Detroit News: Millionaire leaders stiff working class

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/OPINION03/802150313

Congressional leaders should listen to unions or they should be replaced

The economic stimulus plan recently negotiated by President Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left behind millions of unemployed working-class Americans.

The legislation is a classic case of putting politics over policy and vote pandering over results. It helped the wealthy who have lobbyists and did not help regular people.

It is important to note that America's unions criticized the package on behalf of the unemployed, both union and nonunion workers. But the unemployed still were left out of the package.

Economists from both ends of the classical/progressive spectrum report that one of the best economic stimulus actions would have been to extend unemployment benefits for 26 additional weeks. The U.S. Senate tried. Michigan's U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin both called for more unemployment benefit weeks for workers laid off during the last two years.

The estimated cost of extending unemployment checks for another 26 weeks would have increased the cost of the package only 8 percent. Bush and Pelosi said no. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave in a week prior to the deadline and said no.

In this fight, the labor unions and their members were taking on both Bush and the top Democratic leadership.

FULL story at link.

[Laelth]

1. Legitimate criticism.

This sux.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Blue_Tires]

2. ttt