100 isn't perfect. It might be disaster.

I am one of the many long term unemployed in this country. Although I usually only speak for myself, I feel comfortable speaking for all of us in one regard. In no particular order, the 5 most important things we need are jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs. Job creation doesn't happen overnight. President Obama wanted a bipartisan stimulus, instead he got one too small. He thought after the bank bailout, the banks would repay the favor. Loan the 0% money they could get to small businesses. Instead the money was used to fuel their insatiable greed. So we must continue to be patient. Patience (in this case) requires shelter, food, utilities. Unemployment compensation beyond 99 weeks. Numerous officials have compared Wall Street to Main Street; Recovery is incomplete until it reaches Main Street. OK, put up or shut up.

Work began on the Bank Bailout in Sept., 2008. The unemployment rate in Sept., 2008 was 6.1% Today the unemployment rate is 9.5%. The unemployment rate has only been this high once in the last 70 years.

Put up or shut up. If the recovery is incomplete until it reaches Main Street, continue unemployment benefits until the unemployment rate returns to the level of Sept., 2008, 6.1% Or stop telling the world this is a priority. To help, I'll have suggestions of ways to pay for this next week.

I'm on Facebook at UBO21C and Twitter @ubo21. Please jump in.

What is equitable? Equity.

As Congress prepares to return to work for a mere 3 weeks, it's important to define what we want. As a group, we the unemployed want 1) the extensions approved 18 months ago fully funded through 2010 2) extensions beyond 99 weeks. Unfortunately, no elected official wants to champion going beyond 99. Until current extensions are funded nothing will be done. Realistically, no one will champion unlimited extensions, so we must be precise in articulating our expectations.

What do I want? Equal treatment under the law as almost any other person. Since recent court decisions imbue corporations with personal rights, this is a great place to start. Just as the banks were bailed out for the good of the country, I would like the same. Not for my good, but because it is good economics. Auto manufacturers were propped up not for the sake of the corp., but to minimize collateral damage. Add more weeks not for me but for the stores I frequent and the property values of my neighbors. When I get healthy, I wish to continue to pay a disproportionately low share of tax. I would like to borrow gobs of money at 0%. I want to invest that money to grow my profits and justify obscenely large bonuses. Not for my sake but for the good of the country. (I apologize for the last few sentences of liberal diatribe. Like gas it surfaces at inopportune moments). What do I want? I want to be considered the same as the big corporations, because as a group we are just as significant. I will give specifications in my next post.

Like the rest of the country, I am unable to fathom the extent of the crisis in the Gulf. I wish Congress could fix it with the wave of a pen. I am sure they would if they could. I don't want to equate the country's chronic unemployment with the Gulf disaster. The circumstances are different but the results might have similar effects on our country. Ironically, Congress could mitigate the effects of long-term unemployment with just a wave of the pen.

I plan to start a conversation on delivering our yet to be crafted message on Facebook at UBO21C, please join in. Also follow on Twitter @UBO21