7,000 unemployed Americans lose their lifeline every day, page 1

1.3 million people set to lose their benefits before year's end if Congress doesn't act, according to the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group. In October alone, more than 200,000 people will fall off the rolls. this is one reason the official unemployment figures appear to be so low... these people just aren't counted any more!

Democratic leaders in the Senate introduced a bill two weeks ago to lengthen benefits in all states by 14 weeks. Those that live in states with unemployment greater than 8.5% would receive an additional six weeks.

Senate Republicans want to add several amendments, including one that would pay for the extra benefits with stimulus funds rather than by extending a federal unemployment tax.

While leaders in both parties are trying to negotiate a compromise, Senate Democrats Wednesday took a step to bring the bill to the floor as early as the end of next week. If it passes, the Senate legislation must then be reconciled with the House version, which extends benefits by 13 weeks in high-unemployment states.

Meanwhile, every day that passes another 7,000 people are forever dropped from the roles....

Story

Let me add:
Thats 1.3 million out of a total 15.5 million, and growing

[edit on 23-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by DaddyBare

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A great thread! I wonder what's going to happen when the benefits run
out completely?I think we will start seeing soup kitchens on the rise and
more homeless in the streets.

Here's a local story on how poor counting practices cost one state (South Carolina) extra money and 6,700 folks their unemployment benefits...see once your out of benefits your out of the program and your not counted anymore...

The state's trigger is the number of jobless people; the federal requirement is the state's unemployment rate. The total number of people receiving unemployment benefits had dropped as people fell off the rolls, but the state's unemployment rate is the fifth highest in the country -- 11.6 percent in September.

The failure to act cost about 6,700 people, including 105 people in Beaufort County, extended unemployment benefits paid for by the federal government, money that the state would not have to pay back.

Full story

reply to post by DaddyBare

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That is why when this benefits runs out it benefit the government statistics, remember the "markets are booming" so the rest of the nation is "doing better than expected" . . . right?

Here's something that would make what this means easier to understand and scare you a little...

Mohamed El-Erian says economists are wrong to dismiss unemployment as merely a lagging indicator. Erian sees the U.S. entering what he calls a “new normal” -- a sustained period of annual growth of about 2 percent -- as Americans adjust to a world where credit and jobs are less plentiful. In the five years before the recession began at the end of 2007, gross domestic product expanded at an average annual rate of 2.8 percent.

Unemployment would have topped 10 percent if not for the more than half million Americans who left the workforce. Long- term joblessness -- the percentage of the unemployed out of work for 27 weeks or more -- rose to a record 35.6 percent, or 5.4 million Americans.

It gets worse but I'll let you read about it yourselves

Basically their saying is this, where we are right now... is the new normal... it don't get any better...

[edit on 23-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by dreamseeker

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I guess you could best sum it by calling it expectations of higher gains..
With fewer people buying but needing to keep their current levels of revenue they have no choice but to raise prices...

of course what they really did was put less product into the same or larger packages (Hoping we didn't notice) but charging the same as they always have...

Look at gas prices, there on the march upwards again... but demand is down supply up... reason dictates the price should fall... no its not the fault of big oil it is the fault of big banks like Goldman and BoA who invest in oil futures driving up the costs... oil companies are now starting to suffer because banks driving up prices means they have to pay more for raw product but cant sell enough to override all the added cost... Banks should not be allowed to buy and trade in oil...

I too am on SSA as well as my VA bennies.. my drugs only set me 1.50 for generics... but I know out of work folks where even a buck fifty is to much...
Many experts suggest were do for a round of "Deflation" with wages falling we simply cant afford goods and services at current prices. Odd as it sounds "Deflation" is not a good thing for a healthy economy

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by dreamseeker

---

I guess you could best sum it by calling it expectations of higher gains..
With fewer people buying but needing to keep their current levels of revenue they have no choice but to raise prices...

of course what they really did was put less product into the same or larger packages (Hoping we didn't notice) but charging the same as they always have...

Look at gas prices, there on the march upwards again... but demand is down supply up... reason dictates the price should fall... no its not the fault of big oil it is the fault of big banks like Goldman and BoA who invest in oil futures driving up the costs... oil companies are now starting to suffer because banks driving up prices means they have to pay more for raw product but cant sell enough to override all the added cost... Banks should not be allowed to buy and trade in oil...

I too am on SSA as well as my VA bennies.. my drugs only set me 1.50 for generics... but I know out of work folks where even a buck fifty is to much...
Many experts suggest were do for a round of "Deflation" with wages falling we simply cant afford goods and services at current prices. Odd as it sounds "Deflation" is not a good thing for a healthy economy

They call it negative inflation in my area. It is all based on some calculations that does not make to the average person.
I am so angry because my Part D plan doubled! I am changing it to another plan! Why can't the government at least give us a raise to make up for that increase? At least we can break even instead of having less money. I pay more for everything except for gasoline. My water bill went up,my electircity went up; my food costs went up and I don't even buy new clothes anymore.
I am jsut disgusted with our government. Higher gains means profits. Why put profits ahead of people. I don't care if I have to keep my heat at 67 degrees just give me a cheaper bill! I don't use a lot of water either. I take only one 10 minute shower; I want to be clean after all. I do laundry every 2 weeks and it still is too high ! I only run my dishwasher every 2 weeks as well.
I do not use lights in the day and keep off anything electrical that I am not using. It is never good enough, I am paying $83 for a ONE bedroom APARTMENT in electricty. AN APARTMENT NOT A HOUSE! Only 2 years a go this what my dad paid for his 1500 sq foot house and he used a lot more electricity than I ever did! I used to pay $40 per month for electricty.
Oh yeah and by the way congress voted themselves a raise! GREEDY IDOITS!

[edit on 3-11-2009 by dreamseeker]

reply to post by dreamseeker

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When my husband was laid off,he was still able to keep his health insurance for three months.After that three months,he had to pay
the full amount on his insurance.Who can afford to pay almost
$900.00 per month,just for insurance?

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by dreamseeker

---

When my husband was laid off,he was still able to keep his health insurance for three months.After that three months,he had to pay
the full amount on his insurance.Who can afford to pay almost
$900.00 per month,just for insurance?

$900/month? That is more than rent! What kind of greedy company did you go through! THAT IS DISGUSTING! This is what the greedy businesses and companies get away with. They could charge $2000/month for insurance if they want. There is no regulation on prices. If next year my apartment manager decided uon my renewal of my lease to triple my rental prices then she could! Why can't the government protect us?

reply to post by dreamseeker

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That does sound excessive...
we have a 5 bedroom townhouse here in Albuquerque I have three of my four still at home with the recent addition of my adorable granddaughter... we pay around $125 per month, power... I think my gas payment last months was $27 and that's with 6 of us taking daily showers laundry and all those other things you'd expect from a larger family... I'd look for someplace else to live if it was me...

Correction.. my wife just showed me last months bill $129.98 close enough right

[edit on 3-11-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by dreamseeker

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It was the insurance his company had for the employees! I almost died
when I got the bill in the mail.We couldn't afford that and pay our other bills.

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by dreamseeker

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It was the insurance his company had for the employees! I almost died
when I got the bill in the mail.We couldn't afford that and pay our other bills.

\Is there anyway to fix our broken system? Sometimes I feel so lost what about you?
If I were president it would never be like this.

reply to post by DaddyBare

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I am on budget billing. I am only on that to aviod any nasty suprises. The weird thing is my actual balance keeps rising. Something is weird here. I am probably paying for someone else who did not pay their bill or something.
I have heard that utlities will overcharge certian customers to make up for losses?

reply to post by dreamseeker

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I wrote a thread on what I could do for our country,the responses were
somewhat brutal.I forgot that you have to separate church from state.
I don't know what we can do without being labeled homegrown terrorists
for even trying to do something.
I am open to any and all suggestions on what can we do.

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