Passing H.R. 589

I became involved with the 99ers in July, 2010. Activists had been advocating for TierV/extended unemployment benefits beyond 99 weeks prior to my involvement. To date there has been 1 vote on Tier V. S3706 failed to pass the Senate. In the House, H.R. 6556 was introduced in Dec. 2010 during the waning days of the Democratic majority in the 111th Congress. H.R. 589, the 112th Congress sibling of HR 6556 was introduced in Feb. 2011 and referred to committee. The committee must be very busy because no one has heard much about H.R. 589 since February.

Many passionate, bright, energetic individuals have devoted day and night spreading information about the benefits of passing unemployment benefits on top of the 99 week maximum. Still the answer from Congress is "we're just not that into Tier V." Perhaps it's time to try another approach.

Currently written, H.R. 589 would add an additional 14 weeks of unemployment benefits in Tier II and be available to all, including those unemployed that have max'ed out at 99 weeks anytime in the last 13 months. While much will be the same 14 weeks from today (or whenever H.R. 589 passes) 14 weeks of benefits would be a godsend for millions of unemployed and the businesses where the unemployed will spend those benefits. Houses (and therefore neighborhood housing values) will be preserved. Homelessness will be prevented. Some will find work, others will find a path to self employment.  14 weeks means survival for many.

Herein lies the path to passage for H.R. 589.  Unemployed, unemployment fairness advocates and umbrella groups organizing on behalf of the unemployed must concentrate on a vision for week 15. Specifically, show the benefits of H.R. 589 as it expires for the first group of recipients. Contrast that vision with a picture of another 15 weeks without anything for millions. If the unemployed can articulate these 2 different scenarios and connect on a visceral level with the populace as a whole, momentum for H.R. 589 can build. What starts as a few voices can in fact become a loud loyal chorus.  Isn't that right, Wisconsin? 

A letter to the 99ers.

Dear Colleagues:

Except for bad news, we 99ers would have no news at all. I got my latest news from Mike Thornton.  All unemployment extensions  are scheduled to expire November 30. Congress adjourned after an exhausting four working days and didn't move forward on unemployment extensions. Extending tax cuts to those making over $250K may be a bargaining chip for assisting the unemployed, but apparently not to help the 99ers. Except for 99ers (and Ed Schultz) no one is talking about the 99ers. What should we do?

My answer came from Sarah Robinson and her blog "Escaping Mediocrity".  Ms. Robinson's point is that it's easy to find a reason not to do something. That is the path most people choose.  Those that seek a reason to act inevitably succeed as a result of their move to action. I agree and today is a great day to start.

Do not mistake this as a "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" lecture to 99ers.  Anyone that suggests that 99ers are not doing everything possible to be a non-99er is a jerk.  99ers are some of the bravest and driven people I know. Unfortunately strength and motivation may not be enough to stave off eviction and hunger.

One choice is to lobby Congress even harder for extended unemployment benefits. Unfortunately the most expansive option is S3706 which currently is only discussed in a whisper and not even out of committee. S3706 calls for an additional 20 weeks of benefits in some states.  I don't expect the economy to be significantly different in 20 weeks, so S3706 is at best a band-aid. There is nothing wrong with a band-aid, it's just insufficient.

Another option is to continue to be angry. Donalee King has been expressing this rage most eloquently. This is not a criticism of Donalee.  She is a tireless advocate on behalf of the unemployed and a continual source of inspiration. But sitting around reading Donalee and being angry along with her doesn't move me forward.  It's time to stop being incredulous about getting f***ed, light up a smoke and get moving.

Identify a skill, something you do better than anyone.  Rediscover professional passion, your reason for heading out the door. Combine these two and find a way build a living with them. This is the choice I've made. Easy, right?  Not at all! If it were easy everybody would do it and it's time to be different from others. Bold action isn't one option , it is the only option.

Success will not come easily, nor is it guaranteed.  Even failure moves success one step closer. Most importantly, failure while striving to achieve is better than disaster while waiting for help.  99ers have been labeled lazy and drug addicts. These mean spirited opinionated bastards deserve an extended middle finger waved in their faces. Every move toward success is that flip-off.  I will not give these jerks a victory, I will fight.

I was talking with my friend and neighbor "Union Jack".  Jack is a union electrician.  In 2009 he worked about 14 weeks and thought that was a tough Christmas.  He's worked 8 weeks in 2010, this will be the mean Christmas.  I plan on kicking mean in the ass. I'm hoping many will join me in this endeavor.

My prayer for all unemployed this winter is shelter, sustenance and success. It's about time.

With admiration,
Barry

Words matter.

Wandering through the local Toys R Us I saw a sign atop a bin, "Retired Beanie Babys". Obviously, TRU is trying to clear inventory, but the perception of Beanie Baby Closeout/Blowout/Discount vs. the perception of Retired Beanie Babies is significant even though the goal is the same. Words create image, words matter.

I am a lifelong liberal. Politically, I've been playing defense my entire life.  Liberals lose the word game and have to fight twice as hard to drive public opinion. Liberals must stop using conservative terminology and reframe the discussion with favorable word images.

"Pro-life, Pro-choice". The inference is that a woman that wants control of her body is somehow against life. In contrast many anti-abortion activists have no problems with the death penalty or untold millions dead in Iraq and Afghanistan. These anti-choicers are many things but certainly not pro-life. Start framing the abortion debate accurately: intrusive big government required reproduction vs. personal reproductive rights.

Cap and trade is a moderate response to pollution control. Other options include cap and tax/fine (government receives income from carbon credits), cap (comply or close) or allowing our world to become a pile of toxic goo.   Opponents call it cap and tax (if only) or government intrusion.  Proponents should call cap and trade what it truly is: free market pollution abatement.

Entitlement programs. Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment benefits are not entitlements, they are safety nets.  Framing them as entitlements evokes a spoiled rich kid with unrealistic expectations as a birth rite. Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment Compensation are insurance programs. Insurance is pooled risk. By definition not everyone enrolled in an insurance program benefits equally. Some receive greater than their input, some less than their input and some lucky individuals don't need the benefit. Would you rather receive payment from you auto insurance or be accident free?  The only thing that makes Social Security or Medicare entitlements is that individuals that do not need benefits, receive benefits.  Income and asset test these "entitlements" and reserve the programs for those in need of a safety net.

Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits. There is no benefit to being unemployed for any length of time. Unemployment compensation supports both the recipient and the community and occasionally must be extended beyond 26 weeks during a weak economy. Refer to unemployment insurance compensation as local short term recession mitigation. Individuals and their neighborhoods suffer during high unemployment. Foreclosures rise, property values plunge, businesses close and the cycle spirals downward to disaster. It makes sense to invest in these communities through (unemployed) individuals until the economy is sustainable. Anyone in Congress listening?

Liberals will continue to make a case to a deaf public if conservatives are allowed to control terminology.  When liberals use proper language there is no debate. Progressive points are self evident.  Choose the right words and control the conversation.

Some of the above newly coined terms are rather lengthy.  Any ideas to make them shorter or sharper?  Do you have any other terms to recast?

My family matters, so does yours.

I know why I should stay home on November 2, 2010.  The Democratic Party has grossly mismanaged a long list of priority agenda items. As a 99er, I am particularly furious about the quarterly Senate dance regarding funding extensions through 99 weeks. Since the fight becomes about funding current extensions the issue of funding beyond 99 weeks receives minimal attention.  Even when a Tier V is proposed as in S3706 it is nothing more than a band aid. Unemployment has been 9% or more since May, 2009 and is not projected to drop below 9% any time soon. A long term solution combining job creation along with a safety net is required and NO ONE is talking about that at all.  That's why I should stay home but on November 2, 2010  I am going to vote for every Democratic candidate on the ballot.

When citing their reason for not funding emergency extended unemployment benefits up to 99 weeks the moderate  Republicans spoke as one, "We cannot in good conscience add to the Federal Deficit and pass this burden onto our future generations." The mean spirited crazies said "We don't want to make the life of the unemployed too comfortable. They're going to have to suck it up and understand they may have to take a pay cut or relocate."

I am voting Democratic for the same reason  Republican deficit (chicken) hawks won't fund emergency unemployment extensions. I cannot pass on this burden to my future generations. "This burden" is the governance of the mean spirited crazies in the Republican party. A Republican Party too moderate for the 2000-2008 version that drove the US economy into the ditch and helped transform America from a country of shared vision to a country of "where's mine". Should the Republicans gain a majority of the House and/or Senate, success will be attributed to the "shit for brains" crowd of Palin, O'Donnell, Miller, Angle et al. It will take decades to undo the damage of George W. Bush, compassionate conservative. It would take centuries to undo the damage should the "Tea Party Trailer Troupe" gain control of government. And since no current Republican is willing to criticize the wingnuts, the wingnuts will be in charge if the Republicans win in November. Therefore I am voting for Democrats because my kids and (hopefully) grandkids deserve better. So I ask you act similarly and if you won't vote for the sake of your lineage, will you please vote on behalf of my future generations?

On second thought, I'm voting in November

About a month ago I listed my criteria for voting in November. Under duress I have changed my mind.

I do not feel any better about the Democrats than I did a month ago. Collectively, in both the Executive and Legislative Branches they continue to mismanage extended unemployment benefits as well as most other agenda items. I am angry, hurt and frustrated in a manner that is only inflicted by people or policy that are dear. As an Illinois Democrat and a lifelong Cub fan I am familiar with embarrassment and disappointment. The Democrats in the 111th Congress have evoked unhappiness well beyond that of Cubdom. I continue to believe that as of today, there is no effective difference between the Democrats and Republicans for the 99ers.    Despite all of these negative feelings I am going to the polls on November 2, 2010 to support the Democratic Party.

I remember the Democratic Primary in 2008. By February all but 2 of the party's presidential candidates had withdrawn. I still got to choose between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama; a tough decision because they were both strong candidates. The 2008 General Election was simpler; for me the choice was clear. Democracy does not guarantee a choice between 2 or more strong candidates. Sometimes the choice is between getting screwed occasionally and getting screwed routinely, aka the 2010 General Election.

I won't vote for a third party. Our elections are geared for a two party system and the Dems and Repubs don't care about "messages". The two major parties only care about winning and losing. I can't vote for the Republicans. The 2010 Republican Party is lead by mean spirited xenophobic crazies and weaklings that turn a blind eye to the lunatic fringe. So I will go to the polls, hold my nose, vote for the Dems and try not to cry. After voting, I'll go to the local pub for a beer to wash the sour taste from my mouth.

Will you vote? Stay home? Cast a better light on the choices available?

Nothing new, what do we do?

The next 10 days could get very interesting. Finally there is buzz (other than Ed Schultz and the unemployed) about extending benefits beyond 99 weeks. Much to my surprise the Republicans are part of that buzz. The Republicans want unfunded tax cuts and privatization of Medicare and Social Security. While I wouldn't turn down benefits they might put through, I'm not holding my breath either. Many of the Democrats would like to provide relief to those that have exhausted their benefits. It's good economics and the right thing to do. Unfortunately neither Senator Reid, Speaker Pelosi or President Obama have spoken about additional benefits beyond current limits. A picture paints a thousand words and their silence is deafening.

Extending unemployment benefits beyond 99 weeks should have already been accomplished. No one would be breaking new ground, there is historical precedence when either party held the White House or Congress. Sometimes these extensions were funded, sometimes they were emergency (added to the debt) appropriations. This is were bold leadership is required.

Prior to passing the recent extension funding, Democrats attempted to offset the expense with cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. The $25 weekly stimulus funds were also removed and not part of the final bill. Medicaid and food stamps are safety nets for people with minimal income in the same manner that unemployment benefits are safety nets for those that have been unable to find reemployment. Extending unemployment while reducing other safety nets accomplishes nothing. It merely shifts the burden to another group with limited representation. It's a cowardly way of doing business. If the extensions are going to be part of the budget (they should, with 5 seekers for every job this won't be solved quickly) new sources of revenue (new or greater taxes, yikes) must be found. I have ideas which will be part of another post.

What do I suggest? Stop counting on the kindness of others. Elected officials need voters more than voters need elected officials. We (the UNEMPLOYED voters) need to recognize, internalize this fact and act accordingly.

1. Stay abreast of happenings that effect the (long term) unemployed. Open Congress is a great way to track legislation.

2.Michael Thornton and Donalee King are two of many that do a great job of simplifying Congressional language and talking about 99er issues. Subscribe and stay knowledgeable.

3. Get involved now. The Unemployed Workers Action Group and Unemployed-Friends have specific campaigns right now. There are multiple petitions on Change and Care2. I am trying to organize our efforts here and at Facebook. Participate on your behalf. Patience is poison.

This may not be too hard but it's not simple. It is easier than living in a box or feeding your kids at a soup kitchen. 99ers know this because they are living it. They may not be telling their stories because they no longer have the capability. It is up to you and me to act for them and for ourselves. Either we swim together or we certainly sink alone. I am off to find my Rabbi and ask why the clergy appear to be silent about impending homelessness.

Thanks and thoughts

Some follow-up to yesterday's post. Please email Ed Schultz at his radio or TV show to say thank you, he's approaching this crisis as though it was his own family seeking help. You can also tweet him at @wegoted, @edshow.

I had a chance to review Rep. Alan Grayson from two nights ago. I hoped the 99ers would get an advocate on their behalf similar to Alan Grayson for health care reform. Sure enough someone claimed that mantel: Rep. Alan Grayson. Why can't anyone else be Grayson? Is he the only Democratic in the house with heart, soul and guts?

A friend suggests that Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Jim McDermott are amongst the most likely to champion additional unemployment extensions. Please contact either or both (especially if you are a constituent) to urge their vigorous participation. For anyone without benefits for months, patience is poison and action is everything.

Please participate in the "Send a Shoe to Washington" Campaign. There are so many in danger of losing everything. A coordinated campaign makes us newsworthy, which generates press. News coverage guarantees the 99ers will not be ignored.

Finally, thanks to Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe. It takes strength and courage to buck your party. Still, part of me has to ask, $25? It took $25 per family per week to get this going? Is that what it takes to get this going? $25? Now my family has to go to Martha's Vineyard for just a week in August. $25? I'll have to suffer with domestic caviar. $25 is $108.33 a month. $108.33 is bread, eggs, milk, peanut butter, jelly, ground beef, noodles, tomato sauce and canned vegetables. Don't worry. We will all figure it out. Sen. Collins, Sen. Snowe and any Democratic Senators that hid behind Sen. Collins and Sen. Snowe, don't consider me ungrateful. I am grateful checks will be out soon. I am grateful to pay my bills. If $25/week was what it took to get these extensions funded, I am grateful it wasn't more. So I am grateful. I am so grateful I could puke.

Why are they holding my check hostage?

Like many unemployed Americans, I have not received any unemployment benefits since mid-June. Unlike 4 million+ unemployed I still have benefits. Until extensions are funded, no one is discussing adding weeks. Additional weeks are crucial for the recipients and the economy. This breaks my heart for the 99ers. They are running out of options or worse. It scares me because I will be joining them soon. It angers me because it is bad economics and bad social policy. I still look for work everyday, but jobs aren't there. Like many I am frustrated that 41 senators can do this much damage. Why are they holding my check hostage?

The Senate Republicans are using a filibuster to keep the vote on funding from taking place. Their claim is fear of increasing the national debt. I always felt this is a convenient excuse andSen. Jon Kyl admits as much. Most pundits attribute this to pure partisan politics, but it goes beyond that. These quotes are a 30+ year snapshot of Republican opinion regarding the unemployed. It reflects a concerted effort to keep wages from increasing and keep employees in fear of losing their jobs. Think about it: Unemployment benefits aren't getting out and officials representing over 40% of the country call us lazy, hobos, substance abusers and worse, with impunity. Are you really going to fight for $10 a week? Be too busy to come in for a half day on Saturday, compensated or not? Call in sick when you are sick?

I don't think the Republicans stand in the lobby and talk about ways to suppress wages. It is just who they are. Government safety nets are socialism; repeal or privatize Social Security and Medicare; "The business of America is business". They are merely being true to character but things happen and you must reevaluate your priorities. No matter what drives your behavior you are still responsible for the consequences. Why didn't even one Republican Senator, Representative or Governor say "No matter what we believe, people are going without food and shelter. Philosophy can wait." ? They all bear that responsibility.

Am I being too harsh? Not harsh enough? Too simplistic for a complex issue? What do you think?

My apologies to Conservatives fighting for unemployment extensions. I whack the Dems. next time.

What just happened?

June 30, 2010 7:20 PM CDT I was on the laptop, The Rachel Maddow Show on TV in the background. (Yes, I am a progressive and proud of it.) The hose host stops her interview to announce Breaking News: The Senate has failed to pass Funding of Unemployment Extensions by 1 vote and was adjourning for Independence Day until July 12, 2010. My extended unemployment has been held hostage since June 6, 2010 and elected officials were taking a week off.

How could this happen? Many reasons with blame enough for both parties, the White House and my fellow unemployed. There is time enough to go through the politics, I want to talk about the unemployed.

That week was a very busy week in Washington. 2 confirmation hearings, the death of Senator Byrd, the ongoing mess in the Gulf. Many pressing issues were competing for coverage. 1.2 million citizens without any support, promised support and very little coverage. This is my responsibility along with my fellow unemployed.

The unemployed have no voice, no face, no advocate. We don't have a concrete message other than we need help either with a job or longer benefits. We are relying on the compassion of others, but our plight is much harder to comprehend than the image of an oil-slicked pelican. That is not going to change unless we make it change.

That is why I have started this blog along with companion sites on Facebook UBO21C (please like) and Twitter @ubo21(please follow). Together I want to craft a message and devise ways to deliver that message keeping us in front of the news. I also hope to share links that can help us get by. Finally we can gather for support.

I look forward to your thoughts and ideas. Stay positive, despite it all.