Agreed Vote...

I guess we can start to give credit to MSNBC for at least including a couple sentence addressing the other side of the argument. That's a big step up although the article is still falls woefully short of a balanced peice of reporting. That's why I gave it one star. Up from the normal half star rating.

Obama saving it for the 2012 election year,to make the idiots think he has their best interest in mind. How many congress people does it take to impeach a president?

hmm yes, vote out the dem's and while your at it get rid of the republicrats, they both stink to high heaven, all you hear is how the country is going down the tubes because of deficit spending, i think the next time a war bill comes up someone should have the balls to stand up and block it, this country can't afford these wars thay add to the deficit. don't want to hear about our national security either, the war could have been done and over with in the first year if the goverment at the time wanted done.here's and idea, add up all the forgien aid of all kinds and canx it, that will help reduce the deficit and how about all the pork and the usless subsities we pay to people not to grow food or to grow certian kinds of food so we can ship it over seas and damn near give it away.lots of ways to reduce the deficit those are just a few.

As a standalone bill I am willing to bet you will now get Republican support.

Republicans and a couple Democrats were saying no to the additional unfunded spending that kept getting added to the bill.

The Republicans are just being obstructionist again. They know the economy can't get better without jobs, so they are blocking. They need America angry come election time.

McConnell's quote says it all:

"What we're not willing to do is use worthwhile programs as an excuse to burden our children and our grandchildren with an even bigger national debt than we've already got."

Jobs be damned !

Burden your children by having them give up college so that the family can survive and eat.

demitrix, I tend to agree.... the tactic of throwing a bunch of unrelated spending measures onto legislation that would pass on its own merits is pretty disgusting, and has been going on in a bipartisan manner for decades. I'd love to see the practice ended, and have each measure have to stand on its own. A debate about the merits of extending unemployment benefits once again is a pretty good debate itself pitting human compassion against bean counting. It's the democrats' trying to save the jobs of state workers, especially those despicable teachers and administrators, that has the GOP riled up. I'd like to see aid to states debated as a separate measure.

Actually, debating these things one by one leaves less hiding space for those gutless congress people who oppose legislation by claiming to be against some portion of a larger bill on the basis opposing the unrelated spending. This tactic could actually promote the democrats' agenda by reducing hiding space. But I suspect the tradition of piling-on spending to please special interests is so ingrained that the leadership won't go there.

The demise of Democrats' jobs-agenda legislation means that unemployment benefits will phase out for more than 200,000 people a week.

So, Congressional Democrats.....are you really concerned about the unemployed, or are you more concerned with the pork in the bill [teachers, police, firefighters (UNIONS) bail-out].

I would think it is the latter.

And this should not be called a JOBS BILL, rather a SECOND STIMULUS PACKAGE.

Tell the Vice President to RELEASE the remaining $ 400,000,000,000 of the first Stimulus Package ($ 787,000,000,000) and provide that money as incentives to small businesses and see what happens.

Duuuuuuuh !!!

Ido, it's not a second stimulus package.... the first one was about 1/3 tax cuts, which is not in this measure, and about 1/3 infrastructure investments, which is not in this measure, either...

joe mota

demitrix, I tend to agree.... the tactic of throwing a bunch of unrelated spending measures onto legislation that would pass on its own merits is pretty disgusting, and has been going on in a bipartisan manner for decades. I'd love to see the practice ended, and have each measure have to stand on its own. A debate about the merits of extending unemployment benefits once again is a pretty good debate itself pitting human compassion against bean counting. It's the democrats' trying to save the jobs of state workers, especially those despicable teachers and administrators, that has the GOP riled up. I'd like to see aid to states debated as a separate measure.

Actually, debating these things one by one leaves less hiding space for those gutless congress people who oppose legislation by claiming to be against some portion of a larger bill on the basis opposing the unrelated spending. This tactic could actually promote the democrats' agenda by reducing hiding space. But I suspect the tradition of piling-on spending to please special interests is so ingrained that the leadership won't go there.

I completely agree. Republicans are just as bad at this. I wish they would vote on item by item. I am sure we would get more accomplished and in a much more partisian way.

If the Democrats actually cared about the unemployed they would have first submitted a stand alone bill instead of screwing with hundreds of thousands of lives.

demitrix: A little off-topic, but I wanted to clarify a comment from Obama poll/Gulf crisis. Re "I hope Obam's mishandling isn't due to fact that LA has Repub Gov".. was referring to a vindictiveness that I believe the POTUS has shown previously and the hope he wasn't screwing LA over because they have Gov Jindal - a Repub. And I'm very familiar with how emergency response works and agree that the Katrina disaster mishandling was largely the fault of their previous (Dem) gov.

You write some good stuff. Just wanted to clear that up.

I have to say at least someone finally had the balls to step up and show unemployed Americans what type of opposition they are really dealing with. I give Rachel Maddow a lot of credit for exposing the ingnorance of congressman such as Senator Hatch (he publicly stated that the unemployed are using their checks for drugs) and Senator Heller (suggested the unemployed are hobos). I am still flabbergasted about how incredibile it is that these two, among other congressmen are totally ignorant of the fact that the unemployed are democrats and republicans, and they vote!!! I suspect they, as well as some other congressman will personally find out all about unemploymemt when they get voted out of office in the next election.

Perhaps this will be the beginning of passing individuals bills on their merits - something that should be happening to prevent the pork that's tacked to everything they debate. If so, it will be very clear to determine who voted for what.

That's what's nice about the You-Cut proposals. Everyone has to show their true colors, and it's published on an easily viewed site. How horrifying for the liars among our elected....!

It's time for accountability!

justthefacts-578463

demitrix: A little off-topic, but I wanted to clarify a comment from Obama poll/Gulf crisis. Re "I hope Obam's mishandling isn't due to fact that LA has Repub Gov".. was referring to a vindictiveness that I believe the POTUS has shown previously and the hope he wasn't screwing LA over because they have Gov Jindal - a Repub. And I'm very familiar with how emergency response works and agree that the Katrina disaster mishandling was largely the fault of their previous (Dem) gov.

You write some good stuff. Just wanted to clear that up.

Never a worry when I am wrong I am wrong . I appreciate reading up on other people's opinions.

""It is clear that Senate Republicans have no intention of passing any jobs legislation, whether it is tied to physician payments or not," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif."

Pathetic. Even MSNBC was calling it what is before it failed; Additional "stimulus" spending. Now that it didn't pass it is another "jobs" bill with Dems spewing their usual soundbites of "obstruction" or "anti-jobs", I'll take either one over this administration's anti-American, anti-Future wastefulness any day.

Even as a stand alone bill the Senate Republicans will find a way to bitch about it. They don't give a damn about the American people. They want the economy to be in as bad of shape as possible for the fall elections and they don't give a @!$%# how many or how badly that hurts citizens. This has nothing to do with what's right or wrong, it's about them trying for more political power. They remind me of the Senate in "The History of the World, Part One" where they all scream "@!$%# the poor" at the same time. That's today's GOP.

boba-893372

hmm yes, vote out the dem's and while your at it get rid of the republicrats, they both stink to high heaven, all you hear is how the country is going down the tubes because of deficit spending, i think the next time a war bill comes up someone should have the balls to stand up and block it, this country can't afford these wars thay add to the deficit.

Dems tried to block war funding when they gained the majority after the 2006 elections. But they failed and claimed it was because they needed a larger majority.

Now that they have damn near a super majority, why have they not cut the war funding like they promised?

Why didn't they cut war funding when they did have a fillibuster-proof super majority?

Why are the Dems consistently passing war funding bills after the b!tched about them under Bush?

Why are our troops still dying in the middle East?

Answer: because Democrats are also a party of war.

Okay Mr. Crazy, yes teh Democrats started the war, and they are trying to prolong the war so that they can keep people unemployeed. The fact that Bush Jr, was loosing an average of 700,000 jobs per month during his last 2 years of him term, was also due to the Democrats. Yes, the unemployed will become hobos of the Great Depression, and then the hobos will turn to in to drug users.

In fact, we should test every unemployeed for drug use!!! YES, lead us, Sen Orrin Hatch!!

Since, the Republican Senators seems to no understand the reason for UMPLOYEMENT INSURANCE, may I suggest that we throw their GOP A$$ out, so that they experience UEI first hand.

boba-893372: are you abc?

Deport the illegal aliens and there will be many more jobs for US citizens.

The more you help some people, the more help they need.

Everything is put off until after the November elections, but then sanity will hopefully prevail.

The idea that we can spend and tax our way to prosperity is finally being exposed as a fraud, and after the November elections, Obama will (hopefully) have to start compromising with the Republicans, like Clinton did after the 1994 elections, and we can actually get some common sense legislation passed.

As for jobless benefits, studies have shown that, as long as people can live on what the government gives them, they will put off actually looking for work, but when those payments stop, they go out and actually find a job. 99 weeks is plenty of time to find a job, if they really wanted to - it's almost 2 years. The free gravy train has to stop somewhere.

It's similar to welfare reform that was passed under a Republican Congress and signed by Clinton. There were cries of how "inhumane" it would be for 3rd & 4th generation welfare families, but the reality is that it actually worked quite well, and forced welfare moms to actually find a job.

I have said this so many times in the past, that if either party want to get something passed they need to try to only pass that item that makes sense to the American Public and to both parties. Everyone is for helping legal citizens that are out of work. What we don't want is a bunch of BS added to each Bill in an attempt to slide through legislation that shouldn't be considered in the first place. Trying to pay to keep union workers in their jobs is BS and is not the responsibility of the federal government. Plus, that was what Obama and his Democratic Congress swore the stimulus would do in the first place.

Also I think the writer got their figures messed up. I don't think they will be trying to pass a stand alone Bill for unemployment for $33 Billion when the last Bill that included a bunch of trash including $16 Billion for union workers plus the unemployment was the same amount.

What the states should be forced to do is cut their budgets to the bone and then if they cannot still pay for the needed services in their state they can implement a voter approved sales tax increase just like we did here in Arizona. The voters passed a law that increased our sales tax by 1 penny for a three year time period. Along with getting rid of our illegals and the estimated $2 billion dollars they suck up, we should be in the green within that 3 year time period.

Hey people, the party is over. I have never received unemployment in my life & somehow I survived without it. So boo hoo hoo, deal with it. 99 weeks? Are you kidding me? They say it takes 21 days to start or break a habit. That unemployment seems to have become a serious habit or even a way of life for some. You wean a kid at what, a year? If a 1 year old can be weaned & live to tell about it, I would venture to guess a 20-50 year old is capable of doing the same.

Republicans and Democrats are both to blame for the awful state of the country, if you do not see this, then you are totally blind or have been brainwashed by the powers that be (Big Business). As for people not getting jobs because of unemployment benefits, that is the most ignorant statement that could be made about your fellow countrymen (or do you believe you are of a higher class of people and dont consider us 1 country, but seperate classes, sounds kinda like the olden days of the feudal system to me). I encourage any one of you to contact me and see how I apply at 10 places a day, usually with the qoute "we are not hiring right now, but we will keep this on file). Do any of you have family or friends (I doubt friends because callous, greedy, selfish people usually find it hard to have friends) work at any Goverment agencies that will be effected by this? What happens when the economy goes even farther south than it already is? (More than half of financial experts agree that this is going to do severe damage to the economy in the long run) Are your jobs safe? I hope you dont get to close to any of your neighbors with this kind of attitude, because chances are one or more of them has or is in this situation. You might as well throw them a going away party now because chances are they will lose their houses leaving a vacant house next to you that will be the perfect place for squatters to stay. I hope you like yourselves enough to accept the inevitable trip to HELL when you pass. As Republican supporters I am very surprised none of you live by the Catholic adage that you treat the least of us the same as the rest of us. You will all get yours in the end, while the meek and lolely will inherit HEAVEN. Again, if any of you uppity folks want to meet and discuss this further, please contact me at NEATNEIL5@YAHOO.COM. I am waiting, but expecting none of you to actually experience the kind of life we have to lead now. In other words keep trashing us, but never walk in our shoes. As for this article having a few pro Republican statements in there, every article I have read has been the same, so maybe, just maybe that is all the argument that Republicans have, a few lines about how the Dem. suck. We need more people to solve problems instead of the Rep. way of pointing out problems with no talk of solution. The finger pointing has got to stop or this country will see a revolution again

The only layoffs the fed has prevented to date are thoe of union workers, mostly government workers that produce nothing but paper. The government workers have the best benefit packages in the land. The rest of us pat for them, at least those of us who work.

The best thing the the government can do is scrap itself, except for the military and those areas defined by the constitution. Get rid of professional politicians. Quit trying to play god.

Govt Gravey TRAIN...

Where is it? Heck let me get on it!!! $400-$600 per month will surely help me and my family for months if not years. Heck, I got enough to cover for my health insurance, my RX, my car insurance, my car payment and my mortgage (rent). Heck, I love them soup kitchens. Them food be FREE. Damn, how do we pass them up.

Hell, if I am in the rural area, I move into the cities. This way I can huddle up like them dressedup penguins during winter days. Heck a few outsider die off, no big deal. It sure beats workin, ya know. Why should I work? My family don't need no stinking help. My UNEMPLOYEMENT check will cover all baby.

On a more serious note: why would there be more work if the economy is depressed? The only way is to get one to dig a hole, get another to fill up the same hole. Their pay would then be put into ciruclation as they buy items. This is about a spediture cycle. What people don't understand is that a deflation is far worse than inflation. Right now there is no likeliehood of inflation. However a deflation is becoming more and more real.

John, the unemployed get every day.

Obviously, im4me, your still employed. Try $300/week to feed a family of 5. Don't forget to add heat, morgage or rent, and doctor bills. As for days off, try filling out 10-15 applications a day at different locations trying to find a job. Then ask yourself if you have had a day off.

I guess that stimulus money didn't "save" your job, redwings.

At least you give indication that you would rather have a real job than leach off the taxpayers like them bloodsucking Liberals.

Go work for the gubbermint. I hear they're hiring.

Get back to work, you still have to work off the $100 to get this job. Else you'll be joing other whiners in the Unemployement line.

redwing, you misinterpret me. Johnluci was complaining he only gets one day off for the 4th. I responded by saying unemployed people get every day off.....something they don't really want. But I understand what you're saying because I am surrounded by other red wings fans who are unemployed and working their ass off to find work. Believe me, the only people who understand unemployment are those who are unemployed.

Ask your boss if you're valuable to your company... I bet everyone will say "ABSOLUTELY." I promise you approximately only 2 of 10 pull more than their weight in their perspecitve companies. I included. So I truely ANY COMPANY can reduce their staff by 50% easily without sacraficing 50% of the productivities.... So am I saying that the 80% is dead weight?, no. I am saying they are not pulling enough weight.

So for every 2-3 posts I see on newsvine, I laugh and hopes that you're working for my competitors.

I would venture a guess that a lot of people would. I think a lot of people would pay an increased tax in order to insure health care, SSI bennies, unemployment, etc. Unfortunately, as you can see from reading these message boards, our tax money isn't used to take care of us. Not only that, we the people have no control over where it's spent.

I would give up some of my money to a non-government non-profit. I do not trust the government with my money being wisely spent.

demitrix

I hear ya and agree but with the current track record of non-profits these days (administrative costs, exorbitant salaries, branching into areas outside of their stated mandate, etc.), I would have reservations with a private institution having such purview over tax payer money.

The current record of the giovernment is that donations are taxable.

Look at the new IRS rules, your charitable donations are now taxable and no longer credits.

This Congress has to go... Both Left and Right!

Boehner has to go, McConnell has to go........

You're right. Boehner has to go.

Boehner for Prez 2012!

When would Boehner have time to go to the tanning booth if he was president

Current potus has time for multiple golf outings, a game or 2 of basketball, singing in concert with Paul McCartney, a BBQ with friends, baseball game with family, staff and friends....and that was all just during the gulf coast spill.

Did you know Obam has a hearing problem? His aides told him he had to go to the gulf coast and handle the crisis.. he went to the golf course and wondered, "what crisis?"

Both left and right have to go. We'll elect the independent party from now on. Left or Right, both are working for the filthy rich. They don't care about the poor.

You call them the party of no but what have the dems done to include their ideas? Nothing... They won't even allow them to come to the floor for debate, so what other option are they left with? Don't get me wrong...the repubs are just as corrupt as the dems. Well...not as corrupt but pretty damn close.

The only problem with this argument is when the Dems tried to include suggestions and ideas from the Reps they voted against it anyway.. They've even voted against bills they supported until the Dems said yeah.. this could work. If they are going to say no regardless of what's put out the floor, then don't ask them.. Also make them actually filibuster the bill.. Stand on the floor of Congress and talk for the entire time.. I personally don't think they have the stones to do that

I think you are reffering to the jobs bill that Harry Reid changed at the last minute.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0211/Harry-Reid-scales-back-Senate-jobs-bill-reflecting-voter-anger

You can't honestly expect them to vote for something that they spent time negotiating after that two-faced b@stard Reid pulls the rug out from under them at the last minute, can you? If you spent a month negotiating the price of a house and the day before you close the seller doubles the price, would you still buy it? Hell no.

Its the same thing. It was a dirty political trick to make the repubs look bad. That's all it was. Judging by your response...it appears to have still duped some people. I see that same argument all the time. It's not your fault. It is the fault of our leaders misleading the people they are supposed to look after.

The money they tried to use was from TARP I & II, which by law had to be returned to treasury.

The stimulus money people are talking about right now is the unreleased recovery act of 2009 money. $400 billion still unreleased.

The republicans are obstructionists.

Eric-you can hate republicans all you want. It still doesnt' give you any credibility to you flimsy whining. I for one am glad the Republicans have closed the doors on Obama's constant money give away. Unfortunately in this economy, 2 years of being on unemployment is TOO LONG. Nothing motivates someone to get off their butts like being hungry and homeless.....2 years unemployment...it's time to make some changes and quit relying on everyone else to take care of you.......

Where are the dems job solutions Eric? THey don't have any. Never have. THat's why our county is in such bad shape. All they know is give away money and tax the working class.....they missed the little part of the equasion that requires jobs to be available. Obama and Pelosi and Reid have crippled this country. I can't wait until November when the elections put some balance back in congress where both parties have to work together and Obama has to start working for a living or butt the hell out!

Do you think unemployment benefit is just give away?

That is our money. We have worked hard, paid tax for a long time before qualifying for unemployment benefit. Now, economy is in the recession, there are no jobs to look for. Do you think with little money from unemployment make us lazy? NO! NO! NO!. That just barely enough for us to survive through the bad time.

If Bush and Chiney didn't start the wars and stopped corporation from sending our jobs to Asia for cheap labor then import back to US for us to consume, we've still had plenty of jobs here and won't need the unemployment benefit.

Republican party is a minority with powerful money behind this. They brought country to his knee to foreigner by bringing high technology to Asia, financing the war in Iraq with China. Republican party is all they do is to work for the powerful rich corporations.

Charie Conrad

Do you think unemployment benefit is just give away?

That is our money. We have worked hard, paid tax for a long time before qualifying for unemployment benefit. Now, economy is in the recession, there are no jobs to look for. Do you think with little money from unemployment make us lazy? NO! NO! NO!. That just barely enough for us to survive through the bad time.

If Bush and Chiney didn't start the wars and stopped corporation from sending our jobs to Asia for cheap labor then import back to US for us to consume, we've still had plenty of jobs here and won't need the unemployment benefit.

Republican party is a minority with powerful money behind this. They brought country to his knee to foreigner by bringing high technology to Asia, financing the war in Iraq with China. Republican party is all they do is to work for the powerful rich corporations.

Charlie,

Gonna mention three companies.

AIG

Goldman Sach

BP

...now please go lookup who received their top campaign contributions.

All three companies were called to the white house for a beatdown.

Make your own judgement.

By the way also run CCX Chicago Climate Exchange, the Carbon Credit Exchange.

Please check whose name is attached to that.

Then please come back screaming about any politician you want.

Not the party of "no" but "he11 no". That sounds better. And say it with passion.

Yes, next time vote for the party that believes that if you give your money to the wealthy it will eventually "trickle down" to you.

Eric have you ever said anything useful?

Honestly it seems like you are smart, but you seem to be like a "first read" person.

Honestly the only person with less input is that Eric from Salinas.

The fact is that you guys are blaming the democrats and want to vote for the republicans that could care less about the economy or about the people. Lives mean nothing I swear they would start concentration camps to put the homeless in to cut spending.

Ok Eric,

Where does compassion end & enabling begin in your opinion?

That is a great slogan!

The Great Obama:

Hope and Change

"I HOPE the American People forget all the promises that I made, because Im sure as hell am going to CHANGE what I told them."

There's the hope and change you wanted.

I know I sound sarcastic, but ask yourself a question; Am I not right?

gtc no your just an inbred republican.

gtc

You are correct.

The states that it will affect the most are the ones that have been sucking on the government tit for too long....it's time to make some hard decisions and start cutting back....that's what happens when the banks run out of money. Well the taxpayers are the bank and we ARE out of money...

bobr -

This week they are talking of laying off 200 teachers in the parish where I live. While I feel for the plight of the teachers, the parish and state are doing the right thing to keep the parish solvent. Between inflation (which is going strong although the government doesn't consider food and energy costs in the inflation figures any more), higher taxes (unfunded federal mandates are a killer for state budgets, resulting in higher taxes within a state to make ends meet), the spill and the misguided (to put it nicely) moratorium, and unemployment, the state is tapped out financially. And unlike California, New York, and Illinois; Louisiana tries to not run a deficit.

Would you like to know where over 1/3 of the education budget goes in this state? It goes to benefits and retirement funds because of the teachers' unions.

Where Im from, firemen and policemen are paid with local taxes, not government bs money.

Federal monies go to the states to help with local expendures, especially when it is a federal mandated progam. They are voting no on any new spending unless it is paid for or war expendures. They will not veto that. Did they not do this in the past? That is shut down the government.

Read this carefully - unemployment pays people who used to have a job, and they paid for unemployment out of their checks while they were working. You have no right to call anyone a "loser." You post crap without even knowing basic facts.

If I was on unemployment and getting paid indefinitely what is my motivation to get a job? Suppose I could live just fine on what unemployment provided me. Why would I work? I'd much rather go fishing or golfing than work. Not saying that's the case with everyone, but come on some of these people have been on unemployment going on two years.

Read post #12 - right below. Numbers don't lie.

Great, has1 can you tell me where those stats came from? Didn't think so.

HANG IN THERE, YOU'LL BE OUT OF WORK REAL SOON...

That's really weak, PK. "What's you source....."........waaaaaah

Job stat sources are abundant and practically unrefutable.

I know many people that have been laid off because plant closures and downsizing. I lost my last job after my company was bought out by another company and my services were no longer needed. Unemployment insurance gives me the ability to hold out until I find a job that pays as good as my last job. With out unemployment insurance I would be forced to take the first job that comes along. Unemployment insurance gives me a little barganing power which I am sure the republicans are against.

What jobs.....where I live 300 people apply for one McDonalds position.

Maybe I will Rocco. Actually I was kind of hoping to get laid off during our companies last go around but no such luck. As I knew the dems would continue to buy unemployment votes, I wasn't concerned about money. Furthermore I can get a job anywhere so that was of no concern either. You know why that is rocco? Because I prepared. I opened the newspaper when I was a young man and I saw where the jobs were. I pursued an education in that field and what do you know, I'm happy and successful. Again common sense prevailed. If you want a job, get the appropriate training and you won't have to rely on anyone but yourself and your family to survive. So simple, even a liberal can do it.

Also eric, it sounds like the people in your area may want to consider relocating. McDonalds, WalMart, Target, Wendy's, all hiring where I live. It sucks to have to move, but I did it, so can everyone else.

Wally8 that's exactly the problem with extending unemployment benefits.....people holding out waiting for that something special. We are in a recession....or have you not heard? You probably will not be able to make what you were when you were laid off. Hell I'm not making what I was before the Dems got into the white house. My husband and I BOTH took pay cuts to our pay.....but we still have a job because we had to look at the big picture. Go to work, and hopefully things will pick up and your salary will increase. The fact of the matter is this......jobs are not coming back until the dems are out of control and that being said, we can't extend benefits for another 2 years.......(Eric I know you're going to love this)

instead lets send money to other countries and let us starve right.

then hire me smarty, no jobs were i live and no money now to move, so kiss my a--.

Actually, every1, the employer pays unemployment insurance on its employees. It does not come directly out of the employee's check. It is however considered a 'benefit'.

It's truly amazing how everyone on either side of these arguments believes they are somehow fighting for one ideaology or another when the fact of the matter is this is a war of the "Have's" vs. "The Have Not's". Make no mistake, everyone posting here (including myself), everyone you know, and easily 95% of everyone you don't know make up "The Have Not's". I fear America has been put to rest for good if we don't realize that we all must unite for one cause, and one cause only, which is to eradicate the "Have's". Anyone reading this who believes they are a "Have" is surely mistaken, but feel free to share with us why you believe so, that way if a real "Have" were to ever read this (which will never happen) they could have yet another laugh at our expense$$$$$$$.

Interesting. Has anyone heard of "OVER-QUALIFIED", Every...and I do mean "EVERY" employer I've applied to in over a year. Will not hire me after looking at my diverse experience or specialized value and Minimun wage jobs are snapped-up by Un-document workers, but some ignore that.

You have a job and money don't you?

Mark

We had a surplus and the unemployment rate was 4.2% when Bush took over. Bush almost doubled the national debt with his big tax cuts to the rich. Bush almost doubled the debt and Reagan almost tripled it. Did the big tax cuts to the rich create more manufacturing jobs or did they take their big tax cuts and outsourced the jobs any way?

PROJECTED surplus AFTER Clinton left office...he too added to the deficit every year he was in office......sorry your talking points are missing a few facts.....Bush gave the working class more of their money back...I didn't have a problem with that....I did have a problem with Clinton pushing for those who couldn't afford mortgages be allowed to get them even though they didn't qualify and wouldn't pay the loan....now that was a bad thing.

millerz

He had a surplus during his last year in office. The DOW increased by 300% and the unemployment rate when he left office. Clinton left the countries economy in better shape then Reagan, Bush and Bush Junior. Supply side economic policies lead to the great depression and the recessions of 1992 and 2008.

You are right Clinton made this country stand straight to the world because of no war to fight, to spend, to worry, to control deficit. Only when Bush and Chiney took office, he immediately started the war in Irag and started to drain down our resource, money. He then let corporations send manufactures over China. Then we don't have works, we got no money to pay tax, deficit started to climb because when the rich, powerful corporation making money, Bush said " cut tax, employers make profit, they invest more so we have more jobs " I remember he said so.

bob, what's the source of your statistic?

The weekly jobs report ,,do you know more than everyone else does?

Not at all, why would you ask such a question? I know what common sense is though. Common sense tells me that you can't keep throwing money at an unsustainable problem and expect the problem will get better. By the way can you send me the link to the weekly jobs report so I can verify your source?

Okay, let's tax cigarettes more to pay for it.

PK,,,it's given each week on all the networks,,,even Fox ! Your not going to tell me that you never heard of the "unemployment" numbers put out each week,,,are you? Do i actually believe it is acurate to the T,,,no but it's all we get? People move in and out of employment each day.

When your unemployment runs out you are no longer counted in the unemployment figures. Real unemployment is closer to 20%. Personally I think the extension didnt pass so that it will appear that unemployed people found work.

Sure'nuff!

This is also for Charie Conrad #11.5

Since we're now a country that condones and accepts blaming others, can we blame Clinton for deflecting his responsibilities and leaving them for Bush? Reflect on what was building during his watch and you want to say that these wars and the export of jobs are Bush's alone? If you blame Bush for what Obama was handed, then here you go, Bush was forced to respond to the inadequacies of the previous administration. This whole mess is like a bowl of spaghetti, everything is touching everything and no one is without blame. How naive can one be to think that this is all a result of the last 10 years, remember Obama is part owner in the last 5, directly or indirectly.

are you friggin kidding me.... i made 54,000 a year as a project manager and now im making 304.00 a week... thats 800.00 less then when i work... thats why i want a job ...that was about the dumbest comment i have read to date... there are professionals out of work here... educate yourself.

Mark

Your unemployment benefits only last six months if you do not get an extension and if you do get an extension they don't last forever. So if you want to eat or pay your bills for an extended period of time you will have to get a job.

The problem is there are no jobs. Every time we get a increase of jobs in the jobs report, the jobs are created by the government and are temporary jobs. The oil spill probably created jobs that will be counted in the report. LOL!

are you nuts

Remarkably, the share of the tax burden borne by the top 1 percent now exceeds the share paid by the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers combined. In 2007, the bottom 95 percent paid 39.4 percent of the income tax burden. This is down from the 58 percent of the total income tax burden they paid twenty years ago. To put this in perspective, the top 1 percent is comprised of just 1.4 million taxpayers and they pay a larger share of the income tax burden now than the bottom 134 million taxpayers combined.

Do you know what "flat tax" means, PK? There is no flat tax in this country, thus the rich do not pay their fair share. They all need to pay at least 25% of their incomes until this mess is over. Or they could "leave the US" as some try to threaten, but guess what? They'd have to pay even more than that in any other country. That's how much they're getting away with and the Republicans are coddling and protecting them instead of looking out for the average hard-working American.

A flat tax would require that everyone pays the same rate. It would work against the middle class since the bottom 47% who do not pay an income tax would start paying.

I smell a tea bag in here.

Me too. The funny thing is, they'll drop their t-bags like scalding tea-pots and run toward the left when the recession cloud moves in on them, and it's coming........ closer and closer.........

They cost too much, try letting a 5 alarm fire spread. Try just letting criminals run rampant.

the criminals do run rampant, GANGS, they know their there but nothing is done, but hey lets go help other countries with their problems with our tax money and screw us

PK - "we can't afford the freebies...."

Correction: We can't afford the freebies the rich seem to be entitled to and the monstrous corporation freebies anymore.

Make them pay a flat tax rate. No more handouts to the wealthy. Damn parasites.

Has1 here's a little stat for you. You should really do some of your own research because the dems pray on the easily led, the naive and the simple minded. They lie to you and make enemies out of anyone who doesn't share in their ideology.

Remarkably, the share of the tax burden borne by the top 1 percent now exceeds the share paid by the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers combined. In 2007, the bottom 95 percent paid 39.4 percent of the income tax burden. This is down from the 58 percent of the total income tax burden they paid twenty years ago. To put this in perspective, the top 1 percent is comprised of just 1.4 million taxpayers and they pay a larger share of the income tax burden now than the bottom 134 million taxpayers combined.

You lie. Plain and simple, whatever your motivation is. There is no flat tax in this country. That means the rich have been getting off way too easily for decades and do not pay their fair share of taxes. See post #20 - it's full of the "sources" you like to ask for.

TAX the RICH

The truth hurts has1 and I can tell by your angry tone. Honestly, do the research and you will see how you've been lied to. It's easy to declare an enemy that has more than you do but don't buy into it. These evil corporations of which you speak employ hundreds of thousand of good honest Americans. Furthermore there are very few rich people other than the Kennedy's or Rockefellers (both dems) who were born rich. Most people get rich by taking a lot of risk and then working their a$$es off.

Who said anyone "has more than me" or that I'm jealous somehow? Personally, I'm very financially comfortable. I just have a sense of civic duty to others that you lack, I guess. Necessary new tax laws will eventually force you into a sense of civic duty, if nothing else will.

Fine, have your sense of duty with your own money then, keep your hands off of mine.

Try telling that to the tax man when he comes to collect what you've been hoarding.

Saving your money & preparing for the future so that you don't become a burden to others or society is not really the definition of hoarding every1has1. If we all had that kind of common sense our country would not be in the mess we are in. You need to stop listening to the govt that tells you that you can live irresponsibly, spend like there is no tomorrow, deny yourself nothing, immediate gratification rules, & your fellow taxpayers will rescue you when you go broke (because we are all so full of compassion). It is time for you silly people to take responsibility for your own lives, learn from your mistakes, & pay your own bills, prepare for your own future---because our govt is broke in more ways than one.

Denial can be a good thing...if you can't afford it then deny yourself the luxury of buying it.

Nobody has to die - TAX THE RICH - they do not pay their fair share anyway, and haven't since several presidents ago

Richard, hmmm....I think people died during the depresssion, just like any other time. Fact is, Roosevelt taxed the rich and put the people to work and the corporations and rich people hated him for it, but the people loved him and re-elected him 3 times. The corporate ruling elite even tried to stage a coup against Roosevelt. They asked Major General Smedley Butler to lead 500 thousand troops into Washington D.C. and take over with a fascist Government, but Butler blew the whistle on the whole thing. The ruling elite won't be happy until they have complete control of the Government and We, the People.

The ruling elite won't be happy until they have complete control of the Government and We, the People.

Patience. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are working on it.

Roosevelt taxed the rich and put the people to work

And the poor stayed poor and the middle class is getting poorer.

Ah Kenny, it's called the double Christmas strategy and has been standard game plan for the GOP every since Ronald Reagan ran up the debt higher than any other President before him.

Here's how it works. The GOP gives massive tax breaks to the rich and the corporations and thus shifts the wealth away from the middle class to the wealthiest 1% by changing the tax burden. Then they run up the national debt to pay for all the programs and wars that can't be payed for by decreased tax base. This is how the GOP destroys the middle class and creates a Plutocracy...a goverment for, of, and by the rich.

Then when the Dems get into power they are faced with massive debts and even though they are favorable toward programs that serve middle America, they can't enact them because of the massive debt left behind by the GOP.

Revisionist history. Every time the tax burden was lowered (and even John Kennedy did this) revenues to the Government grew due to increases in productivity and job creation. Time for you to stop watching Keith Olberman and get into the real world.

That is a laugh, J.H. Moore.....I'd love to see your numbers....How can you make more money with less money?

Look at the massive debt Reagan and Bush2 piled up. That's exactly what happens when you decrease taxes from 75% down to 43% for the wealthiest Americans and decrease corporate taxes from 75% down to 45%.

During the most vibrant and sustained economic growth, from 1950s through early 1970's the taxes were much higher (at one time 91% for the wealthiest Americans) and the banks were regulated and laws against monopolies were enforced....Oh, and we had little debt and other nations owed us. We also had much fairer trade laws.

The only thing left to do when taxes are reduced by such levels is to either cut the hell out of programs and services or run up the debt, which is exactly what Reagan and Bush did.

Michael, then when the democrats get into power, they want to undo all the social harm caused by the GOP by creating more gov't programs and handing people money, they try to raise taxes to pay for this, but are blocked by the GOP, so the deficit continues to spiral out of control. The worst thing you can do for incentive is to make easy money available for handout. We need to quit lurching from right to left, from republican to democrat, from trickle down to great society. both parties suck. We need to reject partisanship and elect people who are independent from political parties and don't sell out to special interests.

Mike the dems continue to put forth social programs that are not sustainable. Honestly do you think obama's HC reform bill was a good idea? What did it do to reign in health care costs? Nothing, absolutely nothing and it's going to cost a trillion dollars probably more. The problem is not solved, he just threw more money at a problem without fixing it. That's the dem short sighted thinking and they do it all under the guise of compassion for their fellow man when it reality their just buying votes!

Janetp

The problem is there are no jobs. Every time we get a increase of jobs in the jobs report, the jobs are created by the government and are temporary jobs. The oil spill probably created jobs that will be counted in the report. LOL!

And how about the jobs lost in the fishing industry and tourism do to the oil spill?

50% of Americans pay no federal taxes at all. Get it dipweed? The top 10% of earners pay 70% of the total tax burden. Geez, now I know you want to discount facts, since you are a raging liberal, but how much of the tax burden would you like the top 1%, 5% or 10% to pay so that you can live off the government dole for your entire life?

It's called stopping the growth of government you simpleton! It has to stop! We can't take care of you cradle to grave!

Kenny, if you're rich you don't need anyone to distribute wealth to you. Who are the rich by the way, what qualifies somebody as rich? Furthermore if they earned it themselves, what right do I have to take it away from them and give it to someone I deem more deserving. Can you answer these questions for me please? I really want to understand the liberal point of view. Do you feel it's okay to take someone's money and redistribute it to someone else?

J.H....you only show your idiocy when you resort to name calling. 10% of Americans own 90% of our Nation's wealth, but they pay less than anytime since before the last depression.

Here's What Warren Buffet had to say about the current tax structure:

"Mr Buffett said that he was taxed at 17.7 per cent on the $46 million he made last year, without trying to avoid paying higher taxes, while his secretary, who earned $60,000, was taxed at 30 per cent. Mr Buffett told his audience, which included John Mack, the chairman of Morgan Stanley, and Alan Patricof, the founder of the US branch of Apax Partners, that US government policy had accentuated a disparity of wealth that hurt the economy by stifling opportunity and motivation."

Bravo Micheal, you are on the right track of making your surely argument. You cited the source like an intellectual commentator; not like Fox news, never cites the source. Those who are not cited the source are either uneducated or work for the rich.

I see, we should probably all listen to corporate propagandists, like Rush Limbaugh and Faux News....All Spin, all the time.

What JH is failing to point out is that the reason that the tax structure is so screwed is because the top end incomes expanded so fast that the lower end got pulled out of the bottom of taxable income.

Basically the rich guy's tax incomes (1m and up) increased so fast that the 50k plumber with a family of 4 is close to getting EITC. You can go from 1 mill to 2 mill faster that 50k to 100k.

That is the true reason---JH did not calculate for wage/income disparity.

JH Moore

I am so glade you stick up for the billionares. Where would they be without you? The top 5% own more then 95% of the resources. Under Reagan and the Bush's the living standard of the middle class has dropped while the wealthy went from rich to obsenely rich.

I don't know about you JH but I am concerned more about the middle class feeding their families then I am concerned billionares hoarding their wealth. I bet you cried for poor BP when the Obama administration made them put up 20 billion dollars.

Kathy-1919855

I agree with your attitude regarding the jobless aid bill for the un-employed, especially for the older folks. See my post #3. This nation doesn't hesitate to offer aid and money to other countries in need, so why can't we understand that we need to take care of our own worthy and deserving folks first.

There were two recession under Bush 2.....And of course the banking deregulations he supported brought down the world financial market and now we are all feeling the results of 30 years of Supply Side Economics which was a get rich quick scheme for the ruling elite.

kenny the lib, I forget, how many jobs has Obama created (not saved, the fuzzy liberal math spewed by the White House only works with simpletons) by throwing $787 billion into the "economy"? I'm guessing your another lib living solely off of the government dole, correct? You want the government to take care of everything, don't you? Sorry kenny the lib, America wasn't founded on the backs of sniveling little weasels but by those willing to put forth the effort to live the American dream; start a business, own a business, work hard and have control of your own destiny. You see Kenny, the folks that are working hard are paying your way. So please, go cash your welfare check and get back in front of the boob tube, as I'm sure your buddy Keith Olberman should be coming on soon!

J.H....It's not how many he has created...Let's face it, it's going to be very difficult to create jobs when nearly 20 million have been outsourced. But, he has saved millions of jobs, and has turned around some of the mess that Bush created. Until we can create a new Green economy that can't be outsourced, I don't see how we'll ever see unemployment levels go below 10%.

Our economy has been based on paper ponzi schemes every since Reagan changed the tax structure and killed the unions and outsourcing and deregulations were favored...

Michael, simply look toward Spain if you want to see how well transitioning to a "green economy" works. It is a pipe dream that "feelers" like yourself grab onto becuase it sounds "soooo goood". It aint. Check the facts.

As for our economy, get the government the hell out of the way and we'll be just fine!

Why not look at all the other countries that have employed a green economy with great success.

JH Moore says

As for our economy, get the government the hell out of the way and we'll be just fine!

Yes JH really knows what he is talking about look what deregulation has done for our financial institutions! Yes we should let corporations regulate them selves like BP.

gary...you are on target, but this country is controlled by the corporations that want cheap labor, so the only way things will change is if we organize and there is a lot of money being spent on divisive propaganda. By the way, those same corporations have outsourced up to 20 million jobs to slave labor markets.

Michael, if you are so worried about outsourcing, start your own business, then you will have control of your own destiny (you'll also get to pay some onerous taxes, but, at least you'll be in control).

Yeah Michael - how bout a lil ole lemonade stand?

JH...tell that to all the mom and pop businesses that have been killed by the big monopolies because anti-trust laws haven't been enforced.

which "mom and pop" businesses are those? Yep, that's what I thought, spewing propaganda that you've heard from Ketih Olberman. Gawd Michael, please take the time to research before regergetating whatever you've read on MSNBC1

JH-

Plenty of mom and pops. Go ask Walmart...

JH you don't have a clue what you are talking about, sure there is a small percentage of people that take advantage to the system, always is on both sides, but try paying bills and keeping you home all due to the closing of a plant you worked at for 20 years because someone did a rollup of a business, got in trouble, the bank lent to much money on and you struck. Most people on unemployment are hard working Americans trying to make ends meet and don't give a @!$%# what the Parties think. Paying the bills and taking care of the family is all that we're trying to do.

JH Moore

Michael, if you are so worried about outsourcing, start your own business, then you will have control of your own destiny (you'll also get to pay some onerous taxes, but, at least you'll be in control).

JH you see the problem is corporations take our money when they sale us our goods but export our jobs. This reduces the number of good paying manufacturing jobs. This reduces disposable income which reduces the demand for services or goods you might try to sale. To bad you can only think with your @sshole!