Unemployment Extension Standoff 'A Crummy Deal For The American Public'

Paul Gilbert lost his job managing a restaurant in Phoenix in May and said he's had a terrible time finding a new one.

"I have put out at least 25 resumes a week and have only had two interviews," Gilbert told HuffPost. "I want to work. I love to work. I'll do anything, someone please give me a job."

Now he's worried he'll lose the $240 a week he's been receiving in unemployment insurance. Despite a historically bad job market, two million people could be cut off from their unemployment benefits during the holidays if Congress fails to reauthorize federally-funded jobless aid that expires at the end of the month. Gilbert said the Arizona Department of Economic Security told him he's in the cutoff boat.

"It's going to be a long December for a lot of people," Gilbert said.

Over the summer, Congress dithered for nearly two months over a reauthorization of Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits programs that together provide up to 53 weeks of jobless aid on top of the 26 weeks provided by states. Nearly 2.5 million had their federal benefits interrupted, a debacle set to happen again this December.

Before Congress adjourned for its Thanksgiving break, House Republicans blocked a bill that would have reauthorized the programs for three months, insisting that its $12 billion cost be offset with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget. Many expect Democrats to cut a deal by Christmas, preserving the benefits perhaps by attaching them to a reauthorization of expiring tax cuts for the rich.

Even if that happens -- and the extended benefits lapse only briefly -- Gilbert said he doesn't appreciate the uncertainty: "I think it's a crummy deal for the American public."

Gilbert said he and his wife moved from Arizona to his hometown near Detroit, Mich. in September to stay with his brother. He said that at 58, he suspects his age is a major factor in potential employers' decisions to pass him over.

"The kids interviewing me, they're 28, 32, looking at you going, 'No way, buddy,'" he said. "I tried at Walmart, I tried the retail stores, I've tried everywhere."

As for Congress, he said, "I hope they enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner."

Comments

[dimplesmile7]

12:15 PM on 11/28/2010

The congress and senate could care less. Their privileged lives are not affected by the unemployment rate. They could don't care about the unemployed and 99ers suffering out here.

[Yvonne Hunter]

06:01 PM on 11/24/2010

NEVER IN MY WILDLESS DREAMS DID I THINK I WOULD BE HOMELESS OR STARVING TO DEATH UNTIL NOW.I LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR A JOB,WHAT DONT CONGRESS UNDERSTAND THIS IS REAL LIVES THEY ARE PLAYING WITH MEN,WOMEN,AND CHILDREN.AFTER THEY ENJOY THE HOILDAY CONGRESS GET BACK TO WORK AND DO THE RIGHT THING WHICH IS VOTE YES FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION.WHAT GOOD REASON DO THEY HAVE UNLESS THE CONGRESS ARE NOT HUMAN!

[comicpro]

07:44 PM on 11/23/2010

Let the tax cust expire! We can use that revenue to help people who need it! For all those opposed to unemploment insurance redo I hope like hell nothing happens to you.

[StarlightJo]

01:46 PM on 11/23/2010

unbelievable that the goverment is making us go through this again. there are NO jobs......5 people for EVERY job.......that's like NO jobs.........we need unemployment to live. You all are selfish....you have your salary and benefits but won't help us. 9.6 unemployment and you are playing these evil games again with those of us who have lost our careers.

[CanuckforamultipartyUSA]

09:16 AM on 11/24/2010

Bush's report to Congress Feb.10/04: The outsourcing of blue collar jobs and white collar work is part of the transformation that will benifit the US economy in the long term while there will be short term pain and dislocation" so what's the definition of short term according to the GOP? and do the GOP know nothing about history, as in Hooverville tent cities? Maybe instead of a march on washington, establish a million person tent city for the holidays... that should remind them. just think how many jobs the Koch brothers could have provided if they had invested in Green energy plants instead of sinking billions into getting TPers elected to do their will. how about Whitman in California and her 146 million spent on the campaign? how many jobs would a business started with that kind of capital created? then she really could have run in '14 or whenever on the platform of creating jobs.

[Patriot86]

10:34 AM on 11/24/2010

Outsourcing will transform this country into a third world banana Republic.

[lah007743]

12:12 PM on 11/27/2010

Unfortunately, the "real" numbers are 100-300 applicants for every job. It's time the government started quoting the "real" stats. The only reason they have got away with this is b/c Americans look no further than their "nightly news" for stats. Also, unemployment is not 9.5%, the real number is somewhere around 17%. Do your homework people. Government needs to be held accountable.

PS. One of the hundreds of jobs that I applied for about a year ago, the company representative stated that there were over 1,200 applicants for the position I applied for. Yes, that is the number she quoted me. The government knows this, yet lies to the American public to save face.Ask an unemployed middle-class worker and they will tell you the "real" figures. Better yet, ask a job recruiter or an employment agency how many applicants they receive for "one" job that is posted, you would be shocked! You just can't make this stuff up. It's just shameful.

[RickKay]

01:41 PM on 11/23/2010

It's mind boggling how Republicans profess steadfast cost-cutting and deficit reductions. Yet, they're gung-ho on tax cuts - which *ADD* to the deficit - and will not extend unemployment insurance to those
truly needy of our fellow citizens. The tax cuts have been in existence for close to 10 years, now, and have NOT added jobs as advertised. So, in the words of Republicans, why do the same thing in hopes of doing a different result?? This is being two-faced.

[Nomoney]

01:18 PM on 11/23/2010

All of these comments seam to go nowhere,  no real input on how the government can create jobs.  Try implementing a buy "America products" campaign!  Sounds to cheap and simple for the tools in government office to comprehend but I must say I can't find any American products on the shelf in Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-mart, Target, Sears,...........it is no wonder there are too many Americans out of a job right now.  Until this changes or we come up with a product the rest of the world wants expect more of the same!

[Patriot86]

10:37 AM on 11/24/2010

We need tariffs against Japan, Korea and China and Europe for that matter...they do not grant free access to their markets...we need a partnership with industry and an industrial policy... let's look at green technology and not cede it to China...tax breaks for business that manufacture here...big tax hikes for those who manufacture overseas...combined with tariffs this will make it more attractive to create American jobs. We need to invest in 21st century infrastructure...internet, fuel cells...and repair our crumbling infrastructure.

[Uda]

12:40 PM on 11/23/2010

If you didn't vote, or if you voted Republican, then don't complain.

[commonsense333]

12:16 PM on 11/23/2010

Well, I hate to say this, but it's true. The Fed Gov. is not "required" to pay unemployment. It's not a Constitutional right. A job is not a constitutional right. However, since they started paying unemployment benefits, then they darn sure should keep paying them. To stop now, due to fighting amongst those idiots, is wrong. Point blank, those jerks aren't even doing the job we pay them to do!!! They are basically on strike, and yet still getting paid!! That's the biggest pile of dog mess ever. Yet, they don't want to pay for others to get paid. And during the biggest 2 Holidays of the year!!! Those ungrateful wretched rat punks!! Jerks, one and all. I wish I could send them all to the bottom of the ocean, with weight belts. That's what those mothers deserve.

[caroline25]

11:54 AM on 11/23/2010

When you look from the outside in at the Repugs, all I can see is fraud. They mill about the Senate looking for any scraps that they can possibly take from the people. They are a disgrace to this country.

[George Hanshaw]

11:50 AM on 11/23/2010

"Before Congress adjourned for its Thanksgiving break, House Republicans blocked a bill that would have reauthorized the programs for three months, insisting that its $12 billion cost be offset with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget."

Excuse me .... voice of reason here. Didn't the Dem Congress pass that Pay-Go rule less than a year ago on a party line vote? Yes, I believe they did:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/78533-senate-passes-paygo-rule-in-party-lines-vote

An Excerpt:

The Senate voted along party lines on Thursday to adopt statutory pay-go rules in a party-lines vote.

60 Democratic senators voted to adopt the pay-go measure (short for "pay-as-you-go"), which would require that new spending measures be offset in the budget by other funds, typically raised through tax increases or cuts to spending.

Republicans have said that by installing the rule, pay-go would become an excuse for tax hikes, since spending cuts are frequently unpopular.

All Democrats voted for the measure, and all 40 Republicans voted against it. The House adopted such a rule in a 265-166 vote last July.
___________

So the dems don't want to follow their own rules????

[urbanlife]

08:58 AM on 11/30/2010

The extension can be paid for by allowing the Tax Cuts for the Rich to expire.............

[caroline25]

11:50 AM on 11/23/2010

He's not stupid, you are. He is American who has been cheated. From your tone, I can tell you are useless.

[bmike]

11:40 AM on 11/23/2010

Cut the money from the Iraq war we lied to start.We have the choice of helping Iraq or Americans.Plus kids won't have to kill and die for a lie.

[captcct]

11:07 AM on 11/23/2010

In reference to chroesus earlier: Don't forget the debacle over the Stealth Comanche helicopter - five built and fully operational. One alone flying off the deck of an aircraft carrier or destroyer cruiser aft deck and positioned in the Gulf of Aden and with extended drop fuel tanks could have reached the cave (flying nap of the earth) where Osama bin Laden was holed up in. There he could have been taken out nine years ago. But, when George Bush was lying in bed with the Saudi Royal Family before (of which Osama was also a member at the time) and after 911 - that is why Osama was effectively left alone to play cat and mouse with all to this day. Mustn't upset the oil rich Kingdom you know!? In actual fact, a few modified Apaches could also have done the job but the heads that be sent the standard version to fly in the sand in Iraq where most were grounded as the rotor blades got severely damaged. Yes, I do know what I am talking about it.

[SC Cadgirl]

10:59 AM on 11/23/2010

I am one of the people who will be losing unemployment benefits next week. I have no hope that they will be renewed in this Congress or the next. I have lost hope and that is the worst thing about this recession - looking to the future and seeing nothing but this unending nightmare that has been my life has become. And our elected officials have no interest in helping their constituents. They live in their own little world and we don't matter. They are millionaires and are not affected by the recession the way we are.


We must do something to get their attention. This country was founded by people who rebelled against a government that refused to hear them. Can it happen again?

[QuantProgrammer]

11:23 AM on 11/23/2010

I have an idea. Let's require folks receiving unemployment to spend 2 days/week for eight hours working on infrastructure projects. That's a win-win for everyone and we can use some of the savings spent on overpriced union contractors to keep extending the benefits.

[PJ M]

11:25 AM on 11/23/2010

Actual work instead instead of programming computers to make micro-second stock trades I like it ....

[Thomas Kuzdal]

11:48 AM on 11/23/2010

And the people who've exhausted their benefits get (what?).

[FedUpWithHate]

10:17 AM on 11/23/2010

...Guess the moderators left the building...