is to make appointments on Monday if the goal for fund-raising is met.

Members of Congress will meet with the emissary and the goal was to have this done this upcoming week. It has came to the attention of this blogger that many are not getting information that they are requesting and Issa has a fairly new Yahoo! email address.  There are a lot of potential donors out there perhaps who are requesting more information and are not donating yet because they have not received a reply from email.  It is understandable to not make a donation to any cause without getting the information that you request.  Issa Decker's inbox was flooded and in an attempt to bulk mail responses to persons, it seems that there were a lot of email messages that were marked as spam by Yahoo!.

In the event you might have received a response, please check your spam folder (just in case). 

You may have better luck getting information from Issa here:  http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/unemployment-benefits-extended-2009-economic-stimulus-package/

This is the forum that Issa is using to keep persons up to date.  Her last post on that forum indicated that she was exhausted and would be trying to get back to everyone as soon as possible.  This forum was also what she used to indicate the problems with bulk emailing replies to everyone.  There is a lot of information at this forum from Issa and she updates information throughout the day.

Some of the questions people may have may be answered already in the comment section of the WorldNewsVine article here:  http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/05/tier-v-99ers-unemployment-petition-readies-for-washington  or they may be posted here:  http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/unemployment-benefits-extended-2009-economic-stimulus-package/

If your question has not yet been answered and that is keeping you from donating, please post a question to either forum and that might be a faster way to get a response.  Or you may post your question in comments here and perhaps I know the answer or can get you the answer in a timely manner.

Now is not the time to distrust someone - donations are time sensitive.  Issa Decker is a laid off teacher in California and WorldNewsVine is the source many of the long term unemployed have relied on for accurate information.  WNV was one of the first and still one of the only sources even reporting on the need for Tier 5 UI assistance.  They would not ask for a penny more than what is needed.  We must also be aware that there are those who are watching our transparent and grassroots effort to get this done who would try to divide us and/or raise doubt of the intentions of someone.  Do not let these persons have a chance.

Avoid places where there are comment sections where the "trolls" seem to dwell, if you can.

Please trust WorldNewsVine.  In the digital age it is so easy to not trust someone or a cause that is 100% genuine.  This effort is 100% genuine and is deserving of respect from anyone who wants to get their voices heard to Congress as soon as possible.  If we cannot meet the goal before midnight, WorldNewsVine is still going to deliver the petition.  However, they cannot schedule the appointment with Congress until the issue of finance is addressed.  It is a procedural circumstance and WorldNewsVine must obey protocol.

They need the money in this short timeframe so that they can guarantee an appointment with Congress before the upcoming vote.  We all realize how short notice this is and we all realize that so many are in poverty now.  It really is shameful that the unemployed and underemployed are even having to raise one cent for this. 

Once again, do not donate if you are down to your last dollar.  Be "penny wise". 

This is a style of lobbying, though.  Consider this as hiring a lobbyist to advocate for additional weeks for unemployment.  Or if you live in a state such as where I am, Tennessee, where you have two Senators who are worthless to the unemployed but their states have nearly 10% unemployment, I consider it paying a temporary representative for the jobless in my state. 

My apologies to the entire nation for Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander - I did not vote for them.  I will not vote for them in the future.  I will help campaign against them and support whoever is not them in the next election cycle when these incumbents are up for re-election.  It has nothing to do with their political affiliation and everything to do with their lack of support to help one single unemployed person in the State of Tennessee.  Doing nothing and voting "Nay" to everything does not equal help. 

New Yorkers should be proud of Senators Gillibrand and Schumer.  At least they are on the record in favor of extending the dates and weeks.  That information and indication of support is some comfort.  There are plenty of other Senators who are offering the jobless in their states NO comfort. 

More information will be posted as it is known and more clear.  Please visit those two forums where you can read and/or post your own comments.  That's where the information is on this initiative is located at the moment.  Thanks everyone.