Amid Deficit Worries, Democrats Trim Unemployment Bill

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Come on Congress...do something or we will fire you come November!

Tim of OH 3:38PM June 22, 2010

with most of America unemployed and now not receiving any money how will this help the economy. If the GOP is fed up with the deficeit maybe they could cut back their saleries? the get the same salery even after they are voted out of office or they quit because of sex scandals, if we cut the retirement for politicians the country would not have any financial problems. So before you cause me to be homeless reach into your own pocket and see if you really need all the stuff you think you are intitled to, after all my taxes pay your salery. And if peopel who don't need it didn't take social security we would be in better shape. Also unemployed people are not to lazy to work, there are no jobs. And the stimulas money been given to people who needed it not big business that might have helped the economy. Now the CEO's of all these big corporations are sitting around with bulging pockets because the government put the money in their pockets with the intentions they help people. Guess what in America the rich get richer with government help and the poor get poorer with government help. I can't aford my medication but hey who cares. Certainly not the people who are able to keep up with the Joneses// If you have more money than you need why can't you help someone? Is it really that hard to help???? I may be unemployed and not be able to aford food and medication, but I can walk to the polls to vote, as can every unemployed American

Emma Robinette of IN 7:20AM June 22, 2010

I have been off work and on work off work since August 2009. I worked out with the Census Bureas May 29, 2010 went back to unemployment which I have not received yet and was told the State extenders was cancelled on May 24, 2010 and since it no longer exist I do not even qualify for a state extenders must less the federal. I guess, I cut my nose off when I took the Census's job thinking I would have a state and then a federal extender. I'm just out of luck and money. How come a person can not get at least one state extender/ It does not exist.
Nancy Knight
Gadsden, AL

Nancy Knight of AL 10:14PM June 21, 2010

My husband was employed as a supervisor for 36 years in a steel company and was the third highest paying supervisor in the plant. He missed about 15 days of work in 36 years and has a squeaky clean work record with outstanding work performance. He was laid off with no guarantee of getting back to work and we never thought that would happen. He cannot retire for four years because he has to be 60 years old. He is 56 and has paid his FICA for 36 years and now it is time for him to pull up to the table and eat and most of the food is gone. It's killing him to not work, not so much the money as it is the work and his co-workers who he seen everyday for 36 years. Employers won't hire him because; he is close to retirement so they won't get their money's worth, they feel he probably has health issues, so insurance is in question, they don't know if he is re-trainable, and then of course having someone half his age be his boss puts that person in an uncomfortable situation.
He may have to stay on unemployment until he can retire, but if there is no unemployment to get then what is he to do? He is in the greatest shape of his life, healthy and wiling to work, but there is nothing available. My question is why does the White House continue to put a band aid (unemployment benefits) on this when they should be coming up with a cure, (more jobs)?

Lilly of OH 10:55AM June 21, 2010

To Caswel:
Just because you know a couple people who abuse UI does NOT mean the majority of the unemployed are doing so. I would take any job I could get. Before being laid off I worked as an Accounting Manager, I made good money and worked hard to support myself and my young daughter. I apply for work all over the US, and the last year even outside the US, to no avail. I have not even had an interview in over 8 months. I follow up with emails, phone calls and letters (depending on what information was available to me when applying). I have actively done this for 18 months now. I have not been able to even find a part-time or temporary position. The temp agencies are overburdened with applicants, as are employers. The fact is that there are not enough jobs to employ those without jobs. There will always be people who abuse any system, law, kindness, etc... but to stereotype all unemployed into that category (of being abusers of UI and not wanting to work) would be as ignorant as saying all Black people are drug dealers or all hispanics are gang members. It is a limited view perspective and does not depict the truth for all people. Factually, most states require work search records to be submitted weekly and also require those receiving UI to participate in their local job centers. So, for those that scam the system and fall through the cracks, woe to them; they take a chance at charges of fraud as well as make the rest of the people on UI look bad. Please do not judge.
I do not blame congress for this; blame is not a productive thing. I can say, with certainty, though that the average citizen (most of whom are unemployed now) did not create this deficit. We did not hand bail out money to large corporations with no audit trails or repayment plans. We, in good faith, worked jobs, raised families and lived. Some lived beyond their means. I can only speak for myself when I say that I did not live beyond my financial means, but now I have had to forfeit payments on all debts (the last of which is my average vehicle that is 10 months from being paid off). Why did I pay into UI for so many years to be balked at and called lazy when I need help in a time of national crisis? I have absolutely NO control over not being hired at all, even for minimum wage retail jobs (which I am told frequently that I have no direct experience for and am otherwise overqualified for). If the Senate fails to act this week, me and my young child will be homeless on July 1, 2010. Is that fair? We can sleep in my vehicle for a month until it is repossessed for non payment in July, then come the end of July we will be in a homeless shelter or a tent in a park. Good thing it is summer and not snowing here yet I suppose. Is that what you want for your own family? I tell you what, It SURE is NOT what I desire for me and my daughter. I worked SO hard to provide a stable life for us. We have sold everything except the vehicle I don't fully own yet, my pc and our books and clothes.

Michael Craswell of MA 3:32PM June 19, 2010

The congress somehow thinks american people want to be unemployed, I worked for 17 years for the same company, and was let go to let the more educated and younger people with no experience take our jobs. Then you have congress and the federal government who think that it is okay to let millions of welfare people continue to get aid for food, medical and housing, and daycare for their chilren, even though these individuals do not work, and do not seek employment. Then you have americans like myself who have always worked, and now congress thinks it is our desire to sit around and not work just to collect unemployment. Which the amounts for unemployment do not even equal the amount we were receiving at work. I think congress needs to wake up an respect the american people.

Judy Black of PA 3:04PM June 19, 2010

President Obama added $1.5trillion a year to make $3 trillion in debt in two years for his “stimulus plan” which increased unemployment from 8% to 10%! Why didn’t it work? Congress PAYS people to be unemployed. Why work?
To pay for this in the same amount of time, your taxes must increase to 250% of it’s current level. According to the IRS, the entire revenue stream of the US is $1 trillion; and the Adjusted Gross Income (1040 line 32) for every person in America added together is $8 trillion.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08fallbulintax.pdf
Your Net Income is usually half or less of Gross Income. If you subtract the $1trillion you pay in taxes, everyone has $3 trillion left to run their lives with. Do the math. To pay back to extra $1.5 trillion, we must add it to the current tax revenue of $1 trillion each year to get 2.5 trillion:
$2.5 trillion needed/ $1 trillion currently being paid = 250% current tax rate.
Increasing the taxes this much will make it harder for employers to hire new employees or even to keep all of their workers.
Doesn’t government already take enough out of your check for taxes? If they triple that rate, what will we have left to pay for ‘trivial’ things like house notes, utilities, clothes, food, and gas? The politicians don’t care how it affects you. They want the votes extending these unemployment benefits bring them. Are you going to take it lying down?? Won’t you SAY anything? The people who have been getting a free ride for the past two years are complaining loudly. They want more of your money. Why not say, “Go BACK to your old job. Don’t destroy mine.” ?

Cas of GA 3:15AM June 18, 2010

Congress causes unemployment.
1. OBama repealed the Section 179 investment expense deduction. This credit lets small-businesses expense the first year, instead of 5 to 30 years. Then they can expand and hire new employees.
2. Increasing unemployment benefits from two months to two years forced my state to sharply increase unemployment-insurance rates; employers can’t hire new workers: it’s too expensive.
Third, why work when unemployment benefits pay as much as a job? An auto-body owner said his best employees won't return because they made the same money on unemployment A private placement agency’s owner told me he’d been embarrassed by applicants refusing job offers in line with their former wages because they made as much unemployed..
This two-year unemployment benefit makes a profession out of doing nothing

Cas of GA 3:10AM June 18, 2010

I thimk we should ALL pitch our tents on WH lawn.Maybe congress,senate should give-up thier bank accts.for 52wks and try living off UIB as there sole income,

Eleanor of CA 1:59AM June 17, 2010

We need this bill passed. I only have 12 weeks lefts, and my husband only has 5 weeks left.
The millions of people like us will be pitching tents on lawns so that the government can see who we are and actually pay attention to us!!!!

AS of IL 1:16AM June 17, 2010