Congress Currently Has A Constitutional License To Commit Social Holocaust With Little Ramifications From Voters

Readers, I owe you a correction.  When I used the words "up hill" to describe the work needed on our part for Tier 5 Unemployment a month or so ago, I should have said "up a cliff and over a mountain".  Being more curious about the states hit hardest, the numbers, percentages, and researching the United States Senators who are saying they have no "political will".  If you consider some factors, it's easy to see now why they would say that and believe there would be no political repercussions.  Numbers are in the favor of Tom Coburn and Max Baucus and they know this.

I realize that my readers want action now and believe me, I appreciate that.  So do I - this is why I help as much as I can for Tier 5 Advocacy and so do you.  But take a look at these numbers with me and look at this chart compiled from data from the USDOL and the United States Senate.  I am not a Naysayer, I am just wanting to illustrate how difficult this actually is when you consider the raw data and the political factors that may be in play: 

(These numbers are a reminder of how much harder the lobbying needs to be pushing for Tier 5 Unemployment). 

#1.  Only 28 out of 50 states would receive assistance from a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension (assuming the legislation is written to reflect assistance for states that have 8.5% unemployment or more like Tier 4 was).  No wonder some of the individual states have began setting up WPA Projects.

#2.  Out of the 28 states mentioned that would even benefit, there are a total of 56 United States Senators.  (That number alone, even if they were all from the same political party all in agreement, is not enough to break a filibuster)  In order to get to an up or down vote on anything, 60 votes are required.

#3.  Out of the 56 Senators in the states that would benefit, 32 are Democrats and 24 are Republicans.  With this math, why even bother calling for unanimous consent when discussing issues related to unemployment?  The partisan bickering in Washington is too much for any unanimous consent on any issue.

#4.  Even if Democrats were able to get all of the other 27 Democrats and Independents to vote for something their state would not benefit from in an election year, they are still in need of 1 Republican vote to break a filibuster.  This scenario is our best option and the most realistic of how Tier 5 could happen.  We would need to get all Democrats to unite on this issue and then 1 Republican to break from the party.

#5.  Neither side will do anything to break the cycle of bad politics (and that's true on every issue - not just unemployment).  Even if an honest Senator changed his or her ways and wanted to break the cycle - the numbers are just not there.  There's also the political quagmire that if Democrats nod in favor of  more than 99 weeks that would send Rush Limbaugh the rest of the ammo he needs all the way into November to pick apart the Stimulus Bill more and helps validate the conservative label of those "Socialist, Communist Democratic Liberal Jews" running up the National Debt on a spending spree.  

Republicans in the high unemployment states cannot vote in favor of it because.  Because...  They have to contradict their "Vote Hell No" Campaign?  Your guess is as good as mine why they are voting "Nay".  They have made the calculation that the unemployed in their states would not vote for them anyway so they say, "Tough Sh__".  (To the credit of several Republicans in the high unemployment category, they have broke party lines and did the right thing).  But you do not have to hear the news from me that Jim Bunning is no friend to the long term unemployed and the Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell voted "Nay" on the last effort just to extend out availability dates for unemployment.

Democrats seem too concerned with increasing their poll numbers and holding their majority and Republicans have nothing to lose so they have nothing better to do than attempt sabotage in some cases, fear in others, and hypocrisy in the rest.  No one wins in this situation.  No political party benefits and most importantly the American people do not win.

If this nation were a true democracy, this blog would not exist.  We would not need to organize protests.  There would not be this Congressional hold up.  In fact, the way they all think about their own states only (and it is completely natural to think about your own state - but not when there is a widespread crisis like this),  most would better serve the country if they were State Senators and not United States Senators.  There's a time when a United States Senator must prioritize what is better for the country as opposed to what's better for their approval rating.  In fact, their concern over their approval rating is only going to make their rating go further down.  The American People want more unison, more action, and the political ads are already starting and the ads do nothing but divide and conquer when we have very real and very serious issues that plague the country. 

In a true Democracy, the two Senators from New York (with a much larger population) would trample the needs of the two Senators from Tennessee on this issue.  The population from New York State cannot be fairly compared against the population of Tennessee.  The bottom line is that a social holocaust is happening and based on the raw data, it's not only Constitutional but it also has little, if any, ramifications.  It would be unconstitutional for there not to be two United States Senators from each state, therefore this social injustice is 100% legal and there will be little, if any, consequences in the body that has most political power because that social injustice is completely Constitutional and the numbers are not there. 

Even if they get voted out, they will not see an unemployment line.  They have their next jobs already lined up.  Be that a Presidential appointment or as a Corporate Executive who owes them a favor.  How much job security do you think you would have if you voted to bail out a large financial institution like Goldman Sachs?  The larger punishment might just be making them all stay (although I understand the tough sell that is).  Making them stay and have to work this out would absolutely kill them on the inside - although they are too good of a politician to ever admit such a thing on a camera.

Think about it though.

We should treat our Senators like jurors are treated.  Let's lock all 100 of them up in the same room and demand they reach a unanimous verdict.  If they cannot reach a unanimous verdict, they all get replaced with other Senators (jurors) for a retrial.  Let's pay them $10 per day too just like a juror.  That method is good enough for our Judicial system - why not the Legislative system too?

Using both 2008 Presidential campaign slogans, if they could learn to put the Country First - that would truly be Change We Can Believe In.  For now it is still politics as usual with crisis after crisis emerging.  Someone on Facebook posted a statement very true and if I knew for certain that person would mind recognition I would post who but the statement was:  "It took the country more than ten years to get into this situation, it's going to take a whole lot more than 99 weeks to be out of it."

Tier 5 is certainly possible and I would not be advocating so strongly if I did not truly believe that.  It's going to require a lot more United States Senators and a lot less State Senators to accomplish the goal though.  The political will exists in the fashion of a democracy but not in the fashion for a Republic. 

Media S.O.S. Campaign Starts - Main Street Needs A Bailout

IT IS TIME TO SEND OUT A MAINSTREAM MEDIA SOS

The long term unemployed have now went through the process of sending M-A-Y-D-A-Y faxes to all target members of Congress.  Do you want to give those members of Congress the opportunity to ignore that massive campaign without any mainstream press coverage?  Are we going to allow Tom Coburn to declare that we will get an extension to 103 weeks and extend it even more and then allow Senator Max Baucus say that he believes 99 weeks is enough and there is hardly any mainstream press coverage? 

US Unemployed Blogsite does not believe this is the right thing to do.  Too much time and effort has gone into this cause to allow it to be untouched by the larger audiences that will apply the heat to Congress for that "political will".  When you consider that the one Senator who promised more weeks has voted against the extensions and then you consider the other Senator who said 99 weeks is enough has voted for the extensions - it really proves the point that these people in Washington are saying one thing to the camera and doing another on the Senate floor.  Enough is enough.  They all need to walk the walk if they are going to talk the talk.

If you are sitting there thinking to yourself, "what good will that do?”  Think again please.  Ask yourself again how in the whole wide world this effort could possibly hurt the cause.  If you do not get that job you wanted but doesn't exist today, do you have anything better to do?  The pressure needs to be mounted if Congress needs that "political will".  Remember, the unemployed only represent 9.7% of the United States population. 

Millions of other Americans need to fully know the plight of the long term unemployed because mainstream is failing to report the issue.  If you are employed and not in this nightmare, you may be more inclined to believe the news story that Congress is actually doing an unemployment extension (or has recently already done an unemployment extension and things are fine until June) and not care about the detail that Congress only changed the dates available for existing tiers.  There is still an unemployment crisis in this country and the larger media outlets need to be reporting the whole story.   

Let's not allow mainstream media to report another half-truth unemployment extension story without mentioning the need for Tier 5 Unemployment Extensions!

You can send whatever message to the respective news outlets that you want.  However, for the purpose of saving time, US Unemployed Blogsite has prepared a sample message you can send.  Just copy the text and paste it into the comment boxes for each mainstream news outlet.  Comment boxes do not always leave enough room for space so let's keep the message simple, respectful, and to the point.

Now, if we can send a fax.  We can surely send out an email.  It only takes a few minutes to type an email out and if there is a message pre-prepared it can only take seconds.  We are also going to need help from other sources.  We need the help from the media outlets such as WorldNewsVine, Gather, MLive.com, and the Examiner to help spread awareness to this cause.  We also need to spread this cause by comment forums that already exist.  Everyone who is unemployed who wants to participate in this campaign needs to have access to this opportunity to send a Media S.O.S.

Here is a sample message you are more than welcome to copy/paste (or write your own):
(If in some boxes the message may be too long to fit. If so, simply edit it however you wish.  Just make sure you include the dire need for Tier 5 Unemployment - If I had only three words I could say as an SOS it would be "Tier 5 Unemployment").

This message is a Media S.O.S from the long term unemployed - Main Street needs a bailout and the long-term unemployed need your help. For too long the issue of high unemployment has plagued this country.  We, the unemployed, have lost our jobs due to no fault of our own and still cannot find work and we need your help due to lack of jobs.  We need a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension from the United States Federal Government and we need your journalism and coverage of this issue to urge members of Congress to muster the "political will" for action.  As you know, there are many districts, counties, and states with double-digit unemployment numbers and Congress has neglected those who have exhausted the maximum amount of 99 weeks.  There are not enough jobs for every unemployed American and millions have lost their safety net and millions more will lose this vital assistance in months to come if action is not taken.  Your media coverage of this issue should be simple.  All you need to do is Google "Tier 5 Unemployment".  You will see the efforts of those advocating for a Tier 5.  You will see other news sources such as WorldNewsVine, Gather, Examiner, DailyKos, HuffingtonPost, The LA Times and many others who have already reported on the need for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  However, you will not find your report.  We are asking you to take up this cause and educate your viewers to this problem and please understand that the unemployed are without a safety net and there are not enough jobs for every American and Congress is not taking action.  Neither Democrat, nor Republican members of Congress are willing to help the millions without hope.  Will you help tell the story to larger audiences of Americans who may not be aware that we are at or below poverty and Congress is not taking action?  Millions of Americans are depending on the staff of your network to do the right thing and cover the need for this unemployment extension.  The extension for filing weeks recently done by Congress does nothing for the longest-term unemployed who are in dire straits right now and are being ignored.  Please help by reporting on this issue.  Not reporting or under-reporting on this issue does not cure the problem.  It only seems to make the issue fester. 

There is no need to sign your message. Most mainstream sources use a comment box for your Name and E-Mail. Nothing else is required but a few seconds of your busy day. Please visit the contacts below and write your own message or just copy and paste the message above.  Do it for yourself, your friend, your neighbor, or anyone you know who is unemployed. Do it for your country. If the jobs do not exist then the unemployed deserve attention from the United States Government. The power of the mainstream press has always informed the American audience and the long term unemployed who have exhausted benefits are just as important of a story as any other story on mainstream news today. Mainstream media needs to be covering this story.

Target Contact ABC'S "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos: http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3428174  (This is a very quick and easy form to fill out, please send it off).

Target CBS News, "Face The Nation"  http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback
/fb_news_form.shtml?tag=ftr  (Another easy form to fill out, very simple.  From the drop-down menu choose the option for "Face The Nation" (just for the sake of having a dramatic impact on one mailbox).  If you want to target more shows, go for it.  Just have your copy/paste ready and it should be a breeze to do. 

Target Contact NBC - MSNBC "Meet The Press":  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/  (Once again, another form that has a drop-down to choose "Meet The Press".  We want to flood one particular source.  If you want to send the same message to other sources, by all means.  It would not hurt one thing.

Target Contact FOX News Sunday:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html  (Yes, I know.  However, one cannot look at their ratings and not declare them as mainstream. Additionally, one of their frequent guests, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) declared in March that long-term unemployment extensions were going to be extended to 103 weeks and then even further. This link has a list of email addresses.  Email Fox News Sunday at:  fns@foxnews.com.  Just another quick copy/paste job.

Target Contact CNN:  http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html  (The form found at CNN.com is just a plain "Contact Us" Form.  It will get to the right people if they want to do a story on it.  CNN also has a Sunday political show called State of the Union with Candy Crowley.  The person(s) who sort these emails will redirect them to the appropriate department.)

I realize that there are scores of you out there who are exhausted (mentally and physically).  I understand your frustration due to the inaction of government.  I also understand those who may feel this effort would be in vein because you feel that progress has been made enough that eventually the mainstream press will cover this story.  Please consider the possibility of what will be in vein if Congress continues to fail to act and please take a few minutes to send a quick message to the larger media outlets.  All Americans need to hear from us. 

They need to be reminded that we pay taxes on unemployment compensation and they need to know we matter.  They need to know that the economy will free-fall as more and more lose their safety net.  They need to be reminded that it is the simple fact that there are not enough jobs for every American that the long term unemployed still cannot find meaningful work.

I cannot tell one single one of you out there to do this because we are a free country but I sure as hell can beg you and hopefully motivate you to take action.  This is needed.  This is called "earned media".  This is our rights to free speech.  This is our need for the Federal Government to act.  Most importantly, this is the livelihood of each and every unemployed person and their families and no one out there is getting rich from unemployment compensation. 

Please spread the word about this SOS. 

Don't You Think Main Street Needs A Bailout?
Here's a great contact sheet provided by Tier5.webs.com: http://tier5.webs.com/nationalmedia.htm

Open permission to distribute:  Please copy this post or your summary as many places as you can.  No material posted is copyright.  US Unemployed Blogsite gives expressed consent for this message to appear on any forum with or without it's entirety for the sole purpose to educate the American public on the need for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  The Editor encourages the redistribution (in part or full) to any and all sources of journalism which are not currently reporting on this story and the sources who are already reporting on this story and helping their fellow citizens.

Advocacy For The Long Term Unemployed

As many are still faxing their resumes to Congress this weekend and also on Monday, more and more sources are becoming available for the long-term unemployed to get their voices heard. We are all witnesses to inaction from government and everyone is doing the absolute best effort to make sure the needs of the long term unemployed are not just heard, but also met. For too many who were caught in the wake of this Great Recession, homelessness beckons or has already happened. There are complete strangers offering all they can give to their fellow jobless (including a room or couch in their homes - I have personally seen this outreach on unemployed-friends and other forums). The compassion Americans show for one another is unmatched around the globe.

The unemployed may not have enough money for their fellow citizens but we do have enough hope and prayers for everyone. We are organizing in ways that no one in the beginning of this disaster could have imagined we would ever need to do. The results of that organization are yielding deserved respect and an increased acknowledgement from various media outlets and a few members of Congress.

This progress signals to everyone that the time to stop this campaign is not now. Now is the time to increase the campaign. Now is the time to continue letting members of Congress know we are real people in need of assistance and the need for that assistance was yesterday, and the day before that, and the week before that, and the months before that.  Now is now past-due.

The unemployed left standing have chosen to stand strong. We choose to advocate for others who cannot speak for themselves due to personal reasons and/or the poverty that comes with joblessness. We have chosen to unite for the greater good and we have chosen to do all that we can for ourselves and our citizens who have fallen deeper into poverty.

This is why this blog is introducing its readers to "Advocacy For The Long Term Unemployed"

Information on the AFLTU can be found at http://tier5.webs.com/afltu.htm

Please take a moment to join this group and continue to stay connected with the other groups out there for the best information and to help pool our resources. The mission statement for the AFLTU is simple and the goals are clear. Membership is just as easy as unemployed-friends.com. It will be an additional resource for the unemployed who are seeking information to utilize as our efforts grow and we all become more organized for quick response to political activism and providing information to everyone who is unemployed or underemployed.

Please readers keep faxing your MAYDAY SOS messages to Congress. Keep contacting your Representatives. Continue banging down the door of the smaller media outlets that are doing what they can do to help us sort out the day-by-day ruckus.  Most importantly, keep your spirits as high as you can - the unemployed will endure this.

The unemployed will be heard.

Jim McDermott Changes YouTube Video Title After Caving To "Republican Obstructionism"

Mr. McDermott, you are not the only one who can change a title.  Logged for all of my readers (which is quite a considerable number for a small blog) is the blatant fact that you had a YouTube video that you titled "Rep. Jim McDermott on Tier 5 Unemployment Extension". 

Now you have changed that title.  Did you cave to the same Republican obstructionism you speak about in your video or did you think you could prosper from a publicity stunt?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Below was US Unemployed Blogsite's original posting on this:

Something interesting is on YouTube.  It has a posted date of April 23, 2010.  The most encouraging information for the long term unemployed is the fact that this particular YouTube video is posted by Representative Jim McDermott's official YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImcruChcDNI

The video WAS titled: 

"Rep. Jim McDermott on Tier 5 Unemployment Extension"



There are only two options why this video exists under that title and is on the offiical YouTube Channel for the Washington State's 7th Congressional District by Democrat Representative Jim McDermott. 

It's either a publicity stunt - earmarked to simply talk about Republican obstructionism and a really bad joke to play on the longest term unemployed who desperately need a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension. 

-OR-

He plans to introduce Tier 5 Legislation.

Let's hold him accountable to the latter.  If the first possible explanation (or something similar) is his plan, he would be using those needing a Tier 5 as a publicity stunt.  He would be essentially insulting the intelligence of all of the longest-term  unemployed.  Personally, I do not believe McDermott would do this.  His district has a very high unemployment rate and his voting record in the past has always been in the favor of extending unemployment.

Readers, what do you think?  Publicity stunt or real thing?  Obviously, we need the legislation on the table before we can say for certain but Mr. McDermott needs to be held accountable titling a YouTube video "Rep. Jim McDermott on Tier 5 Unemployment Extension" if he does not intend to bring the legislation to floor. 

-------------------------------

Now for certain we can say he's changed position or that was a publicity stunt.  Shame on you, Rep. McDermott!

Bill Is Law To Extend Deadlines Through June - Questions From Longest-Term Unemployed Unanswered - Blogger Addresses Activists For Tier 5

Notice how long that title is?

For those on Tiers 1, 2, 3, EB, and if your state qualifies, 4, Congress and the President signed into law today a bill which extends the current availability of UI Tiers until June.  Congress is expected to take on the issue of extending the benefits through the end of the year and also implement extensions for the way states borrow the funds for unemployment insurance programs before that deadline ends.  

For those who are longer-term unemployed and exhausted the maximum benefit of 99 weeks, this action does not provide assistance for you. 

It remains confusing to write about these extensions as Congress has yet to address the need to extend benefits beyond the maximum amount of 99 weeks.  An immediate smoke-screen also appears thanks in part to larger media outlets using the words "unemployment extension", at will.  The media has to be doing this to attract larger audiences.  Which we have to understand that to a degree.  They are in the business to make money then report the news nowadays. 

After all, being specific is boring and lengthy and doesn't bode well with Twitter.  Plus, it does not attract the crowd who oppose these extensions which make for an interesting online soap opera in the comment section of the articles.

There have been a few brave sources make an attempt to correct this journalism error.  In fact, quite a bit more in recent weeks.  Things such as this do not happen because the media suddenly cares.  These things happen thanks to the 99ers out there who are doing all they can do each and every day.

In between searching for jobs that just aren't there, posting news updates to other forums so that your fellow unemployed know the 4-1-1 about what is truly happening, calling members of Congress to get their words heard, calling/emailing the press to get them to take notice of the situation, starting online petitions to Congress and asking your fellow unemployed to spread the word for you, and dealing with your own personal calamities and hardships.  No one could ever convince me that all of the 99ers are "bums" looking for government handouts.  These tasks far exceed the normal routine of a day by day job. 

It is safe to say that there is an army of 99ers on the Internet fighting for what they believe.  Each and every 99er is on a mission to survive and get their voices heard.  There may not be much organization in this standing army but there is something just as strong and that is determination.

If only Al Qaeda were on the Internet.  99ers would destroy them all.

It has always been the opinion of this blogger that if you take on an initiative to petition to this Congress for the need to take action for the longest-term unemployed, we will support and advocate for you.  Whether your form of petitioning is just calling Congress or posting comments on inaccurate news stories or starting up an Internet Talk Radio show where other unemployed can call in and share stories and information or starting your own website and advocating for this need, US Unemployed Blogsite will find room for you on this blog.  Isn't that a form of organization and making the unemployed aware of resources? 

There was a comment posted on a previous post that these can sometimes appear self-serving.  My response to that was, "yes, you better believe it is self serving".  Only in the sense of helping to advocate for a Tier 5 extension, though.  If an unemployed person happens to land a spot on Oprah and get coverage on this issue - great!  Go make a name for yourself and advocate for a Tier 5.  Although Oprah is a stretch, you get the point. 

Let's face it though, that scenario really is turning lemons into lemonade.  Imagine the prospect of a totally broke unemployed person gaining some success and spreading the need for a Tier 5 at the same time to a larger audience.  That's an interesting story to the people who have not been living in this nightmare for the past two years.  This speaks to the American entrepreneurship that is in all of our blood.  It only proves the point that the longest-term unemployed are talented people in a bad job market getting creative.  Last time I checked, Internet commerce was doing quite well.  Some unemployed may very well find meaningful employment with the Internet.

The 99ers are making slow progress.  Just a short month ago there were no sources pointing out that this extension does not help the longest-term unemployed.  No matter what you have decided the role you will take on for yourself will be; if you have the extra time and resources to advocate for a Tier 5, do it.  At least there are some news outlets now reporting on the issue.  We are all doing something right to even change that.

This will not be over though until a bill is on the floor that helps the longest-term unemployed.  Whatever you are doing out there - keep doing it.  Some of the media sources are picking up on this grassroots effort.  That's publicity.  That's the people exercising their rights of free speech and others taking notice. 

Congress isn't going to act if we were all doing the exact same thing and the truth is we are all a diverse people with different ideas.  We are all mostly using little start up capital or we wouldn't be collecting unemployment to begin.  It's not as if the unemployed can appoint representatives from each state and convene in a large body like the United States House of Representatives and get paid a six-figure income to just argue with each other and ignore the real needs for millions of Americans for our personal gain.

Do not allow the media and Congress to divide the needs of the unemployed.  No matter what your political beliefs may be, if you are a 99er and your member of Congress is not representing your need for jobs and until then, unemployment extensions, you are not being represented.  The last time I checked this was a free country where we could demand action from our elected officials.

The unemployed are not divided we are just a little unorganized at the moment. 

As this blog seems to be evolving into a temporary political activist source, more will be posted about people starting their own opportunity to help us organize.

More information about the 99ers and what they are doing to make this extension happen coming soon.  Thanks to everyone for doing what they do and for the sake of our country and all of it's citizens I hope and pray the unemployment crisis in this country can get resolved as soon as possible.