Unemployment extensions - 99ers - Any Updates?

[helpme2010]

Like many others, my unemployment extensions will be running out next month. I know it is a little early for the politicians to begin bringing this up, but I am wondering if anyone has any updates on legislation, media conversations, etc.

I am really scared as the GOP is harping big time on making cuts to the budget in many areas, so I have the feeling this is leading up to them not wanting to offer any extensions to the unemployed, especially 99ers.

[SunshineGal]

I don't see it happening...sorry. Mine ran out a year ago so I do feel your pain.

[OhioFiler]

Extending unemployment indefinitely turns it into what we have historically referred to as welfare. Unemployment insurance was never intended to pay beyond a relatively short term.

[daylate]

I feel for you but I think you should prepare for the worse. The Republicans aren't likely to okay it and since they control the House it doesn't look good in my opinion. But maybe they'll wrangle a new tax break for millionaires to offset the cost. Hang in there.

[daylate]

Extending unemployment indefinitely turns it into what we have historically referred to as welfare. Unemployment insurance was never intended to pay beyond a relatively short term.

Some things are better left unsaid-like the above and what I'd really like to say in response.

[houston7]

Some things are better left unsaid-like the above and what I'd really like to say in response.

Agreed. It's extremely rich when someone who is filing or has filed bankruptcy is looking down their nose at people who are collecting unemployment. Of course, I read on other forums where unemployed people look down their noses at people who have filed bankruptcy. You just can't make this stuff up.

[OhioFiler]

Some things are better left unsaid-like the above and what I'd really like to say in response.

Why was my post "better left unsaid"? Why is what you'd really like to say also better off unsaid? Are we to a point in our culture where it's best to ignore the truth? What exactly in my post was anything but true, direct and worthy of public discourse?

[OhioFiler]

Agreed. It's extremely rich when someone who is filing or has filed bankruptcy is looking down their nose at people who are collecting unemployment. Of course, I read on other forums where unemployed people look down their noses at people who have filed bankruptcy. You just can't make this stuff up.

Are you projecting your feelings onto my post? Believe me, I don't look down my nose at anyone. I do deal in the truth however. Do you have an aversion to the truth?

Relying on unemployment payments long term is not a wise strategy. The liberal line here seems to be the evil Republicans won't continue to extend this form of welfare. Given that expectation, I would think one using this public assistance program would be more interested in establishing a new strategy for income and not wondering if an extension may or may not be forthcoming.

If my post is the one comment that jars the OP into seeking a different source of income and he has such source in place when/if Congress ends these extensions I will be satisfied that I played a small role in helping him. Of course I could have simply added to the discussion by offering a few empathetic comments and felt good about myself for how I feel toward people down on their luck.

[discouraged]

It is easy to say that the OP should 'have something in play' when you are working. For those of us who have become unemployed in this economy - it is a nightmare. I have worked since I was 16 - 46 years ago. I was laid off October 2008 and since then have only been able to find 2 temporary positions with a much lower pay scale than I was making. I - and I know helpme also - look for and apply for jobs each and every day, not even taking week-ends off, as we would if we were working.

It is not OUR fault that the economy went to h--- in a handbasket. We were dedicated employees that got sandblasted when there was downsizing due to the economy. For me, it is my age and the fact that I was making a decent salary that comes into play. For the few interviews I've had, I assure the HR rep that my concern is not financial gains as much as woring and being a productive member of society. So far that has not worked for me.

I cannot change either my age or the salary I was making. I am hoping that employers will see that in taking the 2 temporary jobs, I am willing and able to work and the salary did not deter me from doing a good job.

Both of those jobs would have loved to hire me but in each case there was a hiring freeze and they could only hire a temporary for a certain amount of time.

Does this mean I have nothing in place? What exactly do you think I should do, OhioFiler? And saying I should start my own business is a cop-out. If I do not have the money to pay my bills, I certainly do not have the money to start a business.

Hey - if you can help us get jobs, let's hear it. As I said to each of the collection folks - any jobs where you work? If there are and I'm employed, I will certainly pay you. Unfortunately, they had no advice for me. Maybe you do.

[houston7]

Are you projecting your feelings onto my post? Believe me, I don't look down my nose at anyone. I do deal in the truth however. Do you have an aversion to the truth?

Relying on unemployment payments long term is not a wise strategy. The liberal line here seems to be the evil Republicans won't continue to extend this form of welfare. Given that expectation, I would think one using this public assistance program would be more interested in establishing a new strategy for income and not wondering if an extension may or may not be forthcoming.

If my post is the one comment that jars the OP into seeking a different source of income and he has such source in place when/if Congress ends these extensions I will be satisfied that I played a small role in helping him. Of course I could have simply added to the discussion by offering a few empathetic comments and felt good about myself for how I feel toward people down on their luck.

Nice try with the amateur psychoanalysis.

Epic fail.

Let me point out your glass house for you, and I will even use your words.

Why didn't you seek a different source of income instead of filing bankruptcy?

[OhioFiler]

Nice try with the amateur psychoanalysis.

Epic fail.

Let me point out your glass house for you, and I will even use your words.

Why didn't you seek a different source of income instead of filing bankruptcy?

Thank you. Since you see me in a glass house when did I file bankruptcy?

Why don't you debate my amateur psychoanalysis rather than throw out nonsense?

[helpme2010]

It is easy to say that the OP should 'have something in play' when you are working. For those of us who have become unemployed in this economy - it is a nightmare. I have worked since I was 16 - 46 years ago. I was laid off October 2008 and since then have only been able to find 2 temporary positions with a much lower pay scale than I was making. I - and I know helpme also - look for and apply for jobs each and every day, not even taking week-ends off, as we would if we were working.

It is not OUR fault that the economy went to h--- in a handbasket. We were dedicated employees that got sandblasted when there was downsizing due to the economy. For me, it is my age and the fact that I was making a decent salary that comes into play. For the few interviews I've had, I assure the HR rep that my concern is not financial gains as much as woring and being a productive member of society. So far that has not worked for me.

I cannot change either my age or the salary I was making. I am hoping that employers will see that in taking the 2 temporary jobs, I am willing and able to work and the salary did not deter me from doing a good job.

Both of those jobs would have loved to hire me but in each case there was a hiring freeze and they could only hire a temporary for a certain amount of time.

Does this mean I have nothing in place? What exactly do you think I should do, OhioFiler? And saying I should start my own business is a cop-out. If I do not have the money to pay my bills, I certainly do not have the money to start a business.

Hey - if you can help us get jobs, let's hear it. As I said to each of the collection folks - any jobs where you work? If there are and I'm employed, I will certainly pay you. Unfortunately, they had no advice for me. Maybe you do.

I agree 100% with you discouraged. I didn't ask to be one of the millions who lost their jobs during the recession. I even gave up everything I had, everything (which included going bk, about to lose my house to foreclosure, my life savings, everything for a job. This included going back to college and earning my degree and graduating with honors.

I STILL CAN'T GET A F'IN JOB!!! Ohioflyer, I understand your stance with the issue, but in a situation like this when there are simply not enough jobs to go around and we are trying everyday, you can't make a statement like this about UI having to be temporary. I am pissed that the republicans fought like hell to get tax breaks for the rich and for the corporations, yet they have no sympathy for those struggling on the bottom.

I have worked for over 20 years. Even when I lost jobs in the past, I could count on unemployment help and I could tap into my savings, 401k, home equity loans, etc. to help me through those times, then save up again.

The recession changed all that. I used up every penny I had. Every creditor including home equity froze my credit lines. I will have to go to food stamps and other gov't assistance next if they don't renew unemployment.

I am sick of our country helping the wealthiest corporations, going off to yet another war, but not helping those at home. This is not welfare, until the country can get the unemployment rate down, those who are trying to find jobs need the insurance policy they paid into to help them until they find jobs again.

If you didn't lose your job for an extended period of time, you have ZERO clue what it is like to be in a hopeless situation like this.

[helpme2010]

Thank you. Since you see me in a glass house when did I file bankruptcy?

Why don't you debate my amateur psychoanalysis rather than throw out nonsense?

OhioFiler, I can tell by the way you write, that you don't mean to offend me or anyone in this post. I understand you are expressing your opinion. I don't hate you for expressing it. I used to feel the same way as you 10 years ago. But until I walked that long mile in the unemployed persons shoes, I couldn't understand what someone like this goes through and it is pure hell. I don't hate republicans, many of my friends are republicans. But I do hate republican leaders in the house and senate that can't relate to a desperate situation, because they have no clue what this is like.

Millions of new people are out of work for extended periods of time not due to any fault of their own. The government needs to help them continue to stay at the bottom poverty level for as long as it takes until they can find work. These people will spend that money, thus pumping up the economy. The wealthiest citizens and corporations do not need additional tax breaks. The theory was that if we gave them all these tax breaks, they would hire lots of new workers, but they did not, they instead hoarded the money or invested it into offshore lucrative stocks and investments.

Remember, unemployment insurance is not welfare. These people, myself included are trying as hard as hell to get back to work again. Do you think I enjoy living in poverty? Do you think I chose to lose my house that I owned and loved for 20 years so I can be unemployed? Do you think I enjoy not being able to go out and have fun, buy myself items, go on vacations, get a new car, have a normal life?

[OhioFiler]

OhioFiler, I can tell by the way you write, that you don't mean to offend me or anyone in this post. I understand you are expressing your opinion. I don't hate you for expressing it. I used to feel the same way as you 10 years ago. But until I walked that long mile in the unemployed persons shoes, I couldn't understand what someone like this goes through and it is pure hell. I don't hate republicans, many of my friends are republicans. But I do hate republican leaders in the house and senate that can't relate to a desperate situation, because they have no clue what this is like.

Millions of new people are out of work for extended periods of time not due to any fault of their own. The government needs to help them continue to stay at the bottom poverty level for as long as it takes until they can find work. These people will spend that money, thus pumping up the economy. The wealthiest citizens and corporations do not need additional tax breaks. The theory was that if we gave them all these tax breaks, they would hire lots of new workers, but they did not, they instead hoarded the money or invested it into offshore lucrative stocks and investments.

Remember, unemployment insurance is not welfare. These people, myself included are trying as hard as hell to get back to work again. Do you think I enjoy living in poverty? Do you think I chose to lose my house that I owned and loved for 20 years so I can be unemployed? Do you think I enjoy not being able to go out and have fun, buy myself items, go on vacations, get a new car, have a normal life?

Unemployment insurance is a crutch and many people learn to live on it so long as they can receive it. That does not include everyone. However, endless monthly payments from the government regardless what we label it are welfare payments. The only obvious difference from traditional welfare is unemployment payments are directed to people who would be considered middle class by most definitions. Many in this group want to resist the label of "welfare recipient" as the term has a negative connotation historically. I don't use it in a negative way here, simply factually.

Congress spent nearly $1,000,000,000 on a so called stimulus plan designed to create jobs. It failed because government can't create jobs outside itself (i.e hire more bureaucrats). It is the private sector who create jobs. Whether one likes wealthy people or large corporations the truth is these are the job creators along with the small business owner. Relying on the government to solve this problem is creating an unsustainable debt load with nearly zero tangible results.

I wish you well on your job search.

[helpme2010]

Thanks ohioflyer, I agree with part of your post, but disagree with the crutch and welfare comment. Welfare is entirely different as it applies to those that do not work. Lets say you are 22 and have 2 children and go on welfare, then have another child.

Unemployment insurance is for those that WANT to work and HAVE worked, yet can't find a job. I understand if we had a 5% unemployment rate and someone simply does not want to find work, but remember, we are in a massive recession. We are not 9%, we are 17.5% or higher (this is the true unemployment amount). This means millions of people are not going to be able to find a job. So we can either turn them out to the street, hope they can move in with relatives if this option exists, move into a YMCA, or whatever is left for them.

Now the president just announced we are going into a 3rd war. So now we are going to spend billions more with a Libya conflict. Sure it's much smaller than the other 2 wars. And hopefully we don't put any ground troops in and hopefully other countries carry their weight. But we were also told Iraq would be a cakewalk and look what happened.

So lets neglect our own citizens and instead get involved with another 3rd world country that we don't belong in.

I hope our government fights as hard for our own citizens next month as they do for the citizens of other countries.