It's an election year, I think Reid should let the GOP filibuster unemployment benefits

[WI_DEM]

let them tie up the senate for weeks--show them for what they are and let them filibuster not extending unemployment benefits for millions of ordinary Americans. Do it Harry! It will help you in Nevada, too. Let the American people see what they are and ask--Is this the crowd you want to elect in November?

[GodlessBiker]

1. Agreed!

[Oceansaway]

2. K&R...n/t

[backscatter712]

3. Make sure the Dems broadcast what is happening.

Don't just let it play out on C-SPAN, they've got to go on a high-powered media blitz, explaining it to the LIVs.

[doc03]

4. Don't misunderstand me I hope the unemployment

gets extended, there are thousands of people who need the money. I don't know how prevalent this is in the rest of the country. But there are many people locally that have been on unemployment (many on voluntary or optional layoff) for over a year that also get supplemental unemployment benefits (SUB) from their employer plus health-care. I know this because I was unemployed for about 60 weeks until I turned 62 and called it quits and signed up for my SS and pension. I am single and the total unemployment and SUB I received totaled about $650 a week, we were entitled by our union contract to SUB and full health-care coverage for 2 years. There is a PR problem with this even though we are a small percentage of the unemployed the perception a lot of people get is everyone is getting $650 a week with health-care and would rather stay on unemployment than take a lower paying job without benefits.

[prolesunited]

6. You find me statistics that show

$650 a week AND health care are the average nationwide. Very few people are covered by these generous union protections. I'm happy you had that opportunity and were able to retire.

Most people on unemployment get far, far less and it is based on what your wages previously were. SUB pay does not even apply to a majority of those unemployed.

COBRA only lasts a max of 18 months, and even if you were lucky enough to get the subsidy, you still have to cough up the other 35% plus co-pays and deductibles if you actually want to use it.

As far as taking lower-paying jobs, the are not enough jobs to take -- not by a long-shot.

Let's do the math. There are 15 million people counted as unemployed right now, with 6.8 million categorized as long-term unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Guess how many jobs were created in the past month in the private sector? 41,000. 41,000.

Factory employment NATIONWIDE has risen by just 126,000 over the past 5 months. Employment in other private-sector industries, including wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities, and leisure and hospitality showed little or no
change in May.

The only growth was in the public sector (411,000) to carry out the Census. Those jobs will soon end.

I totally suck at math and even I can figure out that these numbers don't compute.

Kick the people off unemployment and they won't go back to work. THERE ARE NO JOBS!!! So what are these 15 million people supposed to do?


Statistics and more info here:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

These are the numbers that the Dems should be shouting from the rooftop.

[doc03]

9. Did I f----g say that was any kind of average nationwide? I said

(I don't know) how prevalent it is nationwide. What I am saying is there are people getting such benefits. One reason I signed up for my pension was I was getting tired of people making snide comments about you steelworkers getting more than I am working. That does get around to some of the Rethugs you hear making comments about unemployment. A lot of it comes from the people working at the JFS office they all seem to have a chip on their shoulder anyway or just Rethugs jealous you are getting more than they are. I agree there are people that need the extension, but that's where some of these comments people make originate..

[prolesunited]

10. Hey, I don't begrudge you your benefits

My dad was a steelworker (pipe fitter), so I know full well that they put their lives on the line every day. He was lucky to not go down in the whole Rust Belt meltdown and I remember well the worry that was for the family. My BIL is a union worker as well and has been in and out of work for the past few years as well. All this to stay, I'm no stranger to unions and fully support them.

I haven't heard much grumbling about union benefits. I was just saying this is not the norm. Rethugs seem to be upset on people just getting subsistence wages. It's not like you're making it, especially if you were a professional or manager. If you weren't frugal or didn't have savings, you've already gone under.

They seem to resent that your life hasn't been absolutely destroyed if you are collecting unemployment. Apparently, we are all a bunch of lazy drug addicts. :sarcasm:

I'm glad you were able to retire. Among the long-term unemployed, the majority are about 50 or older -- too old for employers to want to hire and too young to retire. Frankly, extensions won't help them. They need to develop some programs tailored to these workers that involves retraining and placement.

[Aramchek]

5. unfortunately, they don't have to actually filibuster in order to filibuster

they just have to say they're going to

[Berry Cool]

7. Unrecc'ing, because unemployed people need money NOW. Not in "weeks."

They should not be used as pawns by EITHER party just to make a point and win an election.

[bluethruandthru]

8. They won't get the benefits either way as it is now!

We want the filibuster because it will attract a lot of media attention and hopefully, real people will realize that it's the repukes who are stopping them from getting benefits.

Right now..they're just threatening to filibuster and the dems are backing down.