Given what just happened in WI, Pelosi and Schumer must draw a line on funding for mail in ballots this fall. Moscow Mitch is going to fight this with every fiber of his satanic being because more people voting means Republicans will lose. Trump said so. And Pelosi and Schumer had to whittle down their requests for money to improve our 50 state farce of an election system during the third economic relief package; this was because Mitch is willing to kill power to stay in power. Moscow Mitch is willing to utilize delaying tactics because he knows Democrats want to try and get aid as quickly as they can to their constituents. He is no better than a hostage taker or terrorist. When the death toll goes up or more people become unemployed, Mitch just puts his rictus smile on and says to Democrats, “How much longer you want to wait? Drop your demands or else.” It’s the equivalent to shooting one hostage and throwing their body on the airport tarmac.
What a minute? How can Moscow Mitch be so evil? Isn’t he up for reelection this year? Wouldn’t death and economic pain impact him?
Moscow Mitch has been able to lie his way out of most jams, and given his financial resources and the weakness of the Kentucky Democratic Party, Mitch expects to be able to bulldoze his way through this pandemic. But Moscow Mitch may be underestimating the severity of this pandemic in Kentucky, at least when it comes to the economic pain. I just did the math again on estimating Kentucky’s unemployment rate, and it’s very, very, very bad.
There was another 117,000 Kentuckians who applied for first time unemployment. And those were the lucky ones who were able to get their applications finished.
More than 117,000 Kentuckians filed for unemployment last week, overwhelming the state's system and causing mass frustration among applicants.
The total broke the state's short-lived record for the most claims made within a single week — and the numbers are only expected to grow as the coronavirus pandemic forces businesses to downsize or close.
Nationwide, at least 15 million more jobs are expected to be lost by the end of May, pushing unemployment to 15% from the current 4.4%, said Michelle Meyer, chief U.S. economist of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
In Kentucky, nearly 8% of the labor force, or 1 in 13 workers, has applied for unemployment benefits over the past two weeks, according to the latest U.S. Department of Labor data…
The drastic increase in claims has significantly stressed the state's unemployment system, which is now ramping up staffing to assist applicants, officials have said.
The state's unemployment call center, normally staffed by 12 people, had increased to about 200 at the end of last week.
JT Henderson, spokesman for the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, said by the end of this week, that number is expected to grow to 1,000 to 1,200.
Adding together the last three weeks of first time claims with what the Bureau of Labor Stastistics has for the number of unemployed in KY and dividing by the workforce, I get a state unemployment estimate of approximately 17.6%.
Moscow Mitch has never had to explain his way out of unemployment this high before. Never. And I don’t think we are done with the number of job losses from this pandemic. That type of number is from the Great Depression.
This is going to sound more than cold, but I believe that Pelosi and Schumer should not capitulate to Moscow Mitch during this fourth economic relief package, especially if Moscow Mitch is going to play hostage taker. Mitch has been more than willing to play hardball, and I think Democrats need to turn that against him. The economic pain in Kentucky from this pandemic will be worse than in some parts of the country because we are a poorer rural state. And we need to focus attention to Mitch’s contempt and disregard for his constituents.
Mitch is not a popular figure in Kentucky. Mind blowing unemployment numbers in Kentucky are not going to make him any more popular. Even Amy McGrath gets this. She has highlighted how Mitch has tried to take a “victory lap” with the pandemic and economic crisis. National Democrats need to pick up her attacks on Mitch.
Does anyone think that having the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression is a great election selling line for a powerful senator like Moscow Mitch? Who is Mitch going to blame this on? Obama? Amy McGrath?
If we are to have any chance of winning in November, Democrats must hang tough on obtaining money for our antiquated election system and get mail in ballots.