Here we are again.

Day 2 of the unemployed held hostage and the 99ers are ignored. Again. For the third time this year.  At least extending tax cuts will continue to spur the economy.  What? Unemployment benefits are more effective than tax cuts? So why do we continue to engage in counterproductive economics? It's the American way.

99ers should not be surprised at our current plight.  99ers have been ignored since (before) Jim Bunning staged his one man show of arrogance. Sen. Bunning's show was so successful, it reappeared in summer stock. As we approach Christmas,"Waiting for Congress" has been made into a winter holiday special. The common theme of these three extravaganzas? Nothing about the 99ers, which means nothing for the 99ers. This is like going to the Emergency Room for a cough. The Triage Nurse mentions your intestines are hanging out and you choose to treat just the cough. How did we reach reach this nadir of lunacy? There are many directions to point a finger, I am aiming at NELP, UCubed and Working America.

99ers should not be surprised we have reached this point. Except for occasional whispers to the contrary, Congress has been shouting opposition to TierV since spring. It's easy to suggest 99ers should have organized more effectively. There have been great grassroot groups, UWAG and Unemployed Friends are just two of many. These are primarily volunteer organizations. NELP, UCubed and Working America have professional staff and budgets. The staff may be small and the budget limited, but 99ers budget? 99ers are trying to keep the utilities on in a house they might lose to cook food they can't afford to buy. NELP, UCubed and Working America should have been doing more this whole time.

The One Nation Working Together rally was great.  That rally was two months ago.  Since then there have been call rallies, fax rallies, email campaigns. Obviously these attempts have been ineffective and done nothing to generate public opinion. 99ers are told time is dear and unemployed between 26 and 99 weeks need all efforts to continue to fund their benefits. NELP, UCubed and Working America should have never let it come to an either/or decision. As soon as Jim Bunning started his one man show in March, NELP, UCubed and Working America should have been screaming every day that 99ers be included in any extensions. These professional organizations were neglectful and now claim they must concentrate their efforts for those with extensions previously approved.  Okay, what about the rest of us.

I don't know how this will wind up.  I fear it will end with discord between 99ers and less than 99ers. Unemployed eating their own.  Which makes sense, because it's the only food many of us can afford.

Abandoning the 99ers and receiving nothing.

As usual, the always relevant Donalee King was her eloquent mix of facts and fury on Thanksgiving. In synopsis, Donalee makes the case that everyone (I take editorial license to exclude Ed Schultz) from Sen. Stabenow to unions to advocacy groups to rally organizers have lied to the 99ers. The 99ers have been encouraged to lend their voice to every Democratic and unemployment cause only to have Tier V (or any talk of extensions beyond 99 weeks) excluded from last minute negotiations to extend unemployment benefits past November 30, 2010. She proposes lobbying the new Congress to strip NELP of funding as part of the presumed upcoming austerity program in January.  She continues by withdrawing her support from any extension that does not help the 99ers and concludes telling the Dems to grow a set and combine extending expiring tax cuts with long term extension of unemployment benefits beyond 99 weeks. It's hard to argue with Donalee but I do want to disagree at least in part.

I heartily agree with combining tax cut and unemployment benefit extensions in the way only a self promoting blogger can.  I suggested this combination on August 27, 2010. Extend long term unemployment benefits (including TierV, VI or Tier XX if necessary) for the same period as tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. The CBO reports unemployment benefits are 5 times more effective than extended tax cuts in creating economic production. Given this obvious logic I can only assume the conversation will still be about tax cuts with unemployment benefits being at most a footnote.  On that count, big thanks to both Congress and major media outlets.

I split with Donalee on her decision to "unsupport" the less than 99ers.  As a 99er, I can't understand Donalee's frustration but I am fully aware of my anger. As a 99er, I was able to cross each week off the calendar, fully aware when my unemployment safety net would end.  For those under 99 weeks of benefits, a sudden end (for example, tomorrow) is even more unsettling than being a 99er.  I speak from personal experience.  I went through the Congressional "June Swoon" when no one beyond 99 weeks received benefits previously approved.  The idea that unemployed planning on up to 99 weeks of benefits cut off at 26 weeks is as unsettling as the lack of support for 99ers.  Still, I can't agree on the actions of NELP, unions, etc.

Although flummoxed at the piss poor economic policy of not continuing unemployment extensions given the high unemployment rate and stagnant job creation the stupidity of Congress never surprises me.  If my advocacy groups must abandon my needs to serve millions of others I realize I might get left out. But NELP, AFL-CIO, Working America, One Nation Working Together and others have flushed me like blue ice and gotten nothing.  Don't jettison my needs without getting something for the rest of the unemployed.  At the end of the day I fear not only will I be left out (and me and my family are my primary concern) but so will everyone else beyond 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.  The war analogy fits here, don't make me a casualty for nothing.

On a final note, Donalee's Thanksgiving article ends with a description of her personal desperation. Donalee, don't give up, now or ever.  Your talent shines through. Any organization would be blessed to add your ability and passion.  Don't let short sighted idiots get you down, you are way too good for that.

DC Rally Tomorrow: It's About Time

Our day is almost here. Tomorrow is the One Nation Working Together Rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. It's about time.

I came to One Nation Working Together as a member of the long term unemployed. The USA needs good paying jobs for the sake of all citizens. One Nation stands for more than that: It stands for full equality, a safety net for those at risk and world class public education. In short One Nation Working Together represents middle class values.

During my formative years it appeared the USA was on track for embedding these middle class values permanently.  Somewhere between  my High School graduation and my kids entering middle school America took a wrong turn and turned on the middle class. This must be rectified. So it is about time for tomorrow's rally.

It is important that the rally is not the culmination of efforts to restore the middle class. The rally must be the beginning.  For me, my children and my grandchildren. So I intend to keep middle class values in my daily conversation. As just one guy in the Midwest I ask that tomorrow's rally become an annual event. America needs it and Americans deserve it.

What are your thoughts about tomorrow's rally? A beginning? The end? A stop along the way? What does the One Nation Working Together rally mean to you?

Remaining optimistic.

If you watch network news daily you are informed when these Jewish holidays occur: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Chanukah and Passover. The anchor starts with "Today at sunset Jews around the world begin celebrating (insert name of holiday). This holiday commemorates (what the holiday commemorates in 1 sentence)." There are other Jewish holidays of significance, but they don't make the news.

Rosh Hashana begins a 10 day period of intense introspection which concludes with Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement". A mere 4 days (Wednesday night) from the end of Yom Kippur the holiday of Succot begins, followed a week later by the holiday of Shemini Atzeret. Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur is marked by somber themes: Introspection, apology, forgiveness and atonement. According to strict traditional interpretation failing to successfully reach atonement could lead to premature death of the individual and collectively the destruction of the world.  Succot (a mere four days from Yom Kippur) and Shemini Atzeret are marked by a theme of unrestrained joy. Given that the reward a "successful" Yom Kippur is to earn a another year of  (successful) existence a joyful celebration so close seems extraordinarily presumptive.  Yet  as a Jew, I know this happens every year. How can anyone, let alone an entire people make this assumption? The answer is faith.

Faith is not limited to belief in a beneficent divinity. For me faith also includes a positive attitude: the understanding that everything  I have done stands on it's own but also serves as a building block to a successful ultimate outcome.  I will achieve what I desire because I have engaged in the proper activities to earn a favorable outcome.

I feel this way about being a 99er. My period of intense self review began September 22 (yesterday) with the fax rally organized by the American 99ers Union. The "One Nation Working Together" DC rally On October 2 will end this period of soul searching combined with activity. Along the way I have called elected officials and will continue calling. I have supported other rallies. These rallies were notable but also serve as a precursor to DC Rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Finally, after many months the unemployed advocacy groups have come together under a single umbrella. I believe in a positive outcome, for me and over 2 million 99ers.

There are many reasons to be negative.  Tiers 2, 3 and 4 are not funded beyond November 30.  Tier V discussion will be delayed until previous Tiers are addressed. Nothing regarding extended unemployment benefits or aggressive job creation is currently on the legislative schedule. Congress will recess in early October to campaign for reelection. Most importantly, some 99ers have gone without benefits since March. Too many have already lost so much, when resolution arrives it will not help. But negativity or anger induced indifference will not solve all that is wrong. So I return to my tradition and find reasons to be positive and continue to affect change where ever I can.

Do you continue to remain positive or are you tired of being ignored as a 99er? Any ideas on how to move things along?

Organized to help ourselves.

I hadn't planned on posting today. It's Erev Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur, a 24 Hour complete fast begins at Sunset), I have an appointment in a few hours 75 miles away and it's garbage day. I found some good news in my email last night and feel compelled to share the news. Just maybe, yesterday's unjustified optimism is justified.

Cleaning out my email yesterday night 3 great independent sources shared a similar message.  Donalee King, Mike Thornton and UWAG all had the same theme: As of today we are all organized, in this together.

It was the lack of any organized effort that made me start this blog.  As I found other advocacy forums, I followed their lead because I believe we need to work together. In the name of total disclosure, I had absolutely nothing to do with this aggregation of force. None the less, I would not feel any prouder had I pulled this together myself.

Our task is clear. Unemployment beyond 26 weeks is not funded for anyone beyond Nov. 30, 2010. There is still nothing for anyone  beyond 99 weeks. Congress will be in session for 3 weeks beginning Monday and neither of these topics is on the calendar in either chamber. This is unacceptable and must be changed. So along with Ed Schultz, Norman Goldman and other progressive voices support the DC rally on 10/2/10. Whether or not you can attend the rally, get everyone you know involved with the call-in on Wednesday 9/22/10. Spread the word, provide the energy and create the buzz. Our moment has arrived, do not let it disappear.

I wish an easy fast and a Gmar Tov to those that these wishes apply. I wish us all success. Lives hang in the balance.

No help yet.

Last week I was talking with my friend Vito, a Desert Storm veteran, union member, Republican and a 99er.  We've known each other for over 15 years, working together for 4 years. Vito became a 99er in July, my membership began in September. We share information weekly about jobs, unemployment and general thoughts.   During our last conversation I mentioned that I didn't think there would be any legislation for TierV until after the November elections. Vito disagreed, "Do you think Congress is going home for elections with unemployment close to 10% and 5 million 99es?" His opinion gave me some hope.

The past 7 days had shown some promise. Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) broke ranks with his party to support a small business package. John Boehner indicated he would be open to extending tax cuts without including the ultra rich in the package. The spirit of compromise was in the air. Unfortunately, that spirit didn't stick around too long.

Republican leadership ran away from Boehner's thoughts. It seems some Democrats don't have the stones to pass a tax cut that ends at $250,000.  This morning two sources indicated that Democratic Congressional leadership will again postpone funding Tiers II, III and IV until the last minute, squeezing out the 99ers in the process.

For reasons that defy logic I remain optimistic.  The DC rally on October 2nd is gaining momentum. Ed Schultz has guaranteed at least 300,000 participants.  Along with Sen. Voinovich, Gregg of NH and Lemeiux of FL are retiring Republican Senators that might be persuaded to join in the populist issue of helping the unemployed, especially if tied to continuation of the Bush tax cuts. I think something will be done before November. Do you ? If yes, how will it fall together? If no, why not?

No news from Gov't but things are happening.

On Sunday, I tweeted this link from the US Unemployed Blogsite, "No News But Speculation-So Why Say Anything." The gist of the post stated there is nothing new with no legislation scheduled; so if you can't say anything good.... I cannot dispute the fact about legislation nor the prayers for full employment by Labor Day; I agree 100%.  None the less the editor did not address the positive things that happened in August. Maybe there is something to hope for.

Before I continue I must offer this disclaimer: For the 99ers, long-term, shorter-term or soon to be, no silver lining exists. If they have not yet experienced total disaster (I include myself) they fear total disaster every day. Fearing something every day means you have that experience every day. This type of existence quashes hope and remains immune to "Things aren't all that bad". In truth things are indeed all that bad. Still the tide may be starting to turn.

During August bills addressing unemployment compensation beyond 99 weeks were introduced in the Senate and the House. Ed Schultz promoted and attended a rally on Wall Street in support of the 99ers. Reverend Jesse Jackson led a Jobs, Justice and Peace rally in Detroit with the potential for additional rallies in other cities.  Legislatively I realize both bills are imperfect, need to be merged into one bill and no debate is scheduled. The longest journey starts with a single step and for 99ers the first step has been taken.  Ed Schultz and Reverend Jackson are great advocates and they speak to different audiences.  This is the only the beginning of a single battle on behalf of the middle class, but I am pleased by those on our side. Except for Ed Schultz none of this was a reality before the month began.

Much more needs to be done but the framework exists.  There are various groups working for the unemployed. Both UCubed and Working America have Union affiliations. The Unions bring organization and access that a group of individuals would be hard pressed to acquire. A rally is scheduled in DC on October 2.  It is now up to the 99ers and their support to continue to speak out in any manner available. Each day is dear, but the past has passed and cannot be recaptured. There is a possibility of reclaiming the future. That's what happened this month. Not much in the way of results but much more than "no news". This is more than speculation.