Senate To Take Up Unemployment Insurance Extension

By The Associated Press
Mar 9, 2010, 7:09 AM
66 Comments

WASHINGTON — Legislation extending unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless faces a key test vote in the Senate, its momentum helped by about 60 popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses that expired at the end of last year.

The measure also prevents doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments, extends health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and gives cash-starved states help with Medicaid, the federal-state program providing health care to the poor and disabled.

The unemployment insurance alone – to provide weekly unemployment checks averaging above $300 to people whose core 26-week benefit package has run out – will cost $66 billion through December. In some states people are eligible to receive benefits for up to 99 weeks.

The bill, and the test vote Tuesday, demonstrate the difficulty Democrats face as they focus on jobs. It doesn’t include new ideas for boosting jobs, but instead reprises elements of last year’s $862 billion economic stimulus bill, which is earning mixed reviews from voters. Simply extending those provisions has produced a far more expensive measure than a separate so-called jobs bill that Democrats hope to soon send to President Obama. That measure would boost highway spending and give tax breaks to companies that hire the unemployed and could clear the Senate for Obama’s desk this week.

At a gross cost of about $148 billion, Tuesday’s measure illustrates the extraordinary cost of the unemployment safety net as the economy inches out of the recession. Democrats say the unemployment benefits inject demand into the economy and say renewing the tax cuts helps preserve existing jobs.

The measure closes $29 billion of tax loopholes to help defray its cost, including one enjoyed by paper companies that get a credit from burning “black liquor,” a pulp-making byproduct, as if it were an alternative fuel.

All told, the measure would add $107 billion to the deficit over the coming decade. Democrats have labeled most of the bill an emergency measure, exempting it from stricter budget rules enacted just last month.

Democrats need to muster at least one Republican vote Tuesday to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to limit debate and guarantee an up-or-down vote. But Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, provided crucial help last week to keep the measure out of another procedural tangle, and Democrats sound confident they will prevail.

The bill includes about 60 popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses that expired at the end of 2009. The bill would extend the tax breaks through 2010, at a cost of about $26 billion.

Congress routinely extends the tax breaks each year with large bipartisan majorities. Businesses and tax planners would prefer a more permanent solution, but lawmakers can’t agree on how to pay for a longer extension.

The tax breaks include a property tax deduction for people who don’t itemize, lucrative credits that help businesses finance research and development and a sales tax deduction that mainly helps people in the nine states without income taxes: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming.

There is a deduction for college tuition for couples making less than $160,000 a year, and one for teachers who use their own money to buy school supplies. There is a tax credit for community development agencies that invest in low-income neighborhoods, as well as a tax break for restaurant owners and retailers who remodel their stores.

The expiration of one tax break, a $1 per gallon credit for the production of biodiesel, has already caused “a pretty substantial blow to the industry,” said Michael Frohlich, a spokesman for the National Biodiesel Board. The credit would cost $1 billion to extend for the rest of the year.

Please follow our community rules when engaging in comment discussion on wbur.org.

mike

How about making people do actual work for their money?
Georgia

Unemployment should be extended. Lack of regulation of lending industries fueled the collapse of the economy. How much tax money was spent to bail out the banks and insurers who are doing nothing to help people keep their homes or to help small businesses with credit to stay afloat. The majority of people out of work are nearly catatonic with worry. Extend the unemployment. Congress owes it to those who have had their earning capacity and sense of pride in caring for themselves and family taken away.
yvonne

We would love to WORK FOR OUR MONEY, and in order to receive unemployment, a person has to be OUT OF WORK WITH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN!! So, before you throw stones at a glass house, know what the hell you’re talking about. You can’t even fathom what it’s like to wake up every morning not knowing if you are going to be able to feed your family today, tomorrow, next week!! What it feels like to be so damn tired you can barely move from walking all day looking for a job, handing out resumes and basicly on a wild goose chase, because THE JOBS ARE JUST NOT THERE!!!! If you can’t help us, then shut the hell up!!
Kayleen Jackson

I worked for my money everyday for 23 years straight, but at 58 1/2 years old my company decided to get rid of a bunch of senior employees,lower the production rates on the jobs we held and work tons of overtime to get the job done yeah they jumped on the bandwagon to rid the world of people who knew how to do a good days work. And all of a sudden no one knows what to do with part of the former middle class over 50 years old.
Mark

I’ve been looking for work the past year and a half. I have found nothing. I applied for about 100 jobs, had about 5 phone calls, and 2 interviews. Please extend these benefits, through the end of the year. I have a family to feed, rent and bills to pay.
anna bradford

Just curious, I can’t see where this new extension would benefit people like me who have exhausted all the currently available benefits. I managed to qualify for 66 weeks. I am still sending out 3-5 resumes per day, in my state as well as surrounding states, and applying for everything from ez mart jobs to liquor stores, anything. Would this add additional weeks for us?
Pete

This bill does not create new tiers of benefits. If you have exhausted all four tiers of emergency benefits by July 2010, you are done. This bill will allow people who became unemployed last year to qualify for these emergency benefits. Otherwise they get 26 weeks period. Lets not forget the corporate tax refunds that were included in the November extension. Losses realized in 2008 and 2009 get to receive tax rebates of taxes paid during the boom years of 2003 thru 2007. We are talking hundreds of millions of dollars. This was one of the carrots for the Republicans to pass the unemployment extension in November.
http://Utah.Mike@me.com MIke

I am about to run out of UI benefit is there a good online source of information that would help me to know if this would affect me?
Thanks for the help.
Vicki

The fact is the federal extensions are already in place. The change becomes going from a “month to month” approval to a longer-term approval (i.e. Dec 2010). This act alone helps both the unemployed in giving them a bit of wiggle room in knowing if they will continue to be eligible for these extensions and also to eliminate increased inefficiencies within the departments of unemployment having to deal with these monthly approvals(i.e. on the rolls, off the rolls, back on the rolls, and on and on each month). These activities alone have to be costing unnecessary money. The program should end completely if our government does not believe that these federal extensions should not continue. That’s not what is at issue with this new legislation. If they believe the federal extensions should continue then this Dec 2010 deadline helps in many ways.
Greg

I am in Florida and exhausted all tier 4 unemployment benefits in February.
Regarding a 5th tier…I called Harry Reid’s office 3 times since last nite, and got 3 different answers!
1st staffer said that yes I would requalify for a 4th tier extension good thru 2010..the 2nd staffer said i would not qualify for a 5th tier, or additional weeks in tier 4….the 3rd staffer said it’s up to each state to decide if there will be a 5th tier or extension of weeks in the 4th tier……Amazing!..what buffoons!
Terry

To all the people who have negative things to say about people drawing unemployment please remember this could be you.From what i have been reading this extension has to include people that have exhausted all 4 tiers,who else would be considered {the long term unemployed}.To all stay prayed up and keep the faith…
yvonne

Well, as of TODAY 03/10/10 all of us that are on tier 4 or have exhausted tier 4, are now SOL!!!! If we sit back and take this, we will be the FORGOTTEN UNEMPLOYED!! When they want to use the term long term unemployed, DOES THIS NOT INCLUDE US, THE PEOPLE ON TIER 4?? It most certainly should, but it doesn’t!! I only received 52 weeks unemployment and Florida doesn’t participate any longer in the EXTENDED BENEFITS PROGRAM, so I do not qualify for those 20 weeks of EB. I read today that Florida as of January had a record breaking jobless number. 11.9%, along with 30 states that also saw an increase in jobless figures. THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THERE ARE JUST NOOO JOBS OUT HERE AND BECOMING MORE SCARCE EVERYDAY!! If we do not contact the Senators and Congressmen WE ARE ALL IN FOR A LONG STARVING, HOMELESS EXPERIENCE AHEAD!! IF WE DO NOT DEMAND, A TIER 5 AND 6 WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE A BOAT FAST SINKING. All of the people that are now happy and satisfied that the extension was granted to them today, will soon be joining us on SKIDROW. Just a matter of time!! WE MUST BAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT FOR THESE ADDITIONAL TIERS. We can sit here and send comments to each other all day long, BUT UNLESS WE GET TO CONTACTING LAW MAKERS, WE ARE JUST WASTING OUR TIME ON HERE. COMPLAINING TO EACH OTHER IS NOT GOING TO PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES AND A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS. I don’t know about the rest of u BUT I’M SCARED AS HELL OF WHAT IS GOING TO BECOME OF ALL OF US IF WE DON’T STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR THESE ADDED TIERS. I’M GOING TO EMAIL ANY AND EVERYBODY THAT WILL LISTEN TO ME AND SOONER OR LATTER SOMEONE WILLLLLLL LISTEN!!!! If we rally together we can help each other and this is a time that we must come together for this cause!!!! BOMBARD HARRY REID’S OFFICE WITH EMAILS AND LETTERS, PHONE CALLS AS WELL AS NANCY PELOSI. YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN. ANY AND EVERYBODY THAT WILL LISTEN AND EVEN IF THEY DON’T LISTEN TELL THEM ANYWAY. IT IS OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE HEARD!!!! They are not going to give us anything, we are going to have to fight for it!!!! TODAY WAS EVIDENCE OF THAT WHEN THEY PASSED A BILL AND LEFT US OUT. THEY NEVERRRRR MENTIONED THOSE OF US WHO HAVE EXHAUSTED OR WILL SOON EXHAUST TIER 4!!!! WE ARE THE FORGOTTEN!!!! PLEASE SEND EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, LETTERS WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, BUT BE HEARD!!!!
http://googleinfoforunemployment judy

I too will have exhausted my tiers my problem is again 58 yrs either over qualified or just too old or not biligual. please help us who have worked all our lives and are not nebees to the work force. We are trying not just sitting and waiting for our next check to arrive
Mark

Sooo were are thoes tax cuts for small business Mr.President?

I own a small biz and could hire up to 20 employees if the credit markets were opened and big tax incentives for people like me who create jobs!

GOT TARP?
brenda

the unemloyment extension was misleading, I thought it went for everyone that has been unemployed a long,long time and who has already exhausted all tiers.I was shocked! We have been FORGOTTEN…………
brenda

People start calling our senators office and fax several letters stating how we need to add more tiers to our unemployment extensions or lose everything you worked for,includng family. 1-202-228-1265 fax–1—202–224–3542 senator Reid
yvonne

It is 3:36 PM EST March 11, 2010. I spoke with an aide in Sen Reid’s office about an hour ago and he said that the Sen is working on a bill to add tiers to unemployment benefits but they have no idea when it will be brought to the floor. I SAY WE KEEP CALLING, WRITING, EMAILING AND BOMBARDING THEM WITH OUR VOICE!! LET THEM KNOW WE NEED HELP NOWWWW, NOT NEXT WEEK, NEXT MONTH NOWWWWWWWWW. They should have done this yesterday when they were thinking of everyone else, they should have added tiers then!!!!!!!! WE NEED FOOD NOW, WE NEED A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS NOW !!!!!!! This mess of going back and forth and up and down like a yo yo IS KILLING US!! The anxiety, worry, stress. WE NEED THOSE TIERS NOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! I have been sending emails and calling. Please if you want to get these tiers added, START CALLING AND I MEAN DON’T GIVE UP. OUR VERY LIVES DEPEND ON US FIGHTING AND NOT GIVING UP!!!!!!!! We are AMERICANS AND WE DESERVE TO BE HEARD AND HELPED!!!!!!!! CALLLLLLLLLL, EMAILLLLLLLL!!!!
brian

also call senator Nancy Pelosi office to voice on more tiers 1-20228954 fax 1-202–2250100
Annabelle

Can someone provide the phone number for Pelosi and Reid. Also who else can I call.I live in Tulare county in California. I’m also on the fourth tier and I’m extremely worried, afraid, in agony over this new bill not adding any tiers for the long term unemployed. I just heard on our local news that the our neighboring county which is Kern is at a 17 percent unemployment and the city closest to me is Delano and they’re at 39 percent. What are we suppose to do when there is no jobs to applie for. For those of you that think that we are just sitting on our *#! All day well I’m a full time student at night and during the day I look for work. We are not a charity case. We are hard working people that are facing the worse in our economy. We are victims of this economy. Please help us! I’m sure that more than half of us are making on unemplyment less than half of our wages. We are just making ends meet. This isn’t a vacation for us its a living nightmare. Our future is constantly on the hands of a bunch of politics. I can’t sleep worrying over this. I have a two year old. What are we going to do?? Please provide email addresses mail addresses phone numbers. We need to be heard!!
yvonne

Pelosi# 202-225-0100 Reid # 202-224-3542 You can email them at Pelosi http://www.speaker.gov Reid reid.senate.gov find out who your senators are there in calif Annabelle go online and find out who they are.
http://wbur.org adobe hutchinson

How about all you haters, put yourself in the shoes of the millions of people unemployed. There are no jobs available for middle class, middle aged, or just plain college educated more qualified than the average joe. Who do you think they are going to hire? Not us…. They can get a job for less pay because of the economy and the employers have this to their advantage. More qualified less money desperate employees, deceitful business dealings. We need a fifth tier and more tiers until we run out of money, then print some more. They rather burn money than to print some more!!!! Unemploy7ment6 is at a high 10.8% in the state of Georgia. And other states I’m sure are just as High&^%$ They want you to work until you are damn near dead and hoping you die before you can recieve social security, because they robbed the country every state is broke except two!!!! It’s no surprise that Texas is one of the two!!!! Harry Reid’s has some issues to deal with now no accidents in this world>>>> Maybe we will get the extension tier we need, be patient>>>Love conquers all. You can’t get blood from a turnip tell your creditors that!!!!
Susan

DITTO, DITTO, DITTO, Been unemployed since 2008 here in CLEVELAND, OHIO. 2 weeks left on Tier 4. I’ll be homeless, carless, and HUNGRY. At the age of 50. Worked since I was 16 and paid Taxes. I’m calling anyone and everyone I can from OHIO. Governor,Senators,Congressmen.
yvonne

I wonder how many of us are CONTACTING REID AND PELOSI???????? WE DON’T HAVE ANYYYYY TIME TO WASTE PEOPLE!!!!!!!! IF WE DON NOT STAND UP AND SAY YESSSS WE ARE HERE AND WE DEMAND TO BE HEARD AND WE NEED HELP, THEY WILL NEVER ADD ANY ADDITIONAL TIERS!!!! WE CAN FORGET A TIER 5, 6 AND SO ON!!!! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THESE CALLS AND SEND THESE EMAILS AND WE HAVE GOT TO DO THIS EVERYYYYYYYYYY DAYYYYYY7!!!!!!!! NOT JUST ONE TIME AND THEN STOP. YOU KNOW THEY SAY THE SQUEAKY WHEELS GETS THE GREASE OR REPLACED, WELL LET’S LET THEM KNOW THAT IF WE DO NOT GET SOME GREASE IN THE FORM OF SOME ADDITIONAL TIERS, THEY WILL BE REPLACED COME ELECTION TIME!!!! FOLKS WE CANNOT LET UP ON THIS!! I CAN’T SAY THIS ENOUGH!! I AM OUT OF BENEFITS. I just received my last check on TIER 4. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE IN THE SAME BOAT I AM IN?? CALL, EMAIL, FAX EVERYYY DAY. DON’T STOP WITH ONE TIME. LET’S KEEP THOSE PHONES RINGING IN WASHINGTON AND SMOKE THOSE COMPUTERS SENDING EMAILS. IF I CAN HELP ANYONE WITH PHONE HUNBERS, ETC PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
eil

At age 60 I cannot afford to lose my unemployment, I have never collected this insurance through all the years of my working, this is the first time and all because of politians that I am in this boat. I have worked since I was fifteen years old and paid into this never collecting once until now. I this stops for me and thousands of others who have been unemployed since 2008 then there will be more forclosures and more homeless.
eil

You know it’s easy for people who have their job to say what about actually work for your money but they will see how hard it is to get another job when they lose theirs and that could always happen, nobody is untouchable. And now because of no tier 5 I cannot modify my mortgage so here’s another story, banks who got all sorts of money to help are supposed to modify mortgages for people whose houses value dropped can’t refinance for a lower rate but now one of the qualifications are to be on unemployment for nine months from the date of application, well it took me 7 months to even get considered because they say they were backlogged and now I Won’t qualify because they say I need to have 9 months and i ONly have 1 month left so I really need a 5th tier, I have sick husband and no job at the age of 60 with no prospects and all reserves have been exhausted.
Kate

I am in CT and initially we were to be receiving funds called “High Extended Benefits” because CT’s unemployment rate met those criteria, then we were told we would be receiving additional EUC Tier 3 and then Tier 4 benefits. Are those “HEB” funds still available, when Tier 4 ends? I am thoroughly confused, can’t find any information, and like many posters have written, worried, scared, depressed, etc. For every job posting in my field there are hundreds of applicants. When the benefits end, watch a new wave of foreclosures begin. Even though many of us can barely make ends meet on UI benefits, it has helped to forestall crises. Imagine if even our small incomes are no longer spread around in the local retail economy how this is going to hurt EVERYONE, not to mention everyone now having to burden the social services systems when the money is truly GONE. I am 45 and have just about liquidated my retirement savings, and looted my home for anything of value that could be sold. It is terrifying and saddening to feel like you are on a downward slope, losing everything you have worked for, with no sign of change.
http://yahoo steven Bradfield

i am about to run out on tier 4. will there be another tier.or will we all just starve.there is no work here. while the congress eats sushi,shrimp,filet mignon.i eat bologna.
yvonne

IT’S LIKE I HAVE TOLD EVERYONE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, DON’T WASTE TIME TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE LEFT ON UNEMPLOYMENT, GET TO SENDING THOSE EMAILS AND MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS!!!!!!!! IF WE DON’T WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET ANY ADDITIONAL TIERS!!!! THEY ARE NOT GOING TO JUST GIVE US ADDITIONAL TIERS OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STAND UP AND BE HEARD OR WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET ANOTHER DIME!!! CALL REID’S OFFICE 202-224-3542 EVERYYYYYYY DAYYYYY!!!! CALL PELOSI’S OFFICE 202-225-0100 EVERYDAYYYYYYYYYY!!!! SEND EMAILS TO REIDS OFFICE reid.senate.gov send emails to pelosi’s office http://www.speaker.gov ask any and everyone you know that is on unemployment to call and send emails. Ask your families to call and send emails. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE IS SAFE THAT IS ON UNEMPLOYMENT. THE BILL THAT WAS PASSED THIS WEEK IS NOT A SAFETY NET EVEN FOR THOSE THAT IT HELPED. SOON AND VERYYY SOON IF THEY DO NOT HELP SECURE ADDITIONAL TIERS BY CALLING AND SENDING EMAILS THEY TOO WILL BE JUST LIKE THOSE OF US THAT HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL OF OUR BENEFITS AND SITTING HERR ABOUT TO BE HOMELESS AND NO MONEY FOR FOOD OR TO EVEN LOOK FOR A JOB!!!! PEOPLE JUST DO NOT REALIZE WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST HERE!!!!!!!! WE NEED THESE ADDITIONAL TIERS NOT JUST FOR US BUT FOR LONG TERM UNEMPLYMENT TO COME!!!! THE JOBS ARE JUST NOT OUT HERE AND UNLESS WE FIGHT FOR THESE ADDITIOANL TIERS WHAT IN THE HELL ARE ALL OF US GOING TO DO ??????????????? I MEAN ALLLLLLLL UNEMPLOYED???????? CALL, EMAIL, EMAIL, CALL AND I MEAN EVERYYYYY DAY MAKE IT LIKE BREATHING TO GO TO THAT PHONE AND CALL, MAKE IT LIKE BREATHING TO SEND THOSE EMAILS. DO IT LIKE OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT??????? IT DOESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Dave

I am on my last two weeks of teir four,I owned a business that was forced to shut down because of the economy ,laid off five people, lost my home , my cars, all that I worked so hard for 16-18 hour days. now I dont have any options left where will I live , how will I eat. I live in South Carolina which has the third highest unemployment rate and the absolute worst Governor and Lt Governor and apparently the worst leadership in the country.with no more extensions forclosures will rise crime will rise and more businesses will fail. I dont want to not have a job at 46 years old and live on 270.00 a week but until we recover from this recession the government must continue or we are just creating more problems.lets stop worrying so much about other countrys problems and build ours into what it once was, the strongest in the world then we can help others!
PROUD OHIO NAVY MOM

Just heard CNN along with many other news media talk about how we AMERICANS that are on and near the end of our 99 weeks of unemployment ARE MILKING THE SYSTEM….USING THIS AS WELFARE, BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO WORK….. GIVE ME A BREAK….CNN/MONEY MATTERS….. 2 MILLION of us AMERICANS “DON’T want unemployment…. WE WANT A JOB AND A FAIR WAGE…….GIVE ME A FRICKEN BREAK…I’m 50, single mom. A NAVY MOM…..paid taxes since I was 16…..2 weeks left of unemployment….Maybe you should stand in my shoes.GOD BLESS THOSE WHO HAVE $$$$$$$…SOON TO BE HOMELESS NAVY MOM, CLEVELAND, OHIO
PROUD OHIO NAVY MOM

FORGOT TO MENTION……CALL….CALL….CALL…PELOSI,REID,AND YOUR REP’S AND SEN’S I DID MINE…OHIO, SUTTON,SHERROD BROWN AND VOINOVICH. WHO VOTED NO……
Jace

I agree,the UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION was misleading.Why would you only help the newest unemployed? What about the AMERICANS that have been hurting the longest too! We have lost everything.
Helpless Mom

The unemployment extension was misleading.Help all unemployed people.Start calling your senators today. Senator reids office 1-202-225-0100 fax a letter-1-202-228-1265 speaker Nancy Pelosi 1-202-225-4965 fax-1-202-228-3954 switch board to other senators 1-888-245-0215 HAVE FAITH!
rinoajr

I’ve just spoke with someone from the agency, and they’ve told me that a new tier 5 has been passed for those who have used up all your tiers, and that they are waiting for president Obama to sign it, and may take weeks because he’s busy on the health plan deal, also, they believe that this tier 5 would not even help since it would probably be 30 to 40 percent of what we got on tier 4, which for me it would be three weeks only, good luck to all of you, and prey that they still think of the people that have been unenmployed for a while, not just the new ones.
http://Yahoo Ken

I have been out of work since Dec 07. My total time of work since then was 3 months in 08. At 55- I am over qualified for practically every job I apply for. Congress and House need to extend benefits for all unemployed to end of this year. Meeting every other month to extend for a month is a waste of time. Especially when dealing with the “NO” party-the Republicans! Isn’t funny they vote NO against any bill Obama is for? Eight years of Bush Sr. and Jr. put us in this hole. Maybe the republicans can find us these imaginary jobs they say are out there!
carole johnston

go to change.org and sign the 99ers cause or check out NELP we need a tier5 and this crap of on be 30-40% of tier4 would be a slap in the face
pattyp1962

I just learned that the latest job package to reach the senate floor will not help me and millions like me. I’ve been unemployed since 2008 and will exhaust my 4th tier benefits in 2 week. I’m 48 years old and have worked and paid taxes since I was in High School.. I raised 3 children who all went to college. I lost my job for one simple reason…the economy. We were all let go with no notice what so ever. I have lost my house, I now live with my daughter and will lose my car in about a month if the benefits stop. I’ve called Sen. Reid and other’s to try to get information and answers and of course nobody knows anything. PLEASE PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP US… We can send money all over the world to help with natural disasters, (which we should do) but the hardworking people of this country are dealing with a disaster as well. This one just happened to be caused by our own citizens. WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE HOMELESS PRETTY SOON. Will that qualify as a natural disater then ???????
Debbie

Mike, IF you can find the work (or jobs) to do for the money – I am positive that I would not be the only one glad to do the work!
carole

nancy pelose- americanvoices@mail.house.gov u-tube video tier5 to survive http://tinyurl.comye956rd. are voices are getting stronger. call email there are thousands of us out there that don’t have the slightest idea what is going to happen to them come april 5th.
http://wbur.org Sherry Styer

Please extend our unemployment one more month. I was about to start the federal tier, and am under the understanding I will be cut off now after 52 weeks if this is not passed again. It is not fare to only extend it month by month extend it at least for the rest of 2010.We need to pay morgage and eat. I would love to work for my money. How about some community service jobs until we all get back on our feet.
M Morales

I have been unemployed since April, 2008, only one check left from Tier 4, do I qualify for Tier 5? I’m a single mom, looking for a job every day through Internet, personally and via phone and I always get the same answer…”we are not hiring this time”.
Unemployed and Broke

I have exhausted my Unemployement benefits and have no financial reserves left. I am paniced about how I am going to afford food, gas, etc. Have already moved in with family. I am either over qualified, too old or need even more education. Job openning are few and seldom hear back after applying for a job. I am broke and scared! What is next? With out a tier 5, is suicide or living on the streets the only options.
Rhonda

I have been out of work since December 2007 and it is not from lack of trying that I am still unemployed. I have been told repeatedly that I am overqualified and they are afraid to hire me because they feel I won’t stay with the job because of the level of my skills. Yet the type of job I am used to working is simply not there! This situation is comparable to the great Depression and is only going to get worse if millions more are cut off unemployment funds. There will be a snowball effect from the millions cut off unemployment that will hurt more businesses, cause more people to be laid off, etc. I have seen nothing in the way of job creation that will truly assist people at this point. If there is a small bubble of hope that by the end of 2010 the economy will be rebounding then why risk making it worse by cutting off all funds to people who are in such a desperate need. Cut funds for a time to all the countries we “assist” in so many ways. I’ve worked and paid taxes since I was 16 and I’m in my middle 50′s now. There are a million stories similar to mine out there, how is our government going to help us? This is a true American disaster . . . let’s use American money to help Americans NOW! I’m one of millions who are scared they will not have the basics: shelter and food. Millions have either lost their homes or are on the verge and cutting off unemployment will push them over that edge. Again, what is the impact of that on the economy???
Jen

We desperately need TIER 5 unemployment. There are no jobs for people 55 and up. Can’t even get interviews. Why are they extending unemployment for those who have not run out. Why not extend those who are expiring.
Marie

Pls. extend unemployment soon. No money to pay rent. Applied to over 100 jobs. Can’t even get an interview.
Robert

OK I knowits different for every state and in the states that are in high unemployment percentages but does anyone know how many weeks tier 4 goes for in California? I think in general its 6 weeks but am I to beleive that there is Fed Ed after tier 4 or additional weeks added to the 6 weeks for the state of CA? Thanks and god bless everyone who is dealing with this.
Pam Connolly

Tier IV is gone, instead of griping about it, why don’t we all start marching on our local streets, since that is where we live anyway. Get a local march permit, they are free, let’s get organized. We can’t afford to go to our own state capitols, so let’s march on the local offices of our state and federal congressmen’s offices. They all have them. I’m ready, we need one representative or senator to be with us on this. I choose mine, Nick Thompson, he is a fighter for the people in Florida, and Bill Nelson as well. Forget that Dave Aaronberg he voted against the extensions, organize on this site or create a site and all of us millions of us marching with starving elderly and children, just writing on line is doing nothing. We’ll have local news coverage from one network, exclusively, once the country sees how many of us here are, Congress or the States will have to act. If someone has any ideas, let’s hear them, I am not computer savvy enough to create a web site, but know there are computer genius’ out there who are in our position. Create the website, put the instructions on how to get a permit to march, and just like the stupid night out across america for crime, we will have the National Unemployment Walk Day Protest Day across the entire Country. Maybe get corporate sponsors to pay for signs, etc., Actions speak louder than words and we need to act now, because the economy is not going to improve for years. It will be a living hell with 400 million more homeless on the streets. Let’s do it. if you are interested write on this blog. Other than searching for jobs and starving, we have the time to do this and to make a real change in this country. Otherwise, Armageddon will come.
Pam Connolly

Well, folks, I made my first attempt, I emailed this entire page and article to State Senator Nick Thompson of Florida and to United States Congressman Bill Nelson. Pass it on.
http://chrismaris@rocketmail.com chris

All you shallow people who are fortunate to still have a job may someday be in the same boat millions of people are in right now. We need more extensions, thats all there is to it. Congress needs to get off there a– and do something about this in addition to spending billions in foreign countries where we see very little change if any at all.
Ivan Tomcho

It is a tragedy to read about so many people who are trying to get work and having no success in finding a job, let alone receiving an opportunity to be interviewed. There is no question that unemployment compensation must be extended for those of us who have been out of work since middle 2007 or later. I continually look for work and am becoming exceedingly pessimistic about ever getting a living wage position. Commission only sales jobs in an economy where there is basically no spending, is the same as being out of work. The solution may be for the government to create jobs for those of us collecting unemployment. I know I want to work and from what I’m reading the vast majority are not milking the system but are finding that there really is a lack of employment opportunities. It would be wonderful to be amongst the lucky ones who are employed, but as I am not, I urge those who are working to not blame the unemployed. We did not ask to be laid off, we did not create the financial crisis and we would much rather be working. Perhaps if the people who have money would invest in job creating businesses rather than pieces of paper in the markets we would all be able to work and all be making more money. The thought that unemployment compensation is an inducement not to work is reprehensible, even with benefits those of us who are out of work have lost a huge percentage of our income. Benefits must be extended or this jobless rebound will become a much deeper and longer lasting recession. I hope those who think we are milking the system step back and realize how lucky they are, and have a bit of compassion for the unemployed. We are in this together and only by working for the common good will we manage to get the country out of this mess and return to the days where there are plenty of jobs, living wage jobs, for us all. Benefits must be extended until this crisis has abated.