From Young Business Journal:
Republicans blocked a measure in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday that would have reauthorized extended unemployment insurance for an additional three months, clearing the way for benefits to lapse if they are not reauthorized by Nov. 30.
I interviewed a gentleman yesterday who has been unemployed for a year. He was a print mechanical person at large advertising agencies for most of his life. This position existed for decades. Now it has become more rare as the printing aspect of advertising shrinks.
Fact of the matter is, he's been looking for work every day for a year. It doesn't help that he is in his late 50's. Sure, maybe he should have trained himself in web and interactive, or become a photoshop retoucher, but what is is. Even in his late 50's, with that training, he'd have a tough time.
If I were a republican I'd say, "Fuck him. Survival of the fittest."
Well, I'm not a republican. I put value on ALL people, not just those in the weakest position. He's got experience. If I find I have extra print work, I'll give him a call. But that's not the point of this post.
Republicans have BLOCKED unemployment benefits yet again. They will expire YET AGAIN. The next time the vote comes up, they will have power. How American do you think these republicans will be when that vote comes up?
My guess is they will vote it down - and I believe that because this happened yesterday and there wasn't a single peep out of any democrat about this. If this were a republican issue, they would gather in numbers, call a press conference and make an event out of it. Force the media to take notice.
Not the democrats. They think, "well, the public knows what's going on. It will dawn on them soon. No need for us to make a fuss."
This is yet another example of our party showing NO MEDIA SAVVY or MARKETING SKILLS.
Get the fuck out in front of the microphone and start yelling, you assholes. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR BENEFITS RIGHT BEFORE THE MOST RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS. They will be pondering the foreclosure bill as they open their Christmas present. They will discuss with their daughters and sons how they'll have to pull them out of college because they can no longer afford it one Chanukah morning. They will join the homeless because that one lifeline is gone.
This is one of the most important issues happening right now - and a clear way to let the public know WHO the republicans really are... and our party, once again, remains silent because they don't have the guts to talk badly about their "colleagues."