republicans....Going Back on the Deal

[spanone]

Last year, Republicans refused to renew unemployment benefits unless the high-end Bush-era tax cuts were preserved. After the White House agreed to keep the tax cuts through 2012, they agreed to extend federal jobless benefits through 2011. Now, they want to renege.

The House Ways and Means Committee, on a strict Republican vote, recently passed a bill to let states use federal jobless money for other purposes, including tax cuts for business. This is a very bad idea at a time when the national jobless rate is 9 percent, and higher than that in 22 states. The $31 billion in yet to be paid federal benefits is desperately needed.

State unemployment benefits end after six months. Federal benefits, which average $293 a week, then kick in. In better times six months may be a reasonable period to expect a laid-off worker to find another job. But not these days. Right now, more than four million families depend on extended federal benefits to get by.

The bill would let states use the federal jobless money to pay debt that would otherwise have to be paid by raising business taxes. In particular, the bill could get businesses off the hook for increases that will be needed to repay $41 billion in federal loans that states took to cover shortfalls in their unemployment funds.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/opinion/16mon1.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

[malaise]

1. You don't make deals with ReTHUGS

They can't even spell integrity

[spanone]

2. how ANYONE votes for these creatures is beyond me

[atreides1]

4. It's simple

God and guns...simple issues for simpletons!

[Angry Dragon]

3. Liars

[DenverDad]

5. The fact that it came to

tax-cuts for the wealthy in exchange for unemployment benefits for the needy is all we need to know about them. If that campaign ad doesn't write itself, then someone's not trying very hard.

[Javaman]

6. I don't think anyone could have anticipated this!

:sarcasm:

fool me once, ah shame on, ah me. fool me twice, ah, I can't get fooled again!

I dream of a world where dems kick ass, repukes come to their senses and the religious nuts have to pay taxes.

[haikugal]

7. This is a good example of why I think the two party

system is total BS. I'm totally disillusioned and fed up by the Democratic party and this president.