Herman Cain Opposes Extending Unemployment Benefits: 'Where Do We Stop?'

Setting markers for the legislative debate ahead, presidential candidate Herman Cain said he opposed reauthorizing extended unemployment benefits that allow up to 99 weeks of benefits for the longterm jobless. Without the reauthorization, workers laid off after July 1 of this year will receive only six months of assistance.

"Where do we stop?" he asked Candy Crowley during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." "Here again, extending unemployment benefits, extending the cut in the payroll tax are just distractions from the bigger problem, which is lack of economic growth which has not been there. Secondly, we're spending money we do not have."

"It's unfortunate that people are unemployed," he continued. "This is one of the reasons that i have proposed a bold plan to get this economy going which you know is 9-9-9. People need to go -- want to go back to work. That's the good news. But this economy's not producing the jobs in order to get 14 million people that are unemployed back to work."

Earlier in the program, Cain reluctantly said he backed extending the payroll tax cut that, like unemployment benefits, is set to expire at the end of the year. But with both items he argued that it would be preferable for Congress to overtake significant tax reform instead.

"If the president were to go to Congress and say, 'I want to lower personal income taxes and corporate taxes by a significant amount in order to do something such that next year will not be an economic flatline,' I believe he would get that support," Cain said. "It simply is not in his DNA. So no. Taking a position on extending unemployment benefits, or leaving that two percentage point reduction in payroll taxes, that's not working on the right problem. That's my point."

The notion that Congress should tackle comprehensive tax reform rather than extend the payroll tax cut or unemployment benefits essentially ignores the past year and a half of legislative inaction. There is simply no willpower, desire or time to get something like that done before the end of the year. Cain is promoting the idea of larger reform in order to avoid addressing more pressing issues.

And yet, by coming out against future unemployment insurance, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO does set the conservative line on the expiring program. Republican lawmakers have gone from supporting unemployment benefits to demanding that they be paid for in full. Now, if Cain's stance is any indication, they may be willing to scrap them entirely.

Comments

[NYCPRPro]

02:28 PM on 12/02/2011

The Republican Party's misguided views on unemployment and ignorance of the multiplier effect of unemployment benefits are astounding. According to Mark Zandi, who was Senator McCain’s economic adviser during the presidential campaign, “every dollar that we invest in unemployment benefits generates a $1.60 in economic output. [The] Congressional Budget Office puts it as high as $1.90. So, it is like a 2-1 return on the unemployment investment that we make.”

People who are unemployed may not have other income. So, everything that they get in unemployment benefits, they spend. They’re not saving this money, putting it aside for retirement. They are surviving on it.

How many formerly unemployed professionals has Cain hired to work on his campaign?

[talkstocoyotes]

12:07 PM on 12/01/2011

@Cary D "Cain to replace unemployme­nt checks with free pizza."

Wonder how many unemployed women would hear "you want some free pizza, don't you?"

[southingtonian]

01:21 AM on 11/29/2011

stop extending the tax breaks for the rich, and there'll be enough to sustain the unemployed until the 'job creators' begin hiring to earn enough to make up for the lost profits.

[Aurical]

11:57 PM on 11/28/2011

The more appropriate question for Cain and his ilk should be "where do you begin". Asking where we stop assumes a beginning. What kind of assistance do they offer anyone that is not a donor of theirs?

[John Hay]

08:45 PM on 11/28/2011

Leave the unemployed alone Mr Pizza pusher. You will be joining them sooner than you think!

[Whoahox]

05:10 PM on 11/28/2011

Herb. Are you asking us or your beloved "job creators?"

[Walker132]

03:48 PM on 11/28/2011

Here's the problem. Most politicians are very well off and can afford to run for high offices. Any of us unemployed people have no money for election fees, etc. Therefore, none of the middle class workers or unemployed people will ever be in a position to accrue wealth & lavish pensions/perks. It's very true that people who always have more than enough money to live very comfortably have zero concept of what it's like not to have money/jobs. I personally know a man who is a Harvard grad and has no clue what it's like to not have a job or enough money. This guy owns a nice resort in FL and doesn't need his pension or SS money to live. In my house we are living on UI @ $247/wk. and are losing ground every month. To not extend UI benefits will devastate many middle class people and we will lose our home because nobody will hire us. We are both college grads and are ages 59 & 61. Forget Herman Cain.

[Djay0252]

05:10 PM on 11/28/2011

Cain is not White House material. My thoughts and prayers are with you....F& F

[manfrommars]

01:05 PM on 11/28/2011

We STOP giving breaks to he Uber Rich Mr. Cain and start taking care of America's workers. That's where we stop. . and your asking that question will probably sink your already sunk campaign. Even the Koch Bros money cannot save you now. Back tot he pizza parlor with you!

[S1m0n]

12:48 PM on 11/28/2011

You stop right here, Herman. Your free ride's over. Get off the damn bus.

[xeronius]

12:07 PM on 11/28/2011

Luckily, once Cain gets into office jobs will magically re-appear! And if there are still people unable to find work, whatever, it is their fault anyway.

[morefromLA]

10:58 AM on 11/28/2011

Where do we stop? How about Herman Cain, gospel lounge singer.

[nothingchanges]

10:35 AM on 11/28/2011

Where do we stop?

I dunno, maybe when Congress works?............and middle class Americans can find a job and work as well?

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." -Abraham Lincoln-

Wise words, and something modern day politicians ignore.

[Jeff Parfitt]

10:09 AM on 11/28/2011

Conservatives are fond of saying that unemployment benefits don't help people find jobs and makes people lazy. They like to say that if a person is receiving benefits, they're just sitting on their butts and aren't bothering to get up and find a job. I don't know how many conservatives have ever been on unemployment, but they don't seem to have a good idea of what unemployment benefits really are.

First of all, they are barely enough money to survive. They certainly wouldn't cover my monthly bills, plus food and other necessary expenditures. They aren't meant to be lived on, and are therefore pretty low. Secondly, the view of the conservatives ignores the fact that there just aren't any jobs, that it's not the worker's fault, and that most of the unemployed would work if they could. Finally, unemployment benefits are meant to be temporary, but unemployment itself has no expiration date. You can't give someone benefits for being without a job for six months or however long, and then stop when they have been without a job for one more month. It makes no sense. So, keep the unemployment benefits going as long as the jobs are not coming in. Progresive taxation should cover it, no problem. Deal with that first.

[xeronius]

12:10 PM on 11/28/2011

To which they would also retort, as they always do, "McDonald's is always hiring!" I can only imagine they boo when Scrooge learns a lesson and changes his ways.

[nevernot]

12:48 PM on 11/28/2011

Just remind them a few months ago McDonalds announced 50,000 new job openings and were deluged with over 900,000 applications, the majority college educated professionals....

[huff reader]

10:04 AM on 11/28/2011

Well, Herman, you can stop now, if you like. No one will miss you much.

In terms of long-term unemployment benefits, they must continue until we approach full employment.

Otherwise, many of those people would starve. Or rise up and throw over the entire system that has abandoned them, including you. Or both.

Take your pick.

[Dancenownzen]

09:21 AM on 11/28/2011

So republicans ............let's stop unemployment, let's block any attempt the President is making and getting a jobs bill through and lets give the 1percent as many perks and benefits and tax breaks as possible

Ya that.s a great idea