Ali Velshi has not stop lobbying for 99ers (video)

On CNN's Parker-Spitzer, Ali Velshi was filling in and he used his fill in to lobby for the 99ers.




Below is an excerpt from http://parkerspitzer.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/17/velshi-99ers-are-forgotten-recession-victims/

Today's Number of the Day is 99.

That’s the maximum number of weeks (in most states; in others it’s 79 or 89) for which you can claim unemployment insurance payments.

Once you run out, you become part of a growing group of Americans – anywhere from 1.4-7 million Americans – who call themselves 99ers.  99ers are the forgotten victims of the recession.  Even December’s much-lauded tax-cut compromise, which extended unemployment payments for a lot of Americans, did nothing for the 99ers, who are arguably worst-off.

Congress members Barbara Lee (D-CA.) and Robert Scott (D-VA.) are sponsoring a bill which would provide a further 14 weeks of unemployment payments retroactively to 99ers.

Update - 

We have recently learned that the legislation to assist 99ers was stopped today as an amendment for violating House rules.  More details can be found at http://www.examiner.com/liberal-in-national/99er-unemployment-extension-amendment-bounced-for-rules-violation

The bill, if it makes it to the House floor, will now have to be introduced as a stand alone bill and Rep Lee has said that the spending in the legislation is offset.  Pressure needs to be directed at Republican House members and Speaker John Boehner for assistance.  The bill does have 67 co-sponsors currently.  More information on the proposed legislation to add additional weeks to the current maximum amount available will be posted as it becomes available.

Unemployed-Friends.com Closes

Yesterday, the site unemployed-friends.com posted their farewell to providing an open forum for the unemployed to gather information.  In the final thread, the site moderators posted the following closing thread:  http://unemployed-friends.forumotion.com/t20598-final-announcement-board-is-closed

Although there may be multiple reasons why the moderators of unemployed-friends chose to close the forum, everyone should know from their posts that they do care deeply about the unemployed and information for the unemployed will be remain readily accessible as this blog plans to continue to post the latest information in the most timely manner possible.

The latest news, as most already know, is an attempt to add an additional 14 weeks of benefits to Tier 1 unemployment to give additional weeks to those who have exhausted the maximum amount of available benefits.  Well-respected columnist, Arthur Delaney, from Huffington Post has written an article on February 7, 2011 that is posted http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/99ers-bill-barbara-lee-bobby-scott_n_819767.html

This is not the first attempt to provide assistance to the longest term unemployed.  As many readers may recall the Americans Want to Work Act was considered "dead on arrival" as it was introduced without a way to pay for the assistance.  As more information becomes available, it will be posted.  The lobbying efforts to get Congress to take up this fight have not ended and the editor of US Unemployed Blogsite plans to continue the fight until all Americans are back on their feet with a job. 

After all, regardless of political affiliation or which unemployment blog or resource one chooses to follow - the larger end goal is jobs - not just continued unemployment insurance. 

Unemployment rate inches down to 9% in the month of January

The unemployment rate in the United States dropped to 9% last month according to a survey conducted by the government which shows that about a half-million people found jobs.  Yet, a separate survey of payrolls, which doesn’t count the self-employed, showed a slight increase of 36,000 new jobs as weather conditions throughout the country hurt hiring. 

The snow last month reduced constructions jobs, falling 32,000, the most in 8 months.  Transportation and warehousing jobs lost employment by 38,000 which were the most in 12 months.  

The gains in employment came in manufacturing, up 49,000 jobs, which saw the largest gain since 1998, and retail jobs which increased 28,000, the largest gain in 12 months.  

While the overall report looks quite good, once again, the government reports cautions that a major explanation of the drop in the unemployment rate involves the huge number of persons who have stopped looking for jobs throughout the nation.  The government does not count those persons in the formula to determine the unemployment rate.  All told, the number of unemployed fell more than 600,000 in January 2011 to 13.9 million.