Unemployment Benefits were extended 5 times, 'no strings attached. But now ...

[Cigar]

http://www.epi.org/files/page/-/img/20081022snapshot600.jpg



When George W. Bush was president, noted Labor Secretary Thomas Perez on Jim Lehrer’s PBS show last week, unemployment benefits were extended five times, “no strings attached any of those times.” So as long as it was a Republican president under whom their constituents were out of work, they were happy to vote to extend the benefits. The last extension under Bush, in late 2008, passed 368-28 in the House of Representatives. Remember, this was with no “pay-fors,” in the argot. This vote took place a month before Election Day, which may have partly motivated 142 Republicans to vote for it with only the real hard-shellers going against it.

Now let’s move forward to 2010. We have a new president from a different party. The economy is struggling. The Republicans of course haven’t exactly been supportive of Barack Obama’s agenda, but on this one, they’re ready to agree. All but one. Jim Bunning, then a GOP senator from Kentucky, insisted that he wasn’t against extending such benefits, but he was against increasing the deficit by a few billion bucks.

But even then, the Senate GOP leadership wasn’t with Bunning. I remember that time well. Bunning had a few defenders among his colleagues, but basically, his position was seen as extreme by Democrats and even many or possibly most Republicans. Bunning finally got the message after a couple of weeks of antics—which included him whining that his noble filibuster against helping the nation’s jobless was preventing him from watching an important Kentucky Wildcats basketball game—and relented.

But what was considered extreme and nutty then is standard operating procedure today. A key development here was Rand Paul saying a couple of weeks ago that benefits beyond 26 weeks just make people lazy. That unleashed the right-wing id. In addition to that, of course, there’s the standing GOP House opposition to anything with Obama’s name on it. And this is how radical becomes normal.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/13/the-fight-over-unemployment-benefits-underscores-the-right-s-extremism.html



Not only is this cruel, it will hurt the economy, as extending unemployment benefits is very stimulative to the economy.

The 'bang for the buck' is $1.64 for every dollar of benefits.

[Codename Section]

Did I not say that Bush was a progressive?

Again, if he had a (D) over his name you dudes would love him. He's Obama and then some.

[MrJimmyDale]

How long should you be able to draw UE? 18 months is long enough time to find work. I would cap it at that and put a lifetime max of 36 months of UE benefits.

[jillian]

Did I not say that Bush was a progressive?

Again, if he had a (D) over his name you dudes would love him. He's Obama and then some.

except he isn't a progressive...wasn't a progressive.

and no... none of us would love anyone who is a neocon and supports the agenda of the radical religious right.

until this group of wingnuts no one ever questioned unemployment insurance.

[keymanjim]

How long should you be able to draw UE? 18 months is long enough time to find work. I would cap it at that and put a lifetime max of 36 months of UE benefits.
As long as they keep voting democrat.

[MrJimmyDale]

As long as they keep voting democrat. :)

[nathanbforrest45]

Tell me something please since I don't quite understand the logic here. On the one hand you have millions out of work and in dire need of unemployment benefits while on the other we are told people are working two and three jobs to make ends meet. If they can find three jobs why can't the unemployed dude find one?

[Codename Section]

except he isn't a progressive...wasn't a progressive.

and no... none of us would love anyone who is a neocon and supports the agenda of the radical religious right.

until this group of wingnuts no one ever questioned unemployment insurance.

Yehhhh, sure. If he were a pagan or a Muslim with (D) in front you'd love him. :D It's only because he were one of dem dar Chrishuns that his policies don't make you happy.

15 BILLION in aid to Africa for HIV after Bono talked to him.
Expanded Medicaid
Expanded Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Increased the $$ for Education

Here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/11/1082539/-Bush-s-Progressive-Accomplisments-Or-why-your-List-of-Obama-s-Accomplishments-Don-t-Convince-Me


So, without further ado, here's my quick list of 50 Progressive Accomplishments of President George W. Bush:1. Increased the budget for the Dept. of Education
2. Designated three huge new marine preserve
3. Cut taxes on the poor
4. Cut taxes on the middle class
5. Increased money for Medicare
6. Signed McCain-Feingold into law
7. Increased aid to Africa
8. Steered us through the aftermath of 9/11
9. Rebounded from the post-9/11 recession
10. Kept interest rates low, helping lower-income borrowers
11. Did more than any president before him to measure, track, and invest in the achievement of black and Latino children.
12. Advocated the importance of human dignity and freedom from repression
13. Increased spending on Federal Government programs by 68%
14. Increased help for rural farmers
15. Increased government spending on healthcare 44%
16. Increased spending on education by 47%
17. Helped seniors pay for prescription drugs
18. Never claimed the president has the power to assassinate American Citizens without any judicial review
19. Teamed up with Ted Kennedy on No Child Left Behind
20. More than doubled funding for poor schools
21. Raised scores on standardized tests overall
22. Lessened the achievement gap among whites and minorities on standardized tests
23. Didn't go to war with hundreds of countries, including Iran or North Korea
24. Improved information-sharing across agencies
25. Set the timetable for exiting Iraq, which was then followed by the next president
26. Iran didn't get a nuclear weapon under Bush, despite not invading Iran
27. Spent new aid money specifically to fight Aids/HIV, Malaria, and TB across the world
28. Led a bipartisan coalition, with the support of Democratic Senator John Kerry, to create a program called the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
29. Took a diplomatic lead in Sudan and secured a north-south peace agreement
30. Did not privatize Social Security
31. Deported fewer illegal immigrants than his successor
32. Immigration proposal supported by Democrats
33. Increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which purchases development rights or land in environmentally sensitive areas
34. Did not rescind Clinton's directive requiring manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and buses to reduce diesel emissions by more than 90 percent and refiners to reduce sulfur in diesel fuel by 97 percent, to 15 ppm.
35. Embraced a Clinton initiative to subsidize cleanup of "abandoned" urban toxic sites
36. Sought $4.9 Billion for national parks
37. "Clear Skies" initiative, which requires reductions of 70 percent in emissions of three of the worst air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury) by 2018.
38. Allocated about $1.8 billion for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation Cleanup in Washington State
39. signed a treaty under which the United States will share civil nuclear fuel and technology with India.
40. Economic Stimulus Act of 2008
41. The Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002
42. Signed The Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, co-authored by Democrat Ron Wyden
43. Signed the do-not-call Implementation Act
44. Signed the PROTECT Act of 2003 (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act)
45. Signed the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, the first United States federal law passed dealing with the sexual assault of prisoners, co-authored by Ted Kennedy, Diane Feinstein and Dick Durbin, and supported by Human Rights Watch.
46. Signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59; SAFETEA-LU) is a funding and authorization bill that governs United States federal surface transportation spending
47. Signed the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which includes more disclosures to workers about the performance of their pensions and extends contribution limits to 401(k)'s
48. Appropriated money for Katrina disaster relief
49. Raised Federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour

50. Signed The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 which contained a new tax credit for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and extended existing tax credits for renewable energy initiatives, including cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel development, and wind, solar, geothermal and hydro-electric power

[Cigar]

How long should you be able to draw UE? 18 months is long enough time to find work. I would cap it at that and put a lifetime max of 36 months of UE benefits.

Ok so let's take this really slow ... because I'd like to know which way the Conservatives a flip-flopping today ...

One day you Cons say The Jobs situation is horrible and that there's NO Jobs.

Then the next day, there's pleanty of Jobs, it's just that those Lazy 47% aren't looking.

In reality, there's 3 to 4 Jobs for every 1 person looking.

So ... what's the swing today?

[MrJimmyDale]

Ok so let's take this really slow ... because I'd like to know which way the Conservatives a flip-flopping today ... One day you Cons say The Jobs situation is horrible and that there's NO Jobs. Then the next day, there's pleanty of Jobs, it's just that those Lazy 47% aren't looking. In reality, there's 3 to 4 Jobs for every 1 person looking. So ... what's the swing today? I've actually said neither........I don't think the problem is that there are no jobs. I think any able bodied man that has not worked for 2 years does not really want to work. My comment was asking you a (what I thought) was a reasonable question. Didn't mean to pee in you and Jill's Wheaties!