U.S. Workers Aren't Better Off (Not with policies that threaten to destroy American jobs)

With Wednesday's vote to extend eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits to 125 weeks, the Senate has just added $34 billion to the national debt. That's more than $500 million per senator who voted for the bill.

You can call it cover-up money, because these are many of the same Democratic senators who voted into law policies that threaten to destroy Americans' jobs to begin with, such as mandatory employer-provided health insurance. Now they're voting to send to President Obama, after the House of Representatives votes today, a small remedial package to assist workers who have been out of work for 99 weeks or longer.

Mr. Obama will sign it, his past statements notwithstanding. Obama Version 1.0 insisted on fiscal responsibility, that Congress find a way to pay for unemployment benefits. In November, 2009, he signed an extension of unemployment benefits into law and declared,

"I would also like to announce I just signed into law a bill that will help grow our economy, save and create new jobs and provide relief to struggling families and businesses. ... Now, it's important to note that the bill I signed will not add to our deficit. It is fully paid for, and so it is fiscally responsible."

Fast forward eight months later: Obama Version 2.0 mocks Republicans for saying that unemployment benefit extensions have to be paid for. The $34 billion could have been paid for with unused stimulus money - about $362 billion remains - but the president opposed Republican suggestions to do just that.

Since the unemployment benefits extension is deemed "emergency spending'' under congressional budget rules, Congress does not have to pay for it. Ever.

The $34 billion brings the total unfunded level of unemployment benefits during this recession to $123 billion since July 2008.

Most Americans out of work for 99 weeks or more will be grateful to get the additional payments from the Federal-State unemployment insurance system, payments that some say will keep aggregate demand high and the economy chugging along, albeit slowly.

What jobless men and women don't see is the discouraging effect government spending may have on job creation. These unemployed workers should ask their members of Congress:

(1) What have you done to make it easier for employers to hire workers?

(2) What have you done to make it more attractive to locate businesses in America rather than offshore?

(3) What have you done to lower taxes on employers who will consequently hire me, rather than going offshore where taxes may be lower?

(4) What have you done to reduce regulation and red tape so that employers are more likely to hire me rather than contract out to companies abroad?

Most of these 60 senators who voted to extend unemployment benefits support Obama administration policies that are dampening job creation, such as health care reform, financial regulation signed into law Wednesday, pending climate change legislation, and large spending projects such as high-speed rail. Democrats favor them, but such undertakings discourage employers from hiring.

Somebody is going to have to pay for all the ‘reform’ being slung around like so much mud .. estimates of compliance with healthcare and now financial reform, run from many billions to a trillion dollars to enact legislation passed of late.

New rules and regulations need to be created based on legislation and then implemented to make the new machine run.. that should mean lots of new jobs , huh?

for outsourced labor. wanna bet?

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