Latest NELP Email 6/28

[Unemployed In Orlando]

Latest NELP email for those who do not subscribe :

Friends -

We have NOT given up and we are asking you to keep fighting with us to reauthorize and extend the federal UI programs. Congress goes on recess at the end of this week, but there is time before then for both Houses to pass a stand-alone bill that extends the eligibility deadline for Emergency Unemployment Compensation and the full funding of the Extended Benefits program through the end of November 2010. A stand alone bill would be stripped of job creation elements that generated opposition in the Senate, with the aim of picking up needed support to move quickly.

We are calling on the House of Representatives to act first, and pass this bill by Wednesday afternoon at the latest, so that the Senate can receive the bill in time to have a final vote before they head into recess on Friday. News reports confirm that leaders in the House are working on bringing UI benefits to a vote, but we need your voices to propel them to action.

Time is of the essence and we need all of you to help us make this happen!!! We know you are probably fatigued from all the unsuccessful fights of the last month, but that is exactly what our opponents want - they want you to give up - but we know better. We are all fighters and we must continue to demand that Congress do its job and support those who are unemployed through no fault of their own.

Please share this message with your friends and family and please take action TODAY! Click here to contact your member of Congress: http://www.nelp.org/page/speakout/July4recess

Sincerely,

The National Employment Law Project's Unemployedworkers.org team

[Jeff]

Sent latest NELP email to my Reps. Thanks UIO.

[grandmom49]

from nelp laid off & left out team this morning
Friends -

We have a brief window of opportunity to get Congress to reinstate the EUC and EB programs before it goes on a week-long recess for the 4th of July. Today, Rep. McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 5618, The Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act, which will, if passed, restore the EUC and Extended Benefits programs, retroactive to their expiration on June 2, 2010.

We are working to get a vote on this bill tomorrow, June 30th, and need your help. We are asking you to contact your Member in the House of Representatives and demand that he or she support H.R. 5618. Please call (202)224-3121 today to reach your member of Congress. If we all keep fighting, we can make this happen!

So this week it's very important that all of you contact your own Representatives with a consistent message: abandoning the unemployed will NOT help cure the deficit problems, it will only enhance those problems. They MUST act within the next few days and vote to restore the EUC and EB programs and funding through the end of November, 2010. DO NOT GO HOME until the job is done!

Please share this message with your friends and family and please take action TODAY!

Sincerely,

The National Employment Law Project's Unemployedworkers.org team

P.S. Don't forget to tell all your friends to write Congress and ask for an extension of jobless benefits by clicking http://www.nelp.org/page/speakout/July4recess

[grandmom49]

I can't get this first link open for some reason but it is a posting about a new house bill to restore UIB

Unemployment Extensions H.R. 5618 Restoration of Emergency Unemployment | New House Bill: In what appears to be an... http://bit.ly/buB1tL

http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/06/unemployment-extensions-h-r-5618-round-two-new-house-bill/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[nancym]

Both the House and Senate have efforts going on to get an extension passed. So far only an extension of dates thru November, but at least there is some action still. Debbie Stabenow's bill is the Senate equivalent bill to the House effort:

http://www.mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2010/06/michigan_sen_debbie_stabenow_to_introduc.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5537886/2010_unemployment_extension_standalone.html?cat=9

[Sheila]

I hope they pass something and soon!!!! I know way too many people who were only on it for 20 or 26 weeks and now are left with nothing. The average time it takes to find a job in Ocala is 2 years. What are these people suppose to do!!!!!! It is so frustrating and I wish I could help all of them. These people feel so let down.

[nancym]

There's a new rather fabulous website, I think started just this week, to gain visibility for the unemployed. If you haven't seen this, you just gotta take a look:

www.GiveUsOurMoney.org

The site is attempting to organize protests, but more than that, in itself it is a powerful statement, using a LOT of member videos, connections to YouTube, Facebook, etc., to give voice and visuals to the unemployed, a real cross-section of America on the edge, but not without creativity and energy yet.

I was hoping someone young and web 2.0 savvy enough would put together a site like this, and someone did. I just hope their server doesn't crash in the first week!www.GiveUsOurMoney.org

[Star]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/1-3-million-unemployed-wont-get-benefits-restored-778213.html

WASHINGTON — More than 1.3 million laid-off workers won't get their unemployment benefits reinstated before Congress goes on a weeklong vacation for Independence Day.

An additional 200,000 people who have been without a job for at least six months stand to lose their benefits each week, unless Congress acts.

For the third time in as many weeks, Republicans in the Senate successfully filibustered a bill Wednesday night that would have continued unemployment checks to people who have been laid off for long stretches. The House is slated to vote on a similar measure Thursday, though the Senate's action renders the vote a futile gesture as Congress prepares to depart Washington for its holiday recess.

"We will vote on this measure again once there is..." etc... etc... etc...

[Jeff]

For what it's worth, HR 5618 passed the House this afternoon. I think it's a stand-alone unemployment extension bill. But seeing that the Senate is gone for the holidays and that just yesterday the Senate voted down a Senate stand-alone unemployment extension, I don't know how they will pass the one from the House.

[Tampa Bay - Anna]

There's a new rather fabulous website, I think started just this week, to gain visibility for the unemployed. If you haven't seen this, you just gotta take a look:

http://giveusourmoney.webs.com/

The site is attempting to organize protests, but more than that, in itself it is a powerful statement, using a LOT of member videos, connections to YouTube, Facebook, etc., to give voice and visuals to the unemployed, a real cross-section of America on the edge, but not without creativity and energy yet.

I was hoping someone young and web 2.0 savvy enough would put together a site like this, and someone did. I just hope their server doesn't crash in the first week!

Thanks for the heads up Nancy! Always appreciate your posts
BTW, I couldn't get the link to work for me so I googled their name. Got a different link, but it worked: http://giveusourmoney.org
I like the site's in-your-face-no-apologies style! LOL

[sc4ram]

Interesting cronology, the punchline at the end makes me think I should lower my probability outlook for a Tier V.

http://washingtonindependent.com/90750/for-senate-advocates-of-unemployment-insurance-extension-a-battle-to-nowhere

[nancym]

Thanks for the heads up Nancy! Always appreciate your posts
BTW, I couldn't get the link to work for me so I googled their name. Got a different link, but it worked: http://giveusourmoney.org
I like the site's in-your-face-no-apologies style! LOL

Thanks for letting me know that, I'm changing the link in the post above so there's no confusion. (The site is done in frames, so perhaps the links are a little tricky. Also, site says it works best in Firefox, though I was viewing it in Safari just fine.)

Officially they are: www.GiveUsOurMoney.org --easier to remember.

And "in-your-face" is a good term for the site. What really struck me about the site was looking at a lot of the profiles of the people who are joining. These are people with long work histories, smart, educated, and used to a middle-class or better style of life, who are caught in this economic disaster. I know all this intellectually from all our blog posts here and at other sites this past year and my own experience. But seeing all of them in real-time, sounding off, telling their stories, and callling people to action, is a real gut-puncher, like this video:
http://giveusourmoney.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/9365882-unemployment-extension-update-june-28-2010-watch-this-now-july-2-2010-is-the-day-

(If that video link doesn't work, just go to the videos section of the site, the second page, it's the one with the baby picture and the title with Orrin Hatch in it.)

Last night after just a few days they had just under 150 members; it's now up to just under 199, plus who knows how many visitors. Spread the word, the more links given out, the more traffic to the site. Twitters to the media would be great too. (Don't worry, I'm not advocating abandoning this Florida site, the mission here is primarily local to Florida. )

[cantfindajob]

another JACKASS speaking...from both sides of his mouth!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/jon-kyl-extend-bush-tax-c_n_642862.html

[sc4ram]

Looks like some in the media have picked up on my "lame duck" theory of earlier. Unfortuantely I dont see Tier V on the wish list.............


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704293604575343262629361470.html

[nancym]

Real news this time, not just some blogging:

Congress and the 99ers

And the Washington Post article referenced:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205144.html

(For the last one, you may get cut off and have to sign in (free) after first viewing.)

[sc4ram]

If you look at the end, they swear they will pass EUC before the next recess............

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100715/BUSINESS/7150324/1001/business/Benefit-for-hiring-unemployed-may-see-extension

[sc4ram]

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-45498-San-Diego-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m7d14-99ers-challenge-Harry-Reid-Keep-Senate-in-session-until-99er-help-is-passed

[nancym]

If you look at the end, they swear they will pass EUC before the next recess............

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100715/BUSINESS/7150324/1001/business/Benefit-for-hiring-unemployed-may-see-extension

4.5 million new jobs in three months--where?!?! With at least 15 million unemployed 3 months ago and still 15 million unemployed now, it seems doubtful there was much impact.

I was in favor of the Hire Act when it first came out, as I'm in favor of any legislation that might actually create some jobs, but at this stage of the recession game it would be a lot more useful, and could be seen as actually working, if the Hire Act were modified to give credit for hiring anyone jobless for and extended period of time. And for those of us really extended, the current 60 days to qualify for that credit seems kinda ridiculous. With 60 days unemployment, a person still generally has another 4 months safety net, minimum, before desperation sets in. What they really seriously need now is a Hire the Long-Term Unemployed Act, otherwise that credit for employers is just giving away bucks for those who would get hired anyway (the recently unemployed).

[Jeff]

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-45498-San-Diego-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m7d14-99ers-challenge-Harry-Reid-Keep-Senate-in-session-until-99er-help-is-passed

Anyone else having problems with this link?

[nancym]

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-45498-San-Diego-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m7d14-99ers-challenge-Harry-Reid-Keep-Senate-in-session-until-99er-help-is-passed

Anyone else having problems with this link?

The link works for me. Maybe it was just overloaded at the time you last checked? That's happening a lot with these unemployment-related sites!

[Jeff]

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-45498-San-Diego-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m7d14-99ers-challenge-Harry-Reid-Keep-Senate-in-session-until-99er-help-is-passed

Anyone else having problems with this link?

The link works for me. Maybe it was just overloaded at the time you last checked? That's happening a lot with these unemployment-related sites!

Okay, it's working now. Thanks and sorry about that.

[Unemployed In Orlando]

Hot off the press

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/19/obama.economy/index.html

[sc4ram]

I think Sen Brown has a point here. .............

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/07/17/browns_jobless_bill_wins_little_support/?page=1

[Unemployed In Orlando]

60 votes in place, Dems ready to extend jobs money

WASHINGTON – With a new face and a 60th vote for breaking a Republican filibuster, Senate Democrats are preparing to restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits ran out during a congressional standoff over deficit spending. President Barack Obama says, "It's time to do what's right."

But first, Obama and his Democratic allies are pressing for maximum political advantage, blaming Republicans for an impasse that halted unemployment checks averaging $309 a week for those whose eligibility had expired.

Obama launched a fresh salvo on Monday, demanding that the Senate act on the legislation — after a vote already had been scheduled for Tuesday — and blasting Republicans for the holdup.

Read the full article here >> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100720/ap_on_bi_ge/us_unemployment_benefits

[Unemployed In Orlando]

Its really about 'effin time they used their 60 votes to avoid this blockage from the right.

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