Democrats Consider Reducing Unemployment Benefits

[loveslife]

June 15, 2010, 10:02 am

Senate Democrats Might Change Jobs Bill
By CARL HULSE
Senate Democrats are exploring whether to eliminate an extra $25 a week in unemployment benefits, part of the economic stimulus legislation passed in 2009, as a way to cut costs and attract Republican votes for a stalled package of tax breaks, tax increases on the affluent and safety-net spending.

Top officials said that change would save billions of dollars over the next six months and could lead to approval of an overall extension of jobless pay by making the legislative package easier to swallow for lawmakers worried about deficit spending.

Full text:http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/senate-democrats-might-change-jobs-bill/?pagemode=print

[madrchsod]

1. ignorant fucking cowards....

i have nothing but contempt for these cowards. they rather see families go hungry than to give them 25 lousy bucks.

[jody]

2. Only three choices: raise taxes or borrow from China-Japan or cut benefits. n/t

[PassingFair]

4. Penalize outsourcing.

Raise salaries.

Raise taxes.

Fixed.

[jody]

10. If we "Penalize outsourcing", i.e. "tariffs on imports" would China, Japan, India et al retaliate?

[Yuugal]

14. Who cares if they did?

If the stuff they send here was made in the US to begin with we wouldn't have so much unemployment. We have been running a monstrous trade deficit for ages in this country and every year we get poorer because of it. Lets make what we need at home and keep our treasure here instead of devolving into a 3rd world debtor country like we currently are.

[jody]

20. Consider how dependent we are on other countries, e.g. critical minerals link below.

Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy

[Yuugal]

26. Are you saying they wouldn't sell to us?

My problem is with the US buying manufactured goods from other countries and thus further weakening our manufacturing base. If they won't sell us the raw materials we need then we shouldn't be trading with them on any level at all, not one cent of trade. My experience with capitalism is that not only will our trading partners sell us anything we want in any quantity we want but because they are capitalists I can probably buy a night with their moms too.

The fact is our huge trade deficit puts us in the driver's seat as far as trade agreements go because they have everything to lose and we would save alot of our country's wealth buy stopping such lopsided trade. Until we transition from oil we may have to discount that part of our trade deficit, but I'll never believe this country can't take care of it's own needs within reason and allowing for a moderate amount of trade. Japan, for instance, is a country without many resources and they have managed to sell a thing or two.

We have already sacrificed a great part of the wealth and working strength of this country, not to mention our standard of living, on the satanic altar of free trade. It is time for America to grow up and provide for itself. Yes, there will always be some trade, but the idea that dismantling ourselves so China can grow goes against common sense.

Instead of wringing our hands because potentially someone might not want to sell us a material we need, we should be looking at ways to do without that material. Like we were supposed to be doing with energy, at least until we found out they were going to buy Chinese windmills anyway. I was hoping for windmills made of US steel with union US steel workers and installed by union riggers. So much for them green jobs. Same thing with solar.

[jody]

27. I'm at least as protective of US industry, particularly basic industry, as you but I also know the

global economy in which we live complicates trade policies.

Production and service industries were outsourced for one simple reason, consumers chose to buy cheap foreign products and services rather than more expensive domestic goods and services.

I won't buy from the Wal-Marts but whenever I drive by them I see customers flocking to buy their off shore products.

I wish it was as simple as imposing import tariffs but IMO that's not the answer.

[PassingFair]

16. OMG! We're trapped!

Guess we have to continue to spiral down the toilet.

[jody]

21. Not necessarily but we live in a global economy whether we like it or not. n/t

[PassingFair]

29. So does every other country, but they put their citizens first.

Whether we like it or not.

We can have change here, the people ripping
us off at the top don't WANT it, and that's
the ONLY reason we don't have it.

[jody]

34. Voters have a chance every two years to elect a new government, i.e. House, but they've been

returning incumbents.

There is no hope until some event causes voters to rise up en masse, kick out a majority of congresspersons and replace them with people who will truly represent the economic and social interests of We the People.

[PassingFair]

35. "some event"?

Have you been watching the primaries?

[jody]

42. Yes but I'll wait until voters have actually cleaned HOUSE. n/t

[MadHound]

17. Umm, we could always stop these wars for oil and empire,

And divert that money to helping out the people of this country.

Oh, wait, that makes too much sense. Never mind.

[jody]

22. Agree but our macho presidents ignore the wisdom of your statement. n/t

[City Lights]

18. Cut the defense, err, the offense budget. nt

[jody]

23. Agree and to start bring our troops home as quickly as safety will allow. n/t

[joe black]

36. Get out of two wars.

Might save some money there.

[totodeinhere]

3. I'm opposed to this.

$25 might not seem like much money to some people but if you're hungry at least it will feed you for a day or too. I hope they don't eliminate it.

[TK421]

15. that buys a lot of ramen noodles and TV dinners...but what the fuck would THEY know

about that?

[burnsei sensei]

5. Every 25 dollars taken

is 25 dollars stolen from the people.
Idiots and cowards. All of them.

[conspirator]

6. Meet the new boss ... n/t

[raccoon]

33. Durn, you beat me to the post! nt

[damntexdem]

7. They never learn: adulterate the bill, and the GOP will still screw them.

Dem pols need to pay attention to the nation's needs, not the GOP's screeds.

[TriMera]

8. Or...

they could just end a war or two.:shrug:

[LWolf]

9. Take money from those least able to survive.

Senate Democrats who would do such a thing don't deserve our votes.

In my opinion.

[mdmc]

11. cowards

the opposite of working class heros..

[Donnachaidh]

12. hey - the consequences will be felt by THEM in November

Someone should remind these IDIOTS that unemployed people have the TIME to vote. WTF are they thinking?

[Obamanaut]

37. Incumbents who seek reelection will be successful at about a 90%

rate. They know that the majority of voters vote for "the name you know", so they don't worry a whole lot.

[Catherina]

13. Say it ain't so!

This new party wants to represents yuppies and upper middle class white collar workers only.

The rest of us are only invited to the voting booth on election day, not to the parties.

[Autumn]

24. They can invite me all they want., I don't go

where I'm not wanted. If they do this,Screw them.

[Arkana]

19. Goddamnit, tell me this is NOT an idea that is going to gain any traction.

[TK421]

25. I wish I could say it isn't, but then I would be lying n.t

[TheKentuckian]

28. The 90's Republicans called they want their philosophy back

The difference in the parties seems closer and closer to turds vs. diarrhea.

Good solid turds is definitely better than a bad case of the runs but both have to be flushed or the stink well be unbearable and the chance of illness is high.

[Hubert Flottz]

30. I thought the democrats had learned that you can't make deals with terrorists

How about we reduce congress's pay and perks?

[marmar]

31. "easier to swallow for lawmakers worried about deficit spending"

How f**king stupid are these people? ..... What's "deficit spending" going to look like when people have no money to spend to generate tax revenue? Who is passing the crack pipe on Capitol Hill?

[ProSense]

32. " an extra $25 a week in unemployment benefits, part of the economic stimulus legislation"

The stimulus bill has been doing a lot of good, and they're considering cutting it?

That's stupid.

[tranche]

38. DiFi, "how long do you continue before people just don't want to go back to work at all?"

[Hugabear]

39. Why not just round up the unemployed and shove them into concentration camps?

I'm sure many pukes, people like Neil Boortz, would love that idea. Actually, Boortz has suggested that very idea, turning abandoned military bases into "camps" for the unemployed and poor.

[PBS Poll-435]

40. First we had "LovinLife", now we have "LovesLife"

Awesome.

[Rex]

41. The working poor always suffer and can barely make it working

the night shift at Wendys! And the rich (Congress) they expect people, who are more destitute then a Wendy's worker to take away that persons job for next to nothing!? Rich people suck, but hey they write the laws so what can ya do!?

[hobbit709]

43. How about they cut their pay 25% first to show how it's done.

When it comes to belt tightening they should lead by example.
You didn't see them vote down their raises.