Another week passes and no decision on extending unemployment

[prolesunited]

Hundreds of thousands lost this lifeline last week and hundreds of thousands more will lose it this week. Many states with the highest unemployment also are cutting off extended benefits this week. Those who got laid off this week don't have the COBRA subsidy, forcing their families to give up health care access since it would consume 50% to 75% of their unemployment benefits.

So, how much have you heard about this in the media? Real families are struggling in limbo and the silence is deafening. And the latest reports don't offer much encouragement. Unemployed workers need not apply. Those who have been without a job for 6 months or longer face dwindling prospects. And if you are 45 or older, you make up the bulk of people who are long-term unemployed. You also probably have been working and paying into the system the longest, a system that has abandoned you when you need it most.

I know the BP disaster is a major focus right now, but many families throughout the country remain in crisis.

Even if the government ends benefits, it's not like millions of jobs will magically appear. Any inroads that we have made in preventing a full-scale Depression will be lost. Want to see a double dip and another round of foreclosures? Cut off unemployment benefits when there are not enough jobs for all those who want to work.

And believe me, you think you've done everything right -- college education, 20+ years of solid work experience, not overextending yourself, good credit, great references -- and that it can't happen to you. Guess what? You are so wrong. You are now too qualified, too expensive to hire, too experienced and then the shift: you've been out of the work force too long, too desperate and willing to take entry level, lost your edge, too old, too undesirable.

And suddenly, you have no job, no one is even responding to your "stale" resume any longer and the only hope you have of saving your house, your life is gone. Your hope that things will get better if you just keep plugging away and trying harder has been transformed into heartbroken resolve that this is the new normal of your life.

All the while, your temporary lifeline has become a political bargaining chip. Please call your Senate leaders and speak up for all of us who are falling between the cracks.

[LibDemAlways]

1. My husband has been out of work since January, let go

when his division of the company closed. Every last one of the managers, who were responsible for running the division into the ground, landed in other divisions and continue to enjoy large salaries and benefits. The worker bees, however, were all dismissed.

So far we're ok thanks to a lifetime of savings, and we're not near exhausting the unemployment benefits. However our daughter, who earns straight A's, is looking forward to college next year, so retirement is definitely not an option.

However, the job search is just as you depict. Older workers are considered too experienced and too expensive. "Why look for steak when you think you can get by on hamburger?" seems to be the employers' mantra. This may not be politically correct on DU, but my husband attended a job fair in the SF Bay area (he's a software guy) and he was surrounded by hundreds of H1B Visa holders looking to stay on. Can anyone say "cheap labor"? That ought to be stopped immediately.

Shame on the government for allowing non-US citizens to come here and take away jobs that are badly needed by Americans. And double shame for not extending benefits and putting programs into place to get people back to work. This is a national crisis and our leaders are ignoring it.

For the record, I contacted my senators Feinstein and Boxer. Crickets.

It's horrible.

[ailsagirl]

5. I'm so sorry to hear that...

Obviously you live in the Bay Area-- as do I. One gets tired
of hearing "hang in there," but what can we do?

Or, better yet, what do those who are opposed to helping us
EXPECT us to do? Live in the street?

I really don't get it.

I suppose republican constituents don't mind that their ^%$#
party are the ones who are balking at helping us??

If that's not enough to cause them to switch parties, I don't
know what else would. Lunatics

FWIW, do hang in there.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Actually, we don't live in the Bay Area. We live in Southern Cal.

My husband drove 700 miles (350 each way) that day to be able to get a few minutes of face time with recruiters at that job fair. He was astonished by the number of people from outside the US who showed up. Being an American is a disadvantage in that industry. It's unreal!

At this point I think he'd move just about anywhere to get a job!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. "Hang in there" - truly all we can do.

[chill_wind]

2. K & R.

[prolesunited]

3. Crickets here, too.

Maybe I should bash someone or post something more inflammatory.

[ailsagirl]

4. What the hell is taking them so long?

While we hapless unemployed (me for a year and a half now) are waiting to hear
about the vote, it appears the fat cats are taking their sweet time in determining
whether or not to continue to provide us UI benefits.

WTF?? Through no fault of our own, we're jobless. We've been looking and looking
and looking and, let's face it, the job market sucks

In all fairness, I don't blame the Dems-- of course they're all for it-- it's the effing
repugs who continue to BRAZENLY thumb their noses at the Americans people who
are desperately seeking more assistance-- to just be able to LIVE

The bastards!!

:nuke::mad::banghead::spank::rant::grr::puke:

[truebrit71]

6. I just don't get it at all...do they all WANT to get thrown out in November?

..

[prolesunited]

9. I guess they figure we don't count.

[MyNameGoesHere]

7. It is really messed up

I was EXTREMELY fortunate in Maryland and my first 26 weeks ended DAYS, and I do mean days before the emergency kicked in. If I would have been a few days over, I would have been cutoff.

From MD DLLR website

New EUC Claims

Claimants who exhausted their first 26 weeks of Maryland unemployment insurance (UI) benefits on or before the claim week ending May 22, 2010, are eligible to file for EUC benefits. These claimants are being sent notification in the mail that they are eligible to file for these benefits.

Claimants who exhausted their first 26 weeks of Maryland unemployment insurance (UI) benefits on or after the claim week ending May 29, 2010, are not currently eligible to receive EUC benefits. These claimants are also being sent notices to file their claims for EUC benefits. However, when they call to file the claim, they are being notified that their claims will be held, as EUC benefits cannot be paid until such time that Congress extends the EUC Program.