Unemployment benefits extension nixed for nearly 1 million

[Celtic Rose]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Nearly a million people have lost their unemployment benefits because the Senate failed for the third time Thursday to extend the deadline to file for this safety net.

Hoping to overcome deficit concerns, the Senate trimmed down the bill yet again on Wednesday night so that it would only increase the deficit by $33.3 billion over 10 years, instead of $55.1 billion. The main changes were to scale back additional Medicaid funding for the states and to reallocate some stimulus and Defense Department spending.

The legislation failed by a 57-41 vote.

More at link http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/24/news/economy/senate_unemployment_benefits/index.htm?section=money_latest

[thundley4]

It pisses me off that the headlines in so many places blame the GOP. There was more in this bill than just the unemployment benefits, too.  Alos, there is still several hundred billion dollars left unspent from last years Porkulous Stimulus bill. Why not use that money instead of borrowing more from the Chinese?

[Carl]

It pisses me off that the headlines in so many places blame the GOP. There was more in this bill than just the unemployment benefits, too.  Alos, there is still several hundred billion dollars left unspent from last years Porkulous Stimulus bill. Why not use that money instead of borrowing more from the Chinese?

O will need to pay off the unions with that money as the fall elections get closer.

[JohnnyReb]

"I ain't looking for no job as long as they keep extending my unemployment checks."

That's the general statement of three fellows I see around town.....Well fellows, better get out and start beating the bushes, the best of the jobs are probably already gone.

....and didn't Me-shell say, "We're all going to have to work." They all thought she was talking about campaigning to get Obama elected, they didn't know she actually meant "WORK" as in "GET A JOB".

[bkg]

entitlements need to be cut... period.

[formerlurker]

The states are royally screwed over this.    MA alone had to cut $700 million because the messiah didn't come through.   Scott Brown is being blamed, and of course the press here is ignoring the fact that 3 democratic members of the senate didn't support this.   

Lots of painful cuts in the states for FY11.   

[bkg]

The states are royally screwed over this.    MA alone had to cut $700 million because the messiah didn't come through.   Scott Brown is being blamed, and of course the press here is ignoring the fact that 3 democratic members of the senate didn't support this.   

Lots of painful cuts in the states for FY11.   

It's not the Fed gov'ts role to fund unemployment... States are getting screwed by their complacency and captitulation...

[formerlurker]

It's not the Fed gov'ts role to fund unemployment... States are getting screwed by their complacency and captitulation...

My comments have nothing to do with unemployment. 

[cavegal]

O will need to pay off the unions with that money as the fall elections get closer.

you forgot he has to pay illegals too!!! After all he does need the votes in November.

[bkg]

My comments have nothing to do with unemployment. 

The states are royally screwed over this.

Yup.. sure.. makes total sense.

[formerlurker]

Yup.. sure.. makes total sense.

 


Thanks for demonstrating yet once again you are nothing more than a headline reader.    This bill contains more than just extension of unemployment.      Extension of FMAP, which is what Obama has been promising states since January has failed.   Only a handful of states wrote budgets without FMAP revenue.    These states are now shell shocked, although they shouldn't be as the GOP has been warning them for a year now it will not be funded again.   

The states already bleeding out, will be coding out for FY11.     The cuts will be severe.   Tens of thousands of state and municipal employees will be laid off.

The Democrats are blaming the GOP.   The GOP better start making a very good presentation to their constituents laying the blame where it belongs.   

Mid-term elections will be the ugliest we have seen in a while. 

[rich_t]

Tens of thousands of state and municipal employees will be laid off.

Probably way too many of them on the payroll to begin with.

[NHSparky]

Probably way too many of them on the payroll to begin with.

Frankly, they should have been the FIRST to go, not Joe Six-Pack.  Porkulus only funded unions and government employees, and everyone knew even that was a temporary measure.

[vesta111]

Frankly, they should have been the FIRST to go, not Joe Six-Pack.  Porkulus only funded unions and government employees, and everyone knew even that was a temporary measure.

Give me a break here Sparky, we need State employees in critical positions.

State police to keep an eye on the cops running small towns.------Remember the Danish Health Spa in Maine, what, 25 years of running a prostitution business that was well known in 3 states but for some reason the cops in town knew nothing about it.  The city Council was unaware of this as were the 5 churches in that town.
 
Then the State workers that build or repair our bridges and there are hundreds of them in this area alone.  If the work is contracted out, the cost will be twice as much. If the work by private company's is sub standard the cost goes out of sight.

What to do with our prisons, and County lock ups.?  Our lock up's are full of non violent offenders awaiting trial for things such as having a pipe on them, or having a few seeds on the floor mat of their car.  So while the really violent people are incarcerated with some very mellow people, the guards to control the prison population is cut down.

Running a prison is like running a ZOO, all inhabitants are behind bars, they must be fed a diet to keep them alive-- they must have space to move around in, they need clean clothing and tooth paste.  All this delivered by State workers.

The Judges and State attorneys are a must, So where do we cut out any of the needed things to keep society safe.?

[rich_t]

Not all state employees are in critical positions.  In fact, most are NOT.

[thundley4]

Give me a break here Sparky, we need State employees in critical positions.

Apparently most states don't think think we do.  Every single time that there is a budget crisis, the first things mentioned for layoffs are cops and teachers.  They never mention cutting welfare or other state workers.  States will fund the leaders pet projects/friends projects and then say that they need money for the truly critical areas of the budget.


In Illinois, the teachers pension fund is in deep shit because of guaranteed retirement benefits. In some cases their retirement packages are worth more than they ever made as a teacher.

[formerlurker]

Frankly, they should have been the FIRST to go, not Joe Six-Pack.  Porkulus only funded unions and government employees, and everyone knew even that was a temporary measure.

Actually medicaid reimbursement heavily funds human services -- which are services for the legitimately disabled (significant medically fragile and/or cognitively impaired).   Deval Patrick, while keeping his cronies on the payroll, gutted the services of these disabled adults.  Many losing their homes.  It disgusts me to the core. 

The severely disabled -- the ones I have no issue taking care of; the ones we should have a safety net for;   cannot vote.   Therefore they are the first to get cut.   The cuts are devastating.   

Patrick is a POS, who better be a one term POS.     Human Services (I sit on one of their regional boards) was flabbergasted last January when the Governor released his budget with the FMAP revenue numbers in it.   We all knew it wasn't coming this year.   He never planned for it not coming, and will make the most vulnerable of our citizens pay for it dearly.   

Just nauseates me to no end. 

[NHSparky]

Okay, but when nearly 2/3 of the gas taxes and highway tolls in this state (which are supposed to go ONLY for road construction and maintenance) go to the general fund, that's a problem.  When Concord (or any state) holds a figurative gun to the head by telling us we better approve these new fees, taxes, etc., or there won't be any cops or firemen when we need them, I say tough shit.  One GOOD thing this state does is PUBLISH state and local government employees salaries in the paper--not just salary, but TOTAL COMPENSATION.

Kind of hard to justify "fer the childrens!" when the only people making into six-figures in my town are the school ADMINISTRATORS.

Oh, and vesta?  You WANT that road construction contracted out, and done by a fair bidding process.  Know what happens when it isn't?  Take a look down south towards Boston.  Yeah, that was a real great job they did--only 10X what it was originally projected to cost, two decades late, and shit falling off that was killing people as soon as it opened.

What a great job they did, huh?

NH is in for a rude awakening--the state government spends per capita more than DOUBLE what California does.  That can't last.

[RobJohnson]

I'm happy to see the extenstion not being passed.

I know too many on umemploment that wont take a job for less they were used to earning as long as they can still get unemployment. Maybe these folks will start to look for a job and get off their ass?

[formerlurker]

Okay, but when nearly 2/3 of the gas taxes and highway tolls in this state (which are supposed to go ONLY for road construction and maintenance) go to the general fund, that's a problem.  When Concord (or any state) holds a figurative gun to the head by telling us we better approve these new fees, taxes, etc., or there won't be any cops or firemen when we need them, I say tough shit.  One GOOD thing this state does is PUBLISH state and local government employees salaries in the paper--not just salary, but TOTAL COMPENSATION.

Kind of hard to justify "fer the childrens!" when the only people making into six-figures in my town are the school ADMINISTRATORS.

Oh, and vesta?  You WANT that road construction contracted out, and done by a fair bidding process.  Know what happens when it isn't?  Take a look down south towards Boston.  Yeah, that was a real great job they did--only 10X what it was originally projected to cost, two decades late, and shit falling off that was killing people as soon as it opened.

What a great job they did, huh?

NH is in for a rude awakening--the state government spends per capita more than DOUBLE what California does.  That can't last.

The far majority of school administrators are PhDs.    Their salary range should be 110K+.   

There is a lot of waste in state government.  Too many hack jobs.  That said, when cuts like this come down it is rarely the waste or the hacks that are affected. 

[NHSparky]

The far majority of school administrators are PhDs.    Their salary range should be 110K+.   

There is a lot of waste in state government.  Too many hack jobs.  That said, when cuts like this come down it is rarely the waste or the hacks that are affected. 

Okay, what of the policemen with (maybe) two-year degrees who make over 100K on OT, or pile up the sick time and sell it back to the city so their last year pay (and subsequent retirement) is pushing 200K?

Someone mentioned unfunded liability--since when are you supposed to make MORE in retirement at age 55 than you did when you were working?

Greece, here we come.

[formerlurker]

Okay, what of the policemen with (maybe) two-year degrees who make over 100K on OT, or pile up the sick time and sell it back to the city so their last year pay (and subsequent retirement) is pushing 200K?

Someone mentioned unfunded liability--since when are you supposed to make MORE in retirement at age 55 than you did when you were working?

Greece, here we come.

There is waste in state government - MA being one of the most corrupt in the union.

[seabelle]

I'm happy to see the extenstion not being passed.

I know too many on umemploment that wont take a job for less they were used to earning as long as they can still get unemployment. Maybe these folks will start to look for a job and get off their ass?

Exactly.  Would you hire someone who sat on their able-bodied ass for 6 months, or however long they suck at the gov't teat ?

Or would you hire the guy who goes out and gets 2 or 3 jobs?

Then again, which one will be voting for Barry in 2012? 

[rich_t]

What about folks like me, that have been diligently looking for work, but none to be found in my career field (telecommunications/network engineering), in my area?  Hell, I've been applying all over the state, as moving if I have to is fine.  I have also applied to out of state positions.  But thanks to corporate outsoursing to countries like India and the Phillipines there are a shitload of unemployed engineers and techs out there competing for damn few jobs.

I was lucky enough to get a job on a short term contract from Oct 09 - Mar 10, but once that contract ran out, I was back looking for a job.

I have spent $ out of my own pocket for industry certification bootcamps since I was 1st laid off.

I have spent $ out of my own pocket to go to truck driving school to get my class A CDL in the hopes of getting a local driving job.

I've even been applying for warehouse positions, janatorial etc....
I have applied at places like Krogers and Walmart for any posiitons they might have; stocking shelves, cashier etc...

Guess what?  I'm over qualified and can't even get an interview at places that do have such job openings.  So just because somebody has been unemployed for a long time, don't be too damn quick to assume it's because they are lazy and just sitting back until the unemployment well runs dry.

Some of you that are currently fortunate enough to still have a job, just might end up on the unemployed rolls yourself if the idiots in DC don't stop ****ing up the economy.  Then sit back and be told how lazy you are for not finding a job.

[IassaFTots]

What about folks like me, that have been diligently looking for work, but none to be found in my career field (telecommunications/network engineering), in my area?  Hell, I've been applying all over the state, as moving if I have to is fine.  I have also applied to out of state positions.  But thanks to corporate outsoursing to countries like India and the Phillipines there are a shitload of unemployed engineers and techs out there competing for damn few jobs.

I was lucky enough to get a job on a short term contract from Oct 09 - Mar 10, but once that contract ran out, I was back looking for a job.

I have spent $ out of my own pocket for industry certification bootcamps since I was 1st laid off.

I have spent $ out of my own pocket to go to truck driving school to get my class A CDL in the hopes of getting a local driving job.

I've even been applying for warehouse positions, janatorial etc....
I have applied at places like Krogers and Walmart for any posiitons they might have; stocking shelves, cashier etc...

Guess what?  I'm over qualified and can't even get an interview at places that do have such job openings.  So just because somebody has been unemployed for a long time, don't be too damn quick to assume it's because they are lazy and just sitting back until the unemployment well runs dry.

Some of you that are currently fortunate enough to still have a job, just might find yourself on the unemployed rolls yourself if the idiots in DC don't stop ****ing up the economy.  Then sit back and be told how lazy you are for not finding a job.

Dude.  I have so been there myself.  Got laid off 9/7/01, and it took almost a year to get a job after that.  I did some side jobs, for temp agencies, and even cleaned houses.  I know your frustration, esp about the overqualified bits.  People don't want to hire you because they know the second there is a better oppty, you are out the door.   Hang in there.