No News But Speculation - So Why Say Anything?

Since the inception of this blog, it has always been the intent to provide readers with useful information.

As I see the number of readers who come here daily in search of insight - I feel I owe you guys at least the news of... there is no news.  There may be more news relevant to help the unemployed in the coming weeks but not at this time.

The easiest post in the world for me to write would be a post that would further divide people.  That's not the intent of this blog nor has it ever been.  With that in mind, I wish all of my readers well.  I invite you to keep to the facts and not to the speculation.  The facts still remain that nothing is on the schedule for Tier 5 unemployment.  It is fact that two bills have been introduced.  It is also fact that the two bills are so contradictory in nature that either they were each written from opposite ends of the universe or the bills are earmarked to provide a middle ground of the two or simply not be passed - at least until after the midterm elections.

My fellow Americans, if you are unemployed through no fault of your own and are desperately seeking a job - you are a victim of American politics.  Politicians have made the issue whether or not unemployed persons should receive extended federal aid at all VS. no government assistance whatsoever.

Why is it easy to give money to persons overseas?  Haitians do not vote.  Iraqis do not vote.  (At least not in this country unless they are registered US citizens).

The case has been made for a Tier 5 and it might have been made so well that it could be used as a campaign issue this fall.  In fact, I would bet artificial non-existent Internet money that it will.  But that again would be speculation.... see?  Any direction one wants to write about the issue is speculation and not factual.  It's just not useful to engage in this.  People want answers - not opinions that may or may not bear any substance. 

Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers to have a job by this Labor Day.  Everyone deserves the right to a job.  I will not mention his name because each time his name is mentioned he receives exactly what he wants - attention and money.  However that person will be in full protest at the Lincoln Memorial and will likely dominate headlines for weeks to come or at least throughout the weekend.  All over his special interests which constitute less than 2% of the American population. 

The headlines should be reading more about you guys and what can we do to fix the problems. 

Ed Schultz is fired up about Congressional and Presidential inaction for long term unemployed, 99ers

Ed Schultz, keeping his promise to the unemployed remains a strong voice to members of Congress and the President to do something for the long term unemployed.



This was from Schultz's July 8, 2010 broadcast and Congress needs to see this before their return on Monday, July 12, 2010.  The energy that Schultz has about this issue is the same fire and passion needed from the unemployed out there who seek to protest the government on this issue.  The Senate needs the political will to do something and the pressure needs to mount from all directions.

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_

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.

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.

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.

Message From Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) Regarding #Tier5 #Unemployment

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for a fifth tier of unemployment insurance (UI). I wholeheartedly agree that Congress should extend these critical benefits, as well as take further action to spur job creation.

   Tens of millions of Americans are looking for work and a record 6.5 million have been unemployed for more than six months. That is why Congress has acted several times since this economic downturn began to extend, expand and improve UI. In November 2009, Congress extended UI by 14 weeks in all states and 20 weeks in high-unemployment states such as New York. Because of this legislation, out-of-work New Yorkers can now claim a maximum 99 weeks of UI. In December, Congress passed a two-month extension of the unemployment provisions included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (commonly known as the stimulus package), which were set to expire at the end of 2009. These provisions include a vital emergency tier of benefits, expanded eligibility, an extra $100 per month in benefits, and an income tax disregard on the first $2,400 of UI. These provisions were extended again in March, but briefly lapsed in early April due to filibustering by the minority party. Senate Democrats were recently able to overcome this obstruction and pass another one-month extension, which included retroactive benefits—a first in the history of UI.

   This extension presents some comfort to the unemployed, but it is certainly not enough. The American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, which I vocally supported and which passed the Senate in March, would extend the 99 weeks of UI through the end of 2010. The House of Representatives passed a slightly different end-of-year extension; the two bills are now being reconciled. Once I ensure that every New Yorker receives the full 99 weeks to which they are entitled, I will work with my colleagues to create a fifth tier of benefits. More than 25,000 New Yorkers have exhausted the full 99 weeks of benefits and I am committed to providing them further relief.

   Helping unemployed workers make ends meet is only part of the equation to put America on a path to economic recovery. Congress is also working on a robust job creation agenda. The centerpiece of the H.I.R.E. Act (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act), which the President signed into law last month, was a provision I authored with my colleague Senator Hatch (R-UT). Our provision stipulates that any business—large or small—that hires a long-term unemployed person in 2010 will not have to pay FICA taxes on that individual for the rest of the year. Economists of all political stripes predict that this law will spur hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The Senate is also working on a number of other pieces of jobs legislation, including proposals to eliminate the capital gains tax on small business investments and make it easier and more affordable for small businesses—the engines of growth in our economy—to get loans. Another legislative proposal currently under consideration would make a sizeable investment in our nation’s highways, railways and aviation infrastructure. These public works projects will be designed to get started as quickly as possible to get Americans back to work.

   Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of further assistance on this, or any other, matter.
   Sincerely,
   Charles E. Schumer
   United States Senator
   Please do not respond to this email. To send another message please visit my website at http://schumer.senate.gov/... . Thank you.

Source:  DailyKos

Message For Tier 5 Activists From Issa Decker - Anyone Near D.C. That Can Help?

If you are participating in the online petition at Change.org, "The 99ers Need A Tier 5", the following message is from Issa Decker:

I NEED YOUR HELP, especially people in the Washington, D.C.  area or close enough to get there. The petition reached its first big milestone at 25,000, and I’d like to use the occasion on our behalf. As you know the petition is sent out every time a person signs. However it doesn’t show the total number of signatures on the emails.

I’m proposing that I print out all the signatures and ask for volunteers to hand deliver them to Congress. There will be 750 pages. It would be wonderful if there were at least a small crowd because we’ll be trying to get some media coverage.

As of now, the target date is May 18, but that could change. Congress will leave for summer recess on May 27, and the word is that they will vote on the unemployment deadline extension before then. We want them to include us in that bill.

I’ll try to coordinate this from California. I’ve set up a special email account for this project at decker.issa@yahoo.com Please email me if you can participate and include your phone number, town, and state. I’ll contact you as place and time firm up.

Keep looking at the DELIVER PETITION TO WASHINGTON page of our website at http://www.99erspetition.com for updated information.

NOW SOME NOTES:
1. I got angry last night and posted another petition on change.org. I can’t believe our government is about to send bailout money to the Greece and to Spain but they can’t help us because there’s no money.
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/no_money_for_the_greek_unemployed_before_adding_tier_extensions_for_the_american_unemployed

2. Paladinette will be away for a week so I will to post some news articles that I see, on the NEWS page of our website. http://www.99erspetition.com

3. Our media/Congress campaign continues to show signs it’s working!
MSNBC wants to hear from those who have been unemployed for over a year. Please, please, please tell your story at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37000773/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/

If they are flooded with stories, the flood itself becomes part of the story.

Also, tell them about the petition and ask them to publish the link, the
shorter link at http://www.99erspetition.com is probably best. People can sign there now, too. You might want to keep a copy of your story and send it to other media outlets and online news. It would be good to send them to the senators, too.

We made CNN!
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/autos/1004/gallery.longterm_unemployed_benefits/index.html

The Associated Press wrote this: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2939816/tier_5_unemployment_extension.html?cat=9
The Senate is discussing us:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2962220/senators_hoping_to_fund_tier_5_of_unemployment.html?cat=31

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2962220/senators_hoping_to_fund_tier_5_of_unemployment.html?cat=31
I know from your messages to me that there are many of you who are faxing and emailing the media and Congress day after day. To you I say, “Thank you.” The more of us who keep at this, the faster we’ll see money coming in.

Issa

This was the full message sent from Issa.  Please spread the word about this and hopefully someone who is in D.C. (or surrounding area) can help the cause.  This blog is just helping spread the word.  If you signed the petition, you should have received an email but this information is too public to be tucked away into email.  Let's get it posted front and center for everyone. 

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. 

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!

#5 On Change.org Means Nothing If Congress Isn't Listening

Reading the latest article from Mike Rheaume, Gather, inspires me to keep pressing forward on the cause for a Tier 5 Unemployment Extension.  Congress knows for certain we are here and ignoring the longest-term unemployed is not a solution for any political party.  Democrats may have perhaps made the political miscalculation that since the Republican majority does not see the need for any additional unemployment extensions (seeing they voted "Nay" to even extend the dates of the already approved tiers), they will have no repercussions by not addressing this issue. 

Both parties need to think again if this is their thought.  Yes, Wall Street Reform is important.  Yes, we must have a Supreme Court but not until October.  Yes, immigration reform is important but that issue has waited this many years...

PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND LOSING THEIR HOMES AND NEED ASSISTANCE NOW
The point is simple and there is no cause greater at this current moment than job creation.  If the jobs cannot be created fast enough, the American people deserve to at least receive the fraction of their prior salaries from unemployment insurance.  In some states, the worker has actually paid into this system directly.  In all other states, the employee has paid into the system indirectly.  This isn't a handout - it's a hand up.  It's an honest Main Street Bailout that one would think would be much more politically popular.

No one out there is choosing this 11 MILLION JOB shortfall our country has.  I have complete and total optimism that a million jobs can be created this year.  Even with that optimistic and over-reaching opinion, that still leaves 10 MILLION JOBS short.  Most, if not all, are gone forever.  Persons are re-training and learning trades they never imagined they would need. 

The whole situation is frustrating and it has nothing to do with political affiliation.  When one loses his/her job or safety net the absolute last thought on that person's mind is if they are Republican or Democrat or Independent.  The first thing on your mind is, "How can I make ends meet?".  "How will I pay my mortgage and keep food on the table?".  "How will I provide for my children?"  These questions are much more important than which political party is up or down and Congress needs to reflect that. 

Everyone, please keep your spirits up and keep urging Congress to assist.  Continue to take part in the initiatives such as the Change.org petition, the "Unemployed Will Be Heard" call Congress campaign, and the upcoming "MAYDAY" campaign.  Don't like any of these campaigns?  Make your own!  If it is something everyone can do, this blog will promote it - just let US Unemployed Blogsite know. 

The cause may be #5 at Change.org for now.  http://politics.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978202781

Please help us push this cause to the top.  Number one isn't necessarily the goal - the goal is getting a Tier 5 passed through Congress and your Representatives need to know where you stand.  Unless of course, you have an idea that would create 11 million jobs overnight that is feasible and would not uproot the economy. 

Why Have A Tier 4 That Is Only 6 Weeks?

If logic were to enter the equation, the question must be asked why Congress would create a Tier of unemployment benefits with only six weeks. This is by design and most economists expect Congress to add weeks to Tier 4 and/or create a Tier 5.

The problem is - no one knows when. The media is barely covering the lack of an extension of weeks in the latest extension. It was a small battle just to get the dates extended out for the existing tiers of unemployment and there is no current legislation seeking the extension of weeks or adding tiers.

There is, an increasing number of buzz...

It could be partially true, in Sen. Jon Kyl's words, that no one would ever seek employment if the program continued to be extended over and over. (Although it is very juvenile for him to think that the unemployed collect unemployment insurance by choice). It is more the truth in the words of Sen. Debbie Stabenow that for every dollar spent on unemployment, amounts to a $1.50+ of direct stimulus to the economy.

The abuse of the few have undermined the needs of the many. In an honor system, we would all just extend out unemployment to everyone until they got a job. "No need to show proof, Mr. Smith. You are a well-known, respected citizen." Those days left a very long time ago. Those days did not exist during the Kennedy Administration.

In this age of disinformation and persons deliberately abusing the system it creates the need for a system of checks and balances. It creates a need for someone to constantly inspect fraud, waste, and abuse. In some cases, it encourages someone who may have gave up looking for work a new lease on trying. In some cases, it will cause a family to default on their mortgage. I agree, the system is not fair. It does seem to be the American way.

Critics of unemployment insurance would argue it is creating an addition to welfare or socialism. There's nothing socialist about people losing their homes or being unable to provide food and basic necessities. It is a very real and serious threat many families are facing in this recession.

Ultimately, another extension (of weeks) will prevail. The advice of the economist will win the debate over the Republican who cannot fathom giving another cent to the unemployed. (As if the funds came directly from his pocket). Some of these conservatives could better suit their politics if they spent more time and resources helping to create jobs in their districts rather than criticizing every action from their opposition.

Politics will rein this year as midterm elections near. Regardless what Congress does this year - be it health care reform or creating jobs or omnibus bills that have a little of everything for everyone. Soon, everything will be on hold until after the mid-term elections.

No one knows when Congress will take up an extension of weeks of benefits. If they plan to pass the bill based on the trigger system and unemployment rates, yesterday would have been great.

Email, call, and write your representatives daily. US Unemployed is awaiting a response from Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich). She has been a champion for unemployment assistance and she may be able to shed some light on when Congress may take this up. There are no official updates. Only strong speculation and a lot of growing buzz around the issue.

We will keep you up to date.