Posted on 07/20/2010 3:00:44 AM PDT by Scanian
WASHINGTON -- President Obama and congressional Republicans went to war yesterday over extending unemployment benefits for millions of out-of-work Americans.
"It's time to stop holding workers laid off in this recession hostage to Washington politics," Obama said. "It's time to do what's right, not for the next election, but for the middle class."
Obama's hot rhetoric in the Rose Garden sought to divert voters' anger over the sputtering economy to Senate Republicans, who don't want the government to borrow $34 billion for another extension of benefits.
Republicans support extending jobless benefits only if the bill is paid for, which goes hand in hand with their argument that runaway government debt is undermining an economic recovery.
The GOP says that unused stimulus money could be used to fund the benefits extension or that spending could be cut so the deficit won't be increased. Some also believe the lengthy period of benefits can discourage people from job hunting.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Getting a tier 5 to go past 99 weeks is not likely to happen. Paying for tier 4 which is up to 99 is all that this does. It’s a stupid way of doing it, but if the economy suddenly turns around then they can just defund it easily. Playing games when the economy isn’t turning around is cruel and stupid politically.
As that chart shows, recessions end and the benefits decline. That’s how it always is. The Republicans extended it last time until 04 or so, which was when things got better after 9/11. That is certainly prudent to do here as well.
>>Getting a tier 5 to go past 99 weeks is not likely to happen.<<
Right.
So where is the money coming from to finance this?
I’m not a libertarian so I am not against helping people laid off avoid having to go homeless when between jobs. 26 weeks is usually fine for decent economic times. You need to remember, you actually need to WORK to get these benefits and it scales to pay and caps very low.
I assume you’re financially very secure and I highly doubt your kids will be going hungry because of a $33b charge out of a $1300b yearly budget. This stuff is such small potatoes compared to obamacare or even the Bush medicare prescription deal it isn’t funny.
The money should come from the unused stimulus. The dems aren’t going to allow that, and it’s going to end up being added as debt. I’d prefer it not be that way, but if they do this you’ll have some 5m+ unemployed people out there completely cut off and looking for blood. If they don’t do it literally, they’ll do it politically against whoever they think voted against it. This may well tip the elections to the dems unless the GOP stops this nonsense.
Our side still does a piss poor job at explaining and not coming off sounding like we’re callous...I watched the MSM 6:30 news last night and nearly choked...it’s been a while since I watched. The sound bytes are ridiculous. We have to do a much better job or we’ll be the same republicans who want to starve the old people and babies.
Wanna know why NV’s leaning towards Reid now? Wanna know why in the last couple weeks the polls have suddenly shifted to the dems, especially in the last week? This is it. People out there are raving pissed or confused as hell over the fact that the GOP is taking a hardline stand against this at this time. The stupidity is staggering.
>>I’m not a libertarian so I am not against helping people laid off avoid having to go homeless when between jobs.<<
Fantastic! Then do it. However, where is it written that you have a right to take MY money? Where is forced charity ever correct? That’s redistribution of wealth.
>>I assume you’re financially very secure and I highly doubt your kids will be going hungry because of a $33b charge out of a $1300b yearly budget.<<
You know nothing about me. You have no clue what we have given up to make it. How we are out stoop picking and canning, how we live without cable, without a land line and with a tracphone for emergencies. Ten year old cars that need to be fixed and using a bike when we run short each week. Even if we made a million a year, where is your right to take it from me?
So again, how do we finance this?
Alright, imagine losing whatever income you have and not being able to find a job for a year due, in large part, of the government. Then what? Give up and die? That’s the choice this is giving a lot of people right now. One that have been good workers for years and decades and got slammed.
I’ll give you a preview too. This stuff now will run out right before the elections. The GOP has fallen into a HUGE trap by fighting over it. In November people, again, that are well under 99 weeks will be facing a cutoff. The reps are being played like a fiddle now and will face either voting no again and getting demolished in the election or voting yes and suffering a bit too for being hypocrites.
That’s what your attitude has done politically.
The question is, why do you think that you have a right to redistribute my money?
Ok, hope you never have taken any government assistance or used any services paid for by taxes. Oh, and refuse SS and medicare when you get to that age as well.
You obviously aren’t reading what I’m saying. This is a tiny TINY bit of expense to throw away your political advantage in an election year for.
I don’t quite understand hardcore libertarians. I’m for small and minimal government with basic safety nets. That’s all this is, when you think about it. And again, the people receiving this at least had to work to pay into it as well. So it’s stealing from them too, it’s not just about you.
The problem is only a handful of people here in FR will ever see that chart and make the connection. The laimstream media, including Fox, will never broadcast it to the masses.....
The question still remains.
What right do you have to take my income to redistribute to others?
That’s what you’re doing. Take out the emotion and personalization. Why do you think the government can take what I earn and give it to someone else?
I’m not a hardcore libertarian. However, I don’t care for stealing. And every drop in the bucket, every little bit, just fills that bucket.
You’re not giving the American people credit. You’re looking at a pre-Tea Party electorate. Believe the polls to your hearts content. People are smarter than you are giving them credit for.
Smarter, that’s why we have dem congress and hussein right?
Do you consider military taxes as theft? The way you’re sounding, you’d be a hypocrite to support any government spending at all. There’s a line, and we’re way past it on spending, but this isn’t the place to target.
The Extended benifits are nothing but wellfare! The first several weeks are paid for by the insurance - everything else is a handout from the general funds!
And no, thats not the only thing I would cut. But you are calling for a hypocritical attitude - only for the sake of getting someone elected. We have enough RINOs as it is.
“He who doesn’t work, neither shall he eat”
The question still remains.
What right do you have to take my income to redistribute to others?
Take the personalization out of it. This is the only question.
Lets talk about getting rid of social security. That’s real welfare that’s about 20 times bigger per year than unemployment is. The Republicans passed these extensions for a long time after 9/11 and nobody really complained then. Didn’t hear all that much about the spending until lately, and they the dolts pick this to really stand against. Lunacy.
Social contract.
Leninism.
This ain’t about elections, its about doing what’s right for the taxpayer. Unemployment was never intended to be welfare. We need to go back to capitalism not away from it.
Pray for America
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