Unemployment Insurance is about to run out again, for millions of Americans. Who are barely surviving from week to week.
Will Congress do something about it? Well like everything in Congress, this simple act of human compassion, must be subjected to the "big philosophical divide" that permeates the place. Like so much bad opera music. Damn the consequences, long as the Congressional-bit-players can catch their planes out of Town, in time.
At least that's how NPR's senior business editor explains it ...
Why Congress Didn't Extend Unemployment Benefits
npr.org -- December 19, 2013
The new congressional budget deal does not extend benefits for Americans receiving long-term unemployment. NPR senior business editor Marilyn Geewax discusses the debate in Congress, and some of the economic implications with host Michel Martin.
[...]
GEEWAX: So it's really a big philosophical divide. The Democrats say people still need some extra help, it's still really tough out there. There are states where unemployment is still over 9 percent, and they're like, boy, you know, 13 weeks of help is not enough. Twenty-six weeks is not enough for these states that are really hard hit. We've got to keep giving them more money. They also say it stimulates the economy. When people have more money to spend, they send the money and then it helps small grocers, it helps retailers, it helps stop foreclosures. You have more money just to pay the mortgage, whatever. It's good for the economy is their argument.
But Republicans look at it the other way. They say extending these benefits again this year would cost $26 billion. Having a big budget deficit is not good for the economy, so that's money that they would like to save. But also there's this idea that the longer you extend unemployment benefits, the more people will stall, in a sense. That instead of just taking whatever is available to you, you might keep looking and looking because you have this extra grace period. And they say, you know what -- the longer you're out of the workforce, the worse it gets for you. Just take the job, move, work nights, whatever you got to do, but get moving already. It's not in your best interest to go months without work.
[...]
Yeah that's the problem, the unemployed and the under-employed, are being
just too picky ... they're holding out, waiting for that "dream job" -- that surely waiting, just around that next "Job Creators" corner.
Say Job-seekers I hear, that pretending to be a "Representatives of the People" is a pretty good gig -- and the Time-Off perks they get, well you'd think THEY were the ones who were Unemployed ...
It seems the Republicans, who would rather blame laziness, for every problem in Society -- BUT they should take a long hard look in the mirror.
Sometimes that old saw, just ain't so.
There Are 3 Unemployed People Competing For Every Job Opening
by Mark Gongloff, huffingtonpost.com -- 07/09/2013
[...]
The bureau's monthly survey tracking job openings and labor turnover was a little less robust than the agency's better-known unemployment report that was released on Friday. According to the new report, there are more than three unemployed people competing for every job opening in the country, and people are quitting their jobs far less than they should be.
The survey showed that there were 3.8 million job openings in the U.S. in May. That's up from about 2.3 million at the worst of the recession, but still well below the peak of 4.7 million openings before the slowdown. In the jobs report on Friday, the BLS said there were 11.8 million people still looking for work.
When both reports are considered together, that means there are 3.1 unemployed people competing for every one job.
[...]
And in the North-east, the lack of employment opportunities are even more grim:
Unemployed Job Seekers per Opening (JOLTS data)
Northeast Region* and United States -- October 2012 - October 2013
Dept of Labor -- Labor Statistics
[...]
The ratio of unemployed job seekers to job openings is a useful labor market indicator. It is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed workers by the number of job openings. In October 2013, there were 3.4 job seekers per job opening in the Northeast region, an increase from September 2013's level of 3.1. The region's ratio stood at 3.6 in October 2012.
So you see GOP, it's not just a matter of sheer initiative. You see GOP, sheer guts and will power will NOT guarantee you a Job, with odds like that.
It's kind of seems like your pals -- The Job Creators -- have been asleep at the switch. Where are all those Jobs that the Extension of the Bush Tax Cut were promised to bring?
There are millions of Americans, who are barely surviving from week to week GOP, who would really like to know?
Where are the Jobs, Jobs, Jobs? Supposedly your "Top Priority" GOP; But in actual legislative fact -- No, hardly!
Because afterall that Political Divide dictates:
"If you are out of work -- it's your own damn fault. You just need to Try Harder!"
And pay no attention to those infrastructure-ignoring congressional dim-bulbs hiding behind that ideological smoke-screen. Instead,
Just Try Harder!" Someone has to.