Another lesson from Wisconsin.

Emperor Scott Walker, Viceroy Scott Fitzpatrick and the single mind GOP of Wisconsin continue to share insight into today's Republican Party.  As you may be aware, last week at the behest of Walker and with the facilitation of Fitzpatrick, the GOP caucus of the Wisconsin Senate rammed through a bill stripping many Wisconsin public employees of their right to collective bargaining. Earlier this week, Fitzpatrick authorized "taxation without representation" by stripping Wisconsin Senate Dems of their right to vote in committee. Sen. Fitzpatrick has since rescinded this edict; all Wisconsin Senators will be allowed to vote in committee.

Scott Walker's political future is all but set. A recall measure will be filed January 3, 2012, the first day he is eligible for recall. Anyone casting their lot with Walker is asking for the same fortune. Given that politicians are many things, but box o' rocks stupid is not one of them, what gives?

Simple: If GOP officials choose to leave politics there will be a nice private sector job waiting, so long as they obey the puppetmasters.  If the same GOP officials choose to run, they're counting on the unlimited hidden campaign funds allowed by the Citizens United decision to scrub their image clean. The ramifications for the 99ers or any other fans of democracy are clear cut.

It is impossible to match funds with the virtually unlimited resources of the ultrawealthy ubergreedy patrons of today's GOP. Many Dems are also feeding at the same trough.  All the rest of us have to offer is unbridled resolve.  We must commit to stay active, remain visible, advocate our cause and absolutely go out and vote.

In the short term, contact your legislators today  and every day about passage of H.R. 589. Join U Cubed  and find a local cube.  Local organizing is a key to moving the 99er agenda forward. Finally, don't quit, never quit. Democracy is too important.

To UCubed: I apologize.

In the past months I have been highly critical of UCubed in at least two posts. I didn't think my posts were mean spirited or vindictive. I still don't think that way. I felt 99ers needed more from UCubed. I still believe that, too. I must admit I was working with a wrong set of assumptions.  I felt that since UCubed had a Director and a budget, UCubed should be doing more on behalf of the long term unemployed. Until this week.

UCubed had been aggressively publicizing elections for state directors. On Monday, I received an email from UCubed Executive Director that elections had to be cancelled. Only one person in one state had stepped up to run. For the sake of full disclosure that one person wasn't me. As the saying goes, "When you point a finger at someone else, remember there are three fingers pointing back at you."

I do believe 99ers need more from UCubed, but as another saying goes, "You can't make chicken soup from chicken poop." As I look at my reflection in the mirror do I see egg or chicken poop? I'm not sure.

So to Executive Director Rick Sloan and anyone else in UCubed, in unity-strength, I apologize. To anyone reading this not yet a member of UCubed, please join and help me get this mess off my face.

Time for UCubed to stop chillin'.

UCubed is an unemployment advocacy group organized under the auspices of the IAM.  The organizational skills and resources Unions can offer the unemployed are (to borrow a marketing campaign) PRICELESS. I can only imagine the assistance UCubed can provide once they actually start.


I apologize, the above is a cheap shot.  This is not intended to be a condemnation on UCubed, merely a strongly worded critique. Simply put, the 99ers and the soon to be 99ers desperately need UCubed to reach it's potential beginning today.


We are a week+ beyond the State of the Union Address. President Obama deftly avoided any mention of the 99ers and the ongoing unemployment crisis during the State of the Union. The UCubed response was a strongly worded "Shame on you, Barack Obama" (thanks, Hillary). I ask, "Is this the best the power of 31 million can offer?"


99ers are fighting and losing a major public relations battle.  Just yesterday @ReThePeople tweeted
"# 99ers have to realize they are playing a suckers game. Since you are only fighting for #TierV benefits, only your little group is affected".  @ReThePeople appears to be in tune with current events, but in this case he is so wrong. First the agenda of the unemployed has always been and continues to be jobs, jobs,  jobs but until there are sufficient jobs, a safety net is necessary. Second, the argument for extending unemployment insurance beyond 99 weeks has as much to do with sustaining the economic recovery as it does with sustaining the unemployed. 99ers are not fighting for themselves alone, they are fighting for today's economic stability and the future of our country. Still the need for UCubed to get aggressive goes beyond PR.


On Sunday Donalee King asked if the violence in Egypt is merely a foreshadowing of events in the USA. Well Donalee, yes it is.


I have been a proponent of aggressive but peaceful demonstrations in the street. Organized, time limited displays with a specific purpose.  Be it cardboard box villages in front of an elected officials office or blocking access to a public building at 5 PM, it is vital to involve/educate the entire community about the plight of the 99ers. UCubed has the best ability to arrange these type of protests and keep them peaceful.  If peaceful protests are not arranged angry people will take to the streets. (I'm assuming the current strategy of call/fax/email/tweet/angry,astonished posts will continue to yield the same results: NOTHING.) When that anger boils over, violence will follow. Violence often has random results and a corresponding violent response in an effort to quell the violent outburst will result in even more random results.  This is one of many reasons why it is important to channel the growing anger of the unemployed now, and UCubed (or another funded, staffed advocacy group) needs to take the lead.


Their have been many suggesting that each homeless, hungry or dead 99er is the responsibility of a President and Congress that fail to react to this crisis appropriately.  We know the Congress and President will continue to respond in their ostrich like manner. The next group of hungry, homeless or dead 99ers is our responsibility and it starts with our advocacy organizations that know better. UCubed, I'm talking to you.

Oh, Joy.

Yesterday I criticized NELP, Working America and UCubed. These organizations with budgets and paid professional staff have failed miserably in assisting the 99ers. Their inability to be proactive brings us to December 3,2010 and the 99ers ignored again in an attempt to re-establish extensions for the unemployed in weeks 27-99.

What should NELP, Working America and UCubed be doing? Watching Joy Behar. Last night, Ms. Behar opened her HLN talker reminding everyone that Sen. Scott Brown was the latest Grand Obstructionist Party member to block a vote on funding unemployment extensions. She then suggested that all effected by Sen. Brown's vote drop in on his $100 a plate holiday dinner funder on Friday Night, complete with time and address. I have Joy, deep in my heart.

In summary, in a 30 second intro to a show that included an update on a Hollywood murder and an interview with the Hasselhoffs, Ms. Behar offered an idea that is more creative than anything 3 worker advocacy groups have done in 2 months. NELP, Working America and UCubed are you listening?

Finally, as you head out to do some holiday shopping this weekend, don't worry about the malls being crowded with 99ers.  Unless of course NELP, Working America and UCubed get off their ass.

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.

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.

Vote or stay home?

Last week I received an email from UCubed, an unemployed advocacy group. Along with other groups, they do a great job supporting and organizing to the unemployed.  If you have not yet joined (free), please do. The email presented a challenge for me, one that I have not resolved.

The email was about an Internet ad that will appear after Labor Day but more importantly the email asked for my personal commitment to vote this November.  I received a similar request from Organizing for America. Normally I feel no need to commit to vote, I vote. Currently I am not living in normal times. I am living through the Great Depression of the 21st Century. The USA is as divisive as it has been since the Viet Nam Era. This period in  history is certainly abnormal which presents me with a problem. I am not committed to voting this November.

This is not apathy, it's fury. The  Republican transgressions are many, listing them serves no purpose. Their agenda is transparent. They exist solely to serve and protect the landed gentry of the USA. They use many tools to build a coalition with the non-landed, non-gentry. I find most of these tools (wedge issues) abhorrent. I could not bring myself to vote for any of the Republican candidates that will be on the Illinois ballot. I do have a certain grudging admiration for the Republican's ability to carry out their agenda.

The Democrats are the problem. My unemployment insurance benefits will run out before they return from recess. As of today, everyone beyond 26 weeks will exhaust benefits on Nov. 30, 2010. The Democratic approach to continuation of benefits is beyond disappointing.  Each successive funding attempt has stretched longer than the previous and nothing has been done to address the 99ers. I don't want to hear apologies, excuses or reasons for previous activity. The past is over. I am concerned about the Democratic plan for future unemployment benefits through  this coming Winter. The Democrats have not articulated their program for job creation and the accompanying safety net beyond Nov. 30, 2010.  This makes me furious.

I realize there are many issues and an election is coming.  I am not willing to vote for the lesser of two evils.  I will not be taken for granted nor will I be pacified. I expect the Democrats to have the will to help the 99ers. I demand they address the issue. Silence will not keep me hoping for their assistance, it will merely keep home on Election Day.