Friday, February 14, 2014

The Unemployment Blues

By Jeff Simpson

Recently the Senate failed to pass unemployment insurance for our friends and neighbors who are out of work.  

Fifty-nine senators, including four Republicans, voted to advance the legislation, falling one vote short of the 60 needed to break a Republican filibuster effort.
Republicans and Democrats, many from the nation’s most economically depressed states, had been trying to reach a solution that would allow people who have exhausted their unemployment insurance to continue receiving benefits as long as the government offset the $6 billion cost.
Ultimately, how to pay for the program proved too big a hurdle for senators to overcome.
“We’ve given them everything they wanted. Paid for,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, flashing his irritation at Republicans who blocked the bill.
Republicans holding our recovery hostage......Who knew?  Will someone tell Russ Holton that his buddy Ron Johnson let him down. Again:


"Imagine that, a 44-year-old man crying while watching TV," he said. He had watched the vote on C-SPAN 2. A day later, his cable provider cut him off because he hadn't paid the bill.
Holton is one of the 1.7 million long-term unemployed people missing out on federal benefits because Congress stopped providing them in December. Six years ago, he was making $85,000 per year at his job in tech sales. Today, the seams of his life are fraying.
He applied for food stamps and broke his contract with Verizon to get a cheaper, pay-as-you-go phone. His electrical company nearly cut him off before a friend helped him make the minimum payment. His Internet remains connected, but that's the next to go. Filling up his gas tank would be impossible if not for the gift certificates he's gotten from friends. He's borrowed money from his parents to stay afloat, but he shudders at how dire his financial situation may eventually get.
"It is probably an inevitability that I will have to file for bankruptcy just to get out of it all," he said.

 Wisconsin's own Ron Johnson is THE vote that is keeping extending unemployment to 1.7 million Americans!

Notably, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson did not join other Republican senators such as Indiana's Dan Coats and Ohio's Rob Portman in voting to open up a debate about addressing an issue that shouldn't even be an issue.
Instead of listening to the calls from Wisconsinites of all political backgrounds for action on the jobless issue, Johnson was busy promoting a gimmicky lawsuit objecting to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
There are at least some Republicans who recognize what is at stake for working Americans — and for those who are out of work.

Heck even our very own Paul Ryan (R-Wall St.) joined in the act:

 "hammock that lulls able-bodied people to lives of dependency and complacency, that drains them of their will and their incentive to make the most of their lives." That's what Paul Ryan says, at least, and as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, he's supposed to know these things, right?

Not that they care what you think, but I highly recommend contacting Paul Ryan and Ron Johnson and tell them to extend unemployment benefits immediately:

Janesville office - Paul Ryan
20 South Main Street, Suite 10
Janesville, WI 53545
Toll-Free: 1-888-909-RYAN (7926)
Phone: (608) 752-4050
Fax: (608) 752-4711

@reppaulryan




5 comments:

  1. Ron Johnson’s Pacur employs at least nine prisoners. Prisoners in Wisconsin are paid between $.99 and $1.46 an hour for work on the outside, like at Pacur. That’s one way employers can pay less than minimum wage. On the other hand, Johnson’s Pacur could hire people like Russ Holton and pay him a living wage.

    Johnson claims to be a good Catholic, yet I doubt he is paying heed to Pope Francis. The “Christian” right wing has been busy calling Pope Francis a Communist for not glorifying the Almighty Dollar.

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  2. Russ Holton is a registered Republican who identifies himself as a "Libertarian."

    "I just want someone to have a freaking heart," (Holton) said, referring to members of Congress.

    Holton should learn that Republicans and Libertarians have no heart.

    Nor a Soul as we see Republicans attacking Pope Francis for preaching the Word of Jesus.

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  3. There is an especially hot spot in Hell reserved for Ron Johnson.

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  4. Ron Johnson is ammoral. He married into money and yet acts like he is self made. I agree that he has no place in heaven... He would have to ask God for forgivness, which is impossible for a narcissistic personality. He is a POS.

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  5. And Paul Ryan married his money too. Jenna is another rich girl who provides the lavish lifestyle these Republican Ayn Rand loving men couldn't make for themselves. Stupid girls...

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