Unemployment Benefits Expire

the employment security/ unemployment system was never planned to cover some +11% true unemployed for 99 weeks... the whole system is broken and a failure ...

because of the Corporate dismanteling of the country's industrial & manufacturing infrastructure... because jobs are not the top priority but profits (hence bonuses) are.


on-the-other-hand... just how much merchandise was bought on 'black friday' by the unemployed with the credit cards they still have working for them?
i could NOT guarantee that 100% of the 99 weekers stayed at home, did not buy discounted flat screen TVCs or other highly discounted electronics at the WalMart extravaganzas across the nation.

~Yeah, the 99'ers did the 'character' thing and stayed home, so they could stretch their dollars which were due to be even scarcer after the 1st of Dec, with up to 2 million joining them on benefit cessation roles by 31 Dec. ~

Funny how they knew in GA that the trigger was November 13 but didn't post notice or sent out letters until December 1, after Black Friday? Merry Christmas, Americans. The games in DC have to be obvious now to everyone. No emergency unemployment extensions unless the rich get to keep their tax cuts? The same Congress who passed the last extension now denies it? Really? Wow. This will cause more job loss and increased application to other welfare/foodstamp programs anyway. Short-sighted and more like torture than reason.

reply to post by Pervius

Actually, something about this idea strikes me as somewhat feasible, or more likely wishful thinking. When unemployment is high, why not allow people who have worked 25-35 years and paid a lot of money into social security to retire at a younger age to free up more jobs for younger people? . Why instead are they raising the retirement age to the point where when most of us who have worked that long and now to be longer keep paying into something we will never in our lifetime collect? Here again, a pipe dream. Sigh..

Did the crime rate go up after this?

Originally posted by Slipdig1
Did the crime rate go up after this?

I'm keeping an eye on the crime rate here in New York City to see if it goes up in the next few months.

No problem! Everyone who is unemployed and has no money can just go pouring into Mexico and their government will take care of you!!! They will throw money in your face with all their government programs set up to help illegal American immigrants!.....................Oh wait, never mind. Only our smart, dedicated, amazingly caring government here in America takes care of illegals, but not their own.

I believe that Russell Means speaks the truth on this one.

Really tired of hearing people generalize those out of work. I seriously hope those that are being judgmental and heartless never ... ever find themselves in a bad situation. Anything can happen in life, even for those who think they've done all their planning and got their ducks in a row. When my husband lost his job, he went out the next day at sunrise looking for anything from cashiering at gas stations to washing dishes, and this man holds TWO degrees. He could not find work for a flat 4 months, then the job that he ended up taking only hired him part time with $9 per hour. Then he lost that job to the bosses' teenage son. He's been out of work again for 2 months. There's nothing out there because what is left, someone else got it. For once, walk in someone else's shoes and stop and think about what you say. Regardless of who you are you could very well find yourself in this situation too. Only the bankers are getting their bailouts, and their families will all eat good over the holidays and buy fancy things and take extravagant trips, while people suffer. You go on craigslist and you see people begging for help for their children, but those who want to insult them say "you should not have had those kids". How do we know that those with children weren't in a better place before the parents lost their jobs? It's so easy for you keyboard cowboys to type all this nonsense on here about how no one needs their benefits, call them all lazy, and claim you all know someone who's just sitting on their behind and raking in the benefits. I'm sure there are people like that, but NOT ALL. Thank you.

reply to post by SaturnFX


American worker productivity has skyrocketed over the past 30 years. Corporate profits are hitting all time highs. Meanwhile, America rewards workers with real wages adjusted for inflation that have actually FALLEN over that period and benefits have crashed. Gone are the bonuses, even the modest Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas gift cards. Gone are the pensions. Long gone is job security. Healthcare costs are through the roof, even as real benefits are reduced, co-pays are higher and we have to fight our insurance companies over every bill, which insurance companies find ways to deny. People that have played BY THE RULES for decades, investing in 401ks, buying homes, raising their kids now wake up to find their homes worth 50% what they owe, their investments worthless, college unaffordable.

Yet, executive pay has increased over 1000% in this 30 year period. The number of billionaires has increased 5 fold in just the past 8 years or so.

Making all this worse is that we have lost 40,000 manufacturers since 2000 ALONE, who have either gone out of business or sought slave wages and tax benefits to hire overseas. And the Finance sector, which used to account for about 7% of GDP, now sucks up over 25% of GDP...all for designing and making NOTHING except borderline criminal and convulted ways to leverage toxic investments. Now banks are getting essentially free (less than .25% money from the Fed -- OUR MONEY -- which they loan back to us (if you are lucky) at up to 30%.

America has become a criminal enterprise, a corporate mafia. Trickle down never happened and now bankers don't even need the U.S. consumer to make their billions, so they are perfectly THRILLED to see mothers crying, hard-working fathers humiliated, kids going without. But hey, we love our celebrities, worship our mega rich athletes and like to pretend that one day we'll be as rich as them.

This is the real America today. Unfortunately, too many Americans hold on to the myth of our greatness and belive the lies fed to us by media personalities who are themselves very, very wealthy celebrities who party with the fatcats and hold schwanky roasts and cocktail parties full of the people (and their legions of lobbyists) they are supposed to report on and investigate. Our politicians are nearly ALL now simply sychophants to the titans of the capital and military/defense complexes.

This winter WILL see thousands starving and dying in the cold, huddled with their children in shelters and growing ever more desparate. And when these abused masses finally and meekly say, "No more!" they'll be labeled as anarchists, domestic terrorists and threats to civic order even as their fellow citizens just a few paychecks away from them cheer on their arrests.

What's really sad is, we have places like H&R block trying to get people to come in and take out their advance loans, claiming it's great to have the money for Christmas. I drove a friend yesterday to their office, because she wants so badly to give her children a good Christmas this year and be able to buy groceries for their Christmas dinner. She's been out a job for 2 months and they turned her down on the loan, despite her having done taxes with them since the 80's. So many people out there getting taken advantage of.

If any of you can afford it, please think of adopting a family for Christmas, by donating groceries, or wrapped toys, blankets, etc. Thank you.

See, my problem is I've been laid off before. But being raised in a military family I learned to never live outside of my means. I was able to almost immediately get a job, just making coffee, to hold me over until I found something better. When I found the better, I left the coffee job with my pride, and I learned a new trade in the process. Staying at home reading newspapers and looking online at craigslist for a job? Not my cup of tea. I'd much rather be productive while looking for something else. And losing my job meant, like Dave Ramsey says, "Rice and beans, beans and rice."


edit - For the record, we donate to Goodwill and Salvation Army constantly. I help the homeless, whether it be cash, food, or clothing. But when I can go to the soup kitchen and see families who's net income is more than my fiance's and mine, it makes me wonder how they're living.

reply to post by pajoly


Star for your insightful post.

People that have played BY THE RULES for decades, investing in 401ks, buying homes, raising their kids now wake up to find their homes worth 50% what they owe, their investments worthless, college unaffordable.

Yet, executive pay has increased over 1000% in this 30 year period. The number of billionaires has increased 5 fold in just the past 8 years or so.

Making all this worse is that we have lost 40,000 manufacturers since 2000 ALONE, who have either gone out of business or sought slave wages and tax benefits to hire overseas. And the Finance sector, which used to account for about 7% of GDP, now sucks up over 25% of GDP...all for designing and making NOTHING except borderline criminal and convulted ways to leverage toxic investments. Now banks are getting essentially free (less than .25% money from the Fed -- OUR MONEY -- which they loan back to us (if you are lucky) at up to 30%.

America has become a criminal enterprise, a corporate mafia.

Several years ago when I joined ATS I had several people U2U'd me with some nasty sentiments about my location.

This is what happens to a country and now going globally when the people allow their governments to bed down with the large corporations.

Our governments were bought out long ago - For the people and by the people is an illusion.

Welcome to the New World Order run by the Corporations.

Rules and regulations.....................only apply to the general population.

reply to post by ofhumandescent


"Several years ago when I joined ATS I had several people U2U'd me with some nasty sentiments about my location."

I am not surprised. Americans are in general low information types with no real historical perspective save for sound bites and "we're number one" type platitudes. And it is worse than ever now, with media blantantly (and proudly) biased towards one sort of ideology or another and with the disasterous Citizens United decision that has elevated corporations into supra level citizenship with very literally MORE rights than humans, yet they cannot die, can't be incarcerated,

By the way, who is the woman depicted by your avatar? I am one of those "distinquished" young silver heads. I need to show this to all my sisters who have ruined their hair coloring it instead of embracing what, at least by your avatar pic, can be otherwordly beautiful, elegant and exuding of wisdom and grace.

Originally posted by nohopeever
You all seem to forget. Benefits are not a right!!
They can not be extended indefinitely.

Too many people are too damn lazy to seek work.

Instead of picking up an Application for Maccy D's or Starbucks or Burger king they think they
are above that so stay unemployed.

I agree. Cut their benefits. Weed out the lazy and expose them. Make them work like the rest of us.

I DO NOT want to support the long term jobless. Anything more than 3 months should be CUT OFF!!

Amazing. And what happens if you lose your job, and you haven't found work within that 3 month time period? I assume that you enjoy eating. Would you want to lose your benefits after 3 months too? Just curious.

reply to post by Thunder heart woman


Comments like "nohopeever's" only reduce me to laughter. I can almost guarantee if that poster were out of work they would not want to 'lower themselves' to working at McDonalds, Starbucks or Hungry Jacks. As much as they will sit at their computer and cry that they would - the pride shown in their posts only proves the opposite in my humble opinion.

I will echo what many others have said here...

GET A JOB FREELOADERS!!!

Jobs are everywhere, if you can't find one near you move to where you can find one.

Originally posted by jjkenobi


Jobs are everywhere, if you can't find one near you move to where you can find one.

With what money? The money they aren't earning from the job they do not have?

I notice you skipped over the many valid reasons why people find it hard to get jobs in this modern era. A simple read through this thread would show you examples of people being told they are overqualified or too many people applying for the same jobs because of the massive amount of unemployment caused since America started outsourcing all its jobs to India and dismantling its industry - seriously read through the thread its all there.....

But you won't because that would disturb your perfect view of "The Great and Mighty America".

reply to post by Thunder heart woman


Very good and empathetic post.

Ya know, people like to think they are empathetic but with most people, I have found that they actually have to go through the experience to really know the full scope of it.

Take heart, these keyboard cowboys (good terminology) will soon find themselves out of a job and not able to find decent employment. This economical crisis is going to affect each and every one of us except the top 1% on a global scale never before seen.

The middle class is being dismantled and the New World Order is being ushered in, planet wide.

TPTB aren't even bothering to hide the fact anymore and that in and of it's self is scary because this means they must be near to closing in on finalizing their agenda.

For all the corporate goons (managers) out there that sold their souls and turned traitor to do the biding of their corporate masters - and screwed over your fellow workers, guess what, you're next.

The very people that think if they are good little slaves they will be spared are delusional.

The psychopaths running the show (which is really the large companies that bought out our government) aren't going to stop until they have screwed over everyone.

Will the crime rate go up?

You bet cha...............people have to eat and "survive".

But, that's also part of the master plan for population reduction and or imprisonment. (Start researching how much money is going into building new prisons.)

With raising taxes, tightened security that involves breaching of everyone's right to privacy, insourcing / outsouring of jobs = high unemployment, social service funds stolen and given to the banks (corporations) and TPTB will sit back in safety (with their body guards, in their gated neighborhoods) and watch the pions kill each other off.

"United we stand, divided we fall."

All civilizations have three phases:

- United in the beginning, rising to form a more perfect union.
- Apathetic, lazy and obliviously distracted with luxuries - A once united people becoming divided.
- Falling apart in chaos / decline

Rinse & repeat.

Keeps happening over and over again and people just don't seem to learn.

reply to post by jjkenobi


Not if you are over 40..................there is age prejudice and to try and prove it is next to impossilbe.

Come back in another 5 years and read your heartless post.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


There is always a McDonalds, always some type of job that can be applied for and found,
Might it be a massive pay-cut from a previous job yes, but if you are willing to work than it is there
might it be 7.50 and hour? yes but work hard enough and you can survive

I am 23 I went to college and have maybe 30,000 school loan debt, 5,000 credit card debt (only for buying appliances for my new home), and 98,632 mortgage debt.

I make salary at a position where I am essentially the only employee and I make peanuts compared to other people nationally with the same job. I work 65+ hours a week and make 500 a week plus a commission that at most has been 300 dollars a month.

But guess what, I have enough and more, I just bought a 100,000 dollar home and new appliances at age 23, yes I have some debt and some months are tighter than others, my wife has an under the table job bringing in 125 a week, and we have everything we want, we donate $100 dollars a month to charity, and it works
you know why?

because we live within our means, and work our tails off. If you wanted to make minimum wage and worked two crappy jobs 65 plus hours a week they would not need to feed off of the paychecks of those who do

go dig ditches, work at fast food, become a telemarketer, etc.. at the point where your already extended unemployment has run up , maybe you need to settle on having less instead of taking from those who do work hard

reply to post by Thunder heart woman


Star for you

I'm guessing the people who are Generalizing are allowing the MSM Propaganda to take hold of them.

I don't know if it's the same situation in the States as it is in the UK. The MSM here seem to be building up a hate campaign to those who are on Unemployment and Sickness Benefits. Calling them all Scroungers and Malingerers and the public are lapping it up.

Whilst i do realise that there is a small percentage milking the system. The Majortity are not.

What some fail to realise is that alot of people who have found themselves on these benefits have in fact been in work for years prior to finding themselves in this situation, paying into the same system that we all do.

So phrases like "I'm paying these lazy bums to sit on their A** all day" Just doesn't cut it.

To all who are being Judgemental. It can happen to you, it can happen to anyone. You find you've been made redundant because your company has gone bust or you find yourself really sick and you can't work for some time. Your little nest egg starts to dwindle away because you can't find a job or you are taking longer to recover then expected. Your Parents and Freinds can't help you as they are struggling financially too. Or you may not have anyone to ask for help. You find yourself behind on the rent and bills and can barely scrape enough money together for a weekly food shop. You're wondering, where the hell are all these jobs that the Government and Media are saying are out there? You have to apply for Benefits, which is usually a very small amount of money, so you can try but still struggle to put food on your table, pay the bills, pay your rent, and put petrol in the car to look for work and get yourself to any interviews you may get.

It's not all Rosy and people who are in that situation are not all living The Life of Riley.