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Senate Passes Jobs Bill, Obama Signature Next
The U.S. Senate today passed a jobs bill that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka calls a ”good start” in helping the nation’s workers climb out of the 11-million-deep jobs hole dug by the Wall Street greed that propelled the economy’s nosedive.
But he says the bill—which is on its way to the White House for President Obama’s signature—must be the first step of a broad and intensive effort to rebuild the economy.
Much more needs to be done. We need to restore the jobs that were lost to the financial debacle, and Wall Street should pay to create them. We must invest in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and in the green jobs of the future. We have to maintain funding for vital services by state and local governments and prevent destructive cuts in education, police and fire protection and more.
We must take the additional steps needed to extend unemployment insurance and health care lifelines to the unemployed. We must increase funding for neglected communities to match people who want to work with jobs that need to be done. And we should move right now to use leftover TARP money to get credit flowing to Main Street.
The $17.6 billion bill includes a one-year extension of the federal highway program, an extension of the Build America Bonds program that helps states finance certain infrastructure projects and tax incentives for employers to hire workers.
The Senate first passed the legislation in February, but minor changes by the House forced a second vote on the legislation.
Other pending jobs legislation includes a December-passed House bill that is a more extensive jobs bill with an emphasis on jobs-creating infrastructure projects. The next step for the bill is uncertain—Senate leaders have promised to move further jobs-related legislation, but no time table has been set. Also this month, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) introduced the Local Jobs for America Act, which would create or save up to 1 million public- and private-sector jobs. Jobs saved would include those such as the firefighters, the police and teachers and others whose jobs are in jeopardy because of local government budget cuts.
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3 Comments
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What a fuckin joke.Millions of us across this country are being left out of the statistics and Trumka is praising this bill as a good start.What are our leaders doing to push for another extension of jobless benefits;not an extension for filing,Im talking benefits.What do you think people are doing without jobs,benefits or hope??Visit a tent city lately Trumka?
Let me first say that I am furious this morning and I may ramble on or sound bitter; I apologize in advance for that.
We seriously need to raise awareness about the current Legislation and House Bill’s that have been passes or are about to be.
FACTS
A) The Legislation that Gov. Charlie Crist just passed for Extended Benefits in Florida opened up the old EB Program that was passed in Jan 2009. At that time it provided up to 20 weeks of ADDITIONAL benefits for anyone that exhausted all Federal Benefits available to them. This new Legislation only allows up to 8 weeks of RETROACTIVE pay for those same individuals. Those who were receiving EB prior to the Legislation being passes were given additional weeks. I and others however, JUST exhausted benefits and only received a few weeks retro benefits. We are being given the same up to 20 weeks that original EB recipients were and they have already moved into Tiers of Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation. In what Universe is that remotely fair?
B) The Bill that passed through Congress with these wonderful so called “Extensions” to the EUC Program is just smoke and mirrors to make it appear that they have done something. It will allow persons who are receiving Tiers to continue to receive their Benefits. However, and most do not know this OR are not complaining enough, There are NO ADDITIONAL weeks or Tiers included. Therefore it is only extensions to existing deadlines. I and MANY Americans are now without any assistance at all with no hope on the horizon. If you exhaust, your done. Plain and simple. According to on-line sources that are aware of the situation and are contacting “those in charge”, there is talk and possible Bills floating around that add a Tier 5 or in some other way add weeks to EUC, but the likelihood of any such Bill being passed is slim to none. The “Pay-as-you-go” policy prevents them from being enacted. Big Business, Corporations and 3rd World Countries ALL received Bail-Outs and generous aid; We at home are left to starve and become homeless. Again, in what universe does come close to fair and logical? I have been unemployed since May 2009, actively seeking work and sending hundreds of resumes per week with little to no response. If and when I do get an interview I am competing against a much younger generation freshly out of school with a Degree. As is I needed to say, I am not the candidate chosen for the position
I beg of you; please shed light on this situation, the following is a quote,
“If enough people raise the profile of this issue, a solution will come,” predicted the staffer of a Democratic Senator. “This problem is completely off the radar. And until that changes, nothing is going to get done.”
I say bail out the little people NOW!!! We are not living the Life of Luxury here on unemployment. Would a steady diet of Ramen Noodles and Soup Kitchen food keep you unemployed??? Not me………….. just saying, seriously, think about it.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sandi Breidigan
I HEAR YA SANDI—GOD BLESS YOU