99ers Rally For Unemployment Extension

[Joanne98]

After 99 weeks, or more, of unemployment, traveling to a political rally is a luxury. Across the country, thousands of 99ers, Americans who have exhausted the maximum weeks of unemployment benefits, have written letters or called Congress advocating for legislation extending benefits or creating jobs programs. But the first 99ers rally, held on Wall Street this Thursday, proved a more modest affair.

Normally, the unemployed suffer from political disenfranchisement, on top of the hardships of joblessness, including loss of income, poorer health outcomes and eroding skills. But a group of activists working online have founded list-servs and websites to connect hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers. And they have teamed up with major labor unions, like the AFL-CIO and the SEIU, to flex their political might. Up until now, their efforts have been virtual; at Thursday’s rally, the unemployed took to the streets for the first time.

The rally came at a good time politically. Despite the very long odds of passage, Senate and House Democrats have originated two bills to aid the 99ers in the past 10 days. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) introduced a bill moving the maximum number of weeks of federal and state benefits to 119 last week. And this week, Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.) and Shelley Berkley (Nv.) introduced similar legislation in the House.

But just two dozen or so 99ers and a few dozen more unemployed persons met on the steps of Federal Hall, across from the New York Stock Exchange. (Most of the 99ers or figures in the unemployment netroots I spoke with before the event said that they could not afford the gas or plane ticket to get to the rally.) Members of the Transport Workers Union of America Local 100 and the United Federation of Teachers joined them.
http://washingtonindependent.com/94680/99ers-rally-for-unemployment-extension

[Mnpaul]

1. I fear it will fall on deaf ears

We should pay for their unemployment extension by creating a tax on imported manufactured goods. Let the people who shipped the jobs overseas pay instead of the ones who keep jobs here.

[matt819]

2. I'm confused

I guess it must be a fact that all of the unemployed, including (especially?) the 99ers, are liberals. Could it be that Newt and his cohorts consider their RW lunatic fringe unemployed followers lazy? Do unemployed conservatives willingly skip receiving unemployment benefits? Do unemployed republicans take minimum wage jobs - jobs that pay less than unemployment benefits - just so that they have jobs and, so, satisfy Newt's perverse view of the universe? Is there some sort of ginormous conspiracy designed to ensure that all unemployed are liberals?

Just askin'.

[lib2DaBone]

3. No.. equal opportunity insanity....

The Republicans voted against the Small Business Loan Bill.

This would have allowed access to much needed capital for small business.. many owned by REPUBLICANS!

They are hurting their own people.. but they don't care... getting back in power at any cost is all they care about.

It is not about hungry kids, senior citizens, families or the middle class. It's about PROFITS!