Firing Congress

[marmar]

from Truthdig:



Firing Congress

Posted on Jun 9, 2008
By Marie Cocco

In 225 days, at least one high-ranking politician will become unemployed. How many will join President Bush in retirement?

My hope is that any member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, who stands in the way of approving extended benefits for the growing legion of America’s long-term unemployed will get a pink slip, too.

As soon as it became clear a few months ago that the nation was headed for a steep economic slide—and, possibly, a recession as painful as any we’ve endured since at least the early 1990s—Democrats on Capitol Hill tried to include in a relief package extended benefits for jobless workers who have exhausted their customary 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The idea was dropped after the White House and congressional Republicans objected, and a consensus emerged to quickly thrust a tax rebate into consumers’ wallets so that spending would stimulate the economy.

The bleak economic news that has bombarded us over the past few days requires a rethinking of that quick fix. Friday’s jobless report, which put the overall unemployment level at 5.5 percent, included other foreboding signs. Much was made—especially at the White House—about an influx of teenagers into the work force. They helped push up the unemployment rate suddenly and sharply. But the jobs report also marked the sixth consecutive month that private employers cut payrolls, and the losses bled through virtually every sector of the economy. Manufacturing, construction, retailing and professional services all cut jobs.

More grim news: Nearly one in five unemployed workers has been looking for a job for more than six months. These are people whose unemployment benefits already have expired, or are about to expire. These are the workers who would be helped if Congress and the White House acknowledge the reality that we are, in fact, in a severe economic slump, even though no official “recession” has been declared. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080610_firing_congress/?ln

[oldskool]

1. So true

It is a shame that the government will not even help we the
people. What about getting war funding the Haliburton run
Pentagon and CIA, which can't account for $158 BILLION. And
the congress won't extend unemployment benefits because they
need more war funding for the war profiteers. Corporations get
the breaks and we get more food stamps. There is something
very wrong with this picture. It's worse than a recession,
it's The Bush Depression And has been going on for decades.
NAFTA is the main reason for this. Now we face the fallout
from it.