Lawrence Summers and Timothy Geithner say the administration may extend unemployment benefits.
Photo: AP
Posted on 08/02/2009 7:39:49 AM PDT by Cheap_Hessian
President Barack Obama’s top economic officials said in interviews aired Sunday that the administration may support an extension in unemployment benefits.
Some on Capitol Hill view that as a second stimulus package, although it is unlikely to be billed that way, because of rising concern about government spending.
“We’ll do what’s necessary to make appropriate unemployment benefits available,” national economic adviser Lawrence Summers said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
On ABC’s “This Week,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in response to a question by host George Stephanopoulos about extending benefits: “I think that is something that the administration and Congress are going to look very carefully at as we get closer to the end of this year.”
And on CNN's "State of the Union," White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer said, "It is absolutely something that we're working with Congress to do."
This week, The New York Times reported new projections by the National Employment Law Project, a private research group, that as many as 1.5 million jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits by year’s end if Congress does not beef up the program.
On "Fox News Sunday," Republican South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said "yes," his party would back an extension.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Lawrence Summers and Timothy Geithner say the administration may extend unemployment benefits.
Photo: AP
I know several people on unemployment insurance right now, and all but one are gaming the system by either (a) getting complacent about finding a job, or (b) working freelance and simply not telling the government. Time to bring these benefits to an end.
"Maybe we oughta try something that works, you know, like a conservative would..."
This is like Katrina. The hustle will go on as long as possible.
It’d be nice if everyone in the executive branch and most in the congress were unemployed.
I am fine with that, people lost their jobs and there are not many jobs out there so give help to those that need it. People are on Emergency unemployment right now because there regular unemployment is up and nothing has changed or gotten any better. Since he can give money for old cars and tons of other stuff, give it to those that really need it. If not we will have more foreclosures, bankruptcy’s, etc.
It will defact become another entitlement
While I’m sure there are a good number ‘gaming the system’, I also know there are simply no jobs for people in certain areas. If you had a mid-level marketing or accounting job in an area with 15% unemployment, it is going to be nearly impossible to find work that pays more than what you would get on unemployment. If I was barely getting by on unemployment, there is no way I’d accept a job that paid less.
Has anyone told this moron that the country is broke?
I used to be jealous, but then I realized it’s just a few citizens getting a little bit of their own money back...taxes that have been paid for a lifetime. Go for it.
That about sums up the attitude of those on Welfare, Food Stamps, Section 8 Housing, Medicaid, etc., and they've been using that philosophy for 4 generations......THAT is why we have the MESSIAH now; they ALL voted for continued income from OTHERS)
They are the ones causing continued job losses, and they are also doing everything in their power to prevent recovery. So just how long should benefits extend--indefinitely? I don't believe it will be possible to compensate everyone for as long as it will be needed, because the jobs will NEVER come back if the current joke of an administration is allowed to continue its destructive ways.
And I speak as one who had benefits run out long before I became employed. I was unemployed then underemployed (part-time, low wage work was all I was able to get)for more than two years before I went back to school to re-career. Getting my first job in my new field was tough - it took a 3 month UNPAID internship to gain experience. Now I have a huge socking student loan and an even bigger pile of debt to work my way out of. One more bout of unemployment for me or my spouse and we're pretty much done.
I've been on interviews where they bring up a concern about a "lack of experience" in a certain area. More often than not, my response to their concern ends up putting me back into "overqualified".
Companies are able to be extremely picky now, as is their right. Companies are "gaming the system" far more than individuals are. They're putting the screws to current employees, whether it be through more hours for the same pay, or keeping people on "contractor" status to avoid paying payroll taxes. In an environment like this, they know they can get away with it.
I just don't see as much "gaming the system" by experienced accountants. I can understand why someone would turn down a one or two day project, if it meant losing your benefits for the entire week. That time is better spent filling out applications, sending out resumes, networking, etc.
There is a big difference between someone ‘gaming the system’ by taking welfare benefits for generations and some poor Schmo who’s worked his entire life and finds himself 50 and unemployed for the first time ever. I haven’t ever collected either welfare or unemployment, thank God, but for the first time, I’m concerned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.