70,000 more Americans cut off from unemployment insurance

The National Employment Law Project is reporting that another 70,000 Americans will be cut off from unemployment insurance next month. Already – nearly half a million Americans have lost their unemployment benefits this year thanks to austerity measures demanded by Republicans in Congress – and rubber-stamped by Democrats and President Obama – that cut unemployment insurance down from 99 weeks to 79 weeks in states that haven’t seen their unemployment situations get worse. That even includes states like Florida, Nevada, and Illinois that all have unemployment rates above the national average.

So what does this mean? Aside from the moral crisis of pushing families into desperation – it’s also bad for the economy as money is being taken out of the hands of Americans who would normally spend it and stimulate the economy. Republicans have been pushing policies that will crash the economy – just so they have a better chance at beating President Obama in November. And unfortunately Democrats are letting them get away with it.

Comments

leighmf's picture
leighmf 14 years 13 weeks ago
#1

I say we're being groomed as a future member of the Commonwealth.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 14 years 13 weeks ago
#2

"And unfortunately Democrats are letting them get away with it."

Is it because the Democrats are "powerless" to do anything about it or are they (the Democrats) part of the charade of the ruling elite to keep us ever futilely hopeful that one day change may shift to our favor so that we don't all get more physical against them?

It's the game they (the rich) are playing against the rest of us so that we don't resort to violence en masse. In other words...elections are nothing but a rigged game against the dupes who believe it matters.

Rodger97321's picture
Rodger97321 13 years 47 weeks ago
#3

Now can see more clearly why B.O. went along with the 20-week reduction so quietly.

The numbers (U3) have continued to omit those who reached their 79 weeks - giving a false reduced reading, but one that they are happy to pretend is a meaningful measurement of progress.

It's the simple explanation for why when there are fewer jobs created than new job-seekers the unemployment rate still manages to be reported as having dropped.

This kind of shennanigans requires cynical, long-term planning and a callous disregard for the additional millions that continue to be abused by this Administration and Congress - just for the sake of election-year politics.

How many meals have those in charge missed because they were working so commitedly to reduce the number of meals that would be missed by those unemployed due to circumstances beyond their control?

Yeah, even pre-schoolers can count that high.

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