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.

Want To Double-Dip This Weekend's MAYDAY SOS FAX ATTACK?

This blog cannot in good conscience place 100% blame for inaction on any one political party.  But there are plenty of reasons for the unemployed to be angered at Congressional Republicans for their voting records and current stance.  In fact, with their now 41 vote filibuster that they use on every single issue (including failure to regulate Wall Street which caused this financial crisis to begin) it would seem as if they are now running the show in Washington. 

If you have sent out the faxes to all of the "targets" - perhaps we should now DOUBLE FAX ATTACK the Republicans who voted "Nay" to the jobless.  Need a list? 

Let's check the archives, shall we? 

http://usunemployed.blogspot.com/2010/03/19-republicans-to-unemployed-drop-dead.html

The voting record speaks for itself.  These Republican lawmakers essentially told the unemployed to drop dead back in March of this year.  And in case you haven't picked up a newspaper or read any online articles over the past year, it's really not a politically popular thing for a member of Congress to continue deficit spending and rack up the debt.  Although for millions deficit spending is needed for a Tier 5.

And don't fall for the garbage.  My readers are smart enough to know there's no such thing as "left over" TARP money or "left over" stimulus money.  Both of those leftovers were deficit spending.  No matter how the cookie crumbles the end result is deficit spending.  But it's necessary deficit spending.

One would think that with most of these Republican lawmakers having double digit unemployment in their respective states they would do the right thing for the unemployed in their states.  Instead, they believed it was wiser to place 100% of the political burden on Congressional Democrats.  (Knowing full well that the Democrats would have to tack this onto the National Debt).  What a divine opportunity for Republicans, right?  They get their cake of stating to the camera how they support unemployment insurance while they harp on the deficit and debt they created (or at least done nothing about while they had a majority)... all while eating their cake too.

Where are the extra 4 weeks Tom Coburn promised the long-term unemployed? 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/will-congress-extend-unem_n_516905.html

"We have 99 weeks of unemployment compensation out there right now -- and we're gonna move that to 103, and then we're going to move it even further," - Coburn, March 29, 2010

Not to confuse anyone - this post today is not intended to divide anyone from the MAYDAY cause.  I just thought it would be a novel idea to add to the cause by holding Tom Coburn accountable for his statement back in March.  In case my readers haven't noticed, this blogger does not discriminate on the basis of political affiliation (as everyone witnessed with the calling out Rep. McDermott's YouTube video title).

Where are the extra weeks Senator Coburn?

Tier 5 - Daily Examiner Update

Today's update from the Examiner:  http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-27052-Rochester-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m4d27-Tier-5-why-its-needed-and-where-it-stands-today-update-April-27-2010?cid=sharing_twitter:27052

For those who did not see this article, it is the best of the smallest recent glimmers of hope that are out there on the Internet today.  The meat of the article comes from the testimony of the readers of Rochester Unemployment Examiner, Michael Thornton.  Mr. Thornton's journalism on this issue has been impressive and much to the benefit of the longest-term unemployed seeking action from government for a Tier 5 extension. 

He also is certain to always mention the efforts of Tier 5 activists by mentioning the campaigns: "MAYDAY SOS Fax Attack", the Change.org petition, and giving readers the access to contact their elected representatives which echoes the "Unemployed Will Be Heard" campaign. 

For example, one of his readers submitted the testimony: 

"From C: Last Friday, I called Senator Sherrod Brown's, Reid's and Senator Durbin's offices. I was told by all of their aides that they are all highly aware of the long termed unemployed and that they were all pushing for a Tier V….

I personally feel that because they have received so many calls, emails, faxes that they don't want to leak anything out in the media of what they’re doing regarding this. I think they don't want people to catch wind of it so then they'll get even more pressure and questions."

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.

It's Going To Be A Long 11 Days...

April 12, 2010 the United States Senate will come back into session and a variety of reports indicate that Harry Reid (D-Nev) will seek cloture on the extension to extend availability of dates for the weeks currently available for EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation).  The good news and the news that gives us hope that Congress will take up an additional tier for those who have exhausted benefits are the continued support from those taking action. 

There have been an increased amount of media reports on the longest-term unemployed who have exhausted their benefits.  Several unemployed workers have heard from their Senators that something is "in the works" (although there are no confirmed reports yet).  Additionally, the increased and continued involvement of Americans who recognize the need for a Tier 5 exercising their First Amendment rights to petition to Congress remain strong after an effort that began over a month ago.

We will all continue to be looking for confirmed statements from relevant sources while the United States Senate is in recess for the Easter holiday.  It is our goal at US Unemployed Blogsite to inform the public and take action and continue to provide the resources available for us to get our voices heard. 

As championed by unemployed-friends.com, "The Unemployed Will Be Heard".  Best wishes to everyone in these trying times and there are reasons to keep your spirits up. Although millions of Americans will be without income during this Easter break - everyone should know that the efforts of this blog will not relent until Congress takes action for those hit hardest in this recession. The unemployed and those hit hardest by this recession will not be thrown under the bus.  Everyone is in our thoughts.  Best wishes to all.

Until April 12th, it's going to be a long 11 days...

Grass Roots Effort To Extend Federal Unemployment Benefit Weeks Gains National Attention

Looking through the stories regarding any news that may pertain to extending the weeks available for the longer-term unemployed who were left out of the latest extension, a very encouraging article surfaced that demands national attention.

Unemployed-friends.com has championed a grass roots Congressional contact campaign called, "Unemployed Will Be Heard".

Armed with the power of simply spreading the word to it's forum members to contact their elected representatives, this action has earned national attention today as it appears in Google News results posted by mlive.com. A respected news organization from the state of Michigan.

Please take a moment to join unemployed-friends.com. Registration is quick and easy and the cause is good. It is the reporting of grass-roots movements such as this that will get Congress involved in assisting those who have exhausted or are near exhausting benefits. Great reporting by MLive.com and hopefully this and other grassroots movement gain more attention from the press and from our members of Congress soon.

usunemployed.blogspot.com gives Kudos to unemployed-friends for leading this campaign and we plan to join and support this campaign. The more voices the better. Unemployed-friends.com is right.

The Unemployed Will Be Heard
The complete URL to join "Unemployed Will Be Heard" is here: http://unemployed-friends.forumotion.com/campaign-and-support-legislation-f79/call-in-campaign-unemployed-will-be-heard-extend-weeks-add-tier-v-t3244-105.htm

Update: There seems to be a problem with registering as a new member on the weekend. When registering for this campaign, the error, "Administrators have forbidden any new members." If you are new and wanting to register, try to register Monday through Friday.