UPDATE: See below the cut ... WENY - TV Sen. Schumer announces that Unemployment Relief Could Extend to '99ers plus Video
I found myself in excellent company the last few tense days glued to CSPAN in watching the jobless extension proceedings along with hundreds others over at Unemployed-Friends.
This website has thousands of participants and we talk about everything from legislation, how to live and survive when when you think you can't go on, how to deal with bill collectors, the practicalities of living in your car or on the street. Take a few minutes and read some of the posts, it will have tremendous and permanent impact on you. It is real life for millions of Americans today and the foreseeable future.
UPDATE....
Sen. Schumer: Unemployment Relief Could Extend to '99ers' (VIDEO)
Jane Park
July 23, 2010
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer also had some new news on extended unemployment benefits. President Obama signed the bill late Thursday night.
It provides up to 99 weeks of support for people who have exhausted their state benefits. Schumer says there's more legislation in the works to extend past the 99 weeks.
“There are a number of people who have maxed out, they've been looking and looking for work but haven't found it, and there is a separate act that would extend those benefits to them,. Extending this was really important. There are some people who go beyond the 99 weeks and we're gonna try to do that next,” he said.
The senator did not give any timeline for the act.
Link to WENY Schumer Video
Please continue to call and write the legislators! and media! don't stop!!!!
______________________________
We are celebrating this week because President Obama was able to sign legislation which renews emergency jobless benefits for millions of unemployed Americans.
I'm one who can celebrate because after being frozen between Tier 2 and Tier 3 for seven weeks I can at last look forward to paying my rent.
While the Republicans were stalling and taking their 30 hours we on Unemployed-Friends were watching together. I posted that I was wondering how many would lose thier apartment or have their lights turned out because of this one day delay, and immediately two other posters responded:
carrier wrote:
flabbergasted wrote:
How many people will miss paying the rent this week and lose their home because of 30 hours delay? How many will have the lights turned off?
Me for one. I have to be out of my apartment on the 6th of august. Won't get relief in time.
Yep me too!
DHS paid for our electric bill mainly because I have a child, we convinced the phone company to keep the net/phone on.
August we have money for NOTHING...cant afford rent, electric NOTHING..
Gonna talk to my landlord and if she says move ...( least we have 30 days to find something ..a relative or something..least i know i wont be in a shelter.
The jobless benefits extensions for Tiers 1 - 4 and FED ED was passed and signed into law at last on Thursday.
BUT WE ARE NOT FINISHED. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE LEFT OUT. THE 99er's.
We need to remember those who were not included, we call them the 99er's or sometimes the EXHAUSTED. Given the extreme unemployment rate 5 in 6 of the unemployed will be one of these, and the numbers are growing alarmingly.
Tent cities are beginning to grow across the country.
Suicide calls to hotlines have increased dramatically.
Older laid off workers too young for Social Security and Medicare are considered too old by employers.
The emergency of the jobless person in this Great Recession does not end at 99 weeks. A job does not miraculously appear. In fact the longer one is unemployed the harder it is to get a job.
Please don't forget the 99er's. Please don't think the problem was solved with the jobless benefit extension bill, because this bill only renewed the current extensions. It did not add a Tier 5 extension.
The original house bill did have the Tier 5. It was eliminated in order to appease the Republicans and some conservative Democrats.
Now Sen. Stabenow, Sen. Schumer, and others are discussing the possibility of proposing Tier 5 legislation to alleviate these long term unemployed workers. We need them to do this ASAP. This is truly an emergency. These are the people who are facing the nightmare of homelessness, hunger, and despair RIGHT NOW.
CALL TO ACTION
Please call Sen. Stabenow and Sen. Schumer to ask them to please go ahead with the proposal and submit it before they leave on summer vacations.
Rep. McDermott has said that "if the Senate can pass a bill to help the 99ers, it will surely sail through the House, as "there is nobody that wants to do more for the 99ers" (than the House)"
Sen. Stabenow and Sen. Schumer are reportedly trying to get the bill out and are looking for support. We need to contact them and their colleagues to encourage them in the strongest way not to give up, to please introduce this legislation now.
Here's post about the campaign from Unemployed-Friends which has more information and the phone numbers you can call.... Thank You!
"Booniebeast" From the group that created and signed the recent letter delivered to Pres O via Gibbs:
Good morning all...the 99er's need your help please. As you all know, it is pretty conclusive that the bill will be passed next week sometime. We have been fighting to get an amendment added for a Tier 5 and have been told that isn't going to happen. Now we have to move to plan B. Starting (now) we need everyone to call Reid, Pelosi and Obama and let them know that NO VACATION until something is done to help the 99ers. Harry Reid 202-224-3542, Pelosi 202-225-0100, Obama 202-456-1111.
Also calls made to the following asking them to write up a bill and bring it to the floor to help the 99ers. These people have all agreed to helping but none of them are taking the initiative to bring legislation to the floor. Chuck Schumer 202-224-6542 Sen Franken 202-224-5641, Sen Merkley 202-224-3753 Deb Stabenow 202-224-4822 Sherrod Brown 202-224-2315 Shelley Berkely 202-225-5965 Dina Titus 202-225-3252 Sen Whitehouse 202-224-2921 and the 800 switchboard number if you don't have long distance 1-800-962-3542.
Please do what you can to help, the 99ers have been without any income for almost 6 months now. many have already lost everything they own. We have been leading this fight of extensions for everyone since the fight for Tier 3 and 4. We went months without income, never given retroactive. never offered Cobra. The 99ers need everyones help desperately and quickly to stop Congress and the Senate from leaving until something is done to help. Thanks so much for everyone who is willing.
Also I know that DKos has many participants that have experiance and connections with legislatures.
If you have ideas or perhaps some information about the status of the Tier 5 legislation efforts going on in Washington I would appreciate greatly if you could share it. Suggestions and any help you can provide... thank you.
UPDATE:
If you are in New York you are invited to participate in the following actions to bring the issue to the media's attention. We are organizing the following actions...
Network Morning Shows Demonstration
Thursday July 29th @ 7 a.m. until end of show
New York City
NBC - The Today Show
CBS - The Early Show
ABC - Good Morning America