The Nations Chris Hayes had a conversation with Jonathan Alter today that really drove home a point. In his opening, Chris alluded to the fact that if a virus was attacking 1 in 10 Americans, the populace would be apoplectic that Government step in and protect the populace.
All of this led to his pointing out that there is a virus currently affecting the nation. That virus being unemployment. One in 10 able bodied American is currently unable to find work.
Welcome back. There was a debilitating disease that suddenly began affecting one in ten adults in this country. We would expect a pretty strong response, right? I mean, if one house on every block, ten percent of employees in every workplace were sick with the same thing all of a sudden, people would demand a response. Every dog catcher, mayor and legislator in this country would be getting hammered with the same question. What are you doing to stop it? If one in ten people in this country were infected with the disease, the response would be swift and massive. The government would marshal all available resources to cure the sick and stop the spread. I mean, remember the swine flu panic?
There would be tanks on the street. It would be like a sci-fi movie. Well, we do have an epidemic. And it‘s called unemployment. One in ten able-body American adults whose wants work is out of work. There is just one job for every six people who are out of work. And this is an epidemic. So, where is the emergency response? Republicans want to make the unemployment epidemic about personal responsibility. Pull yourself up from your boot straps up. They don‘t want the jobs that are available. Well, no doctor would tell a sick person getting well was just a matter of will.
$3346.15
$13384.61
$174000.00
$405.00
What are the numbers above. The first number is the amount a rank and file member of Congress earns per WEEK. The second number is what they earn per MONTH and the third number is what they earn per YEAR.
What is the fourth number...that is the typical unemployment check earned per week by those still looking for work.
Think about it. In the lower chamber, there are 177 Congressman that get paid more than $83 per HOUR to say NO. They have said no to everything.
There are 41 in the upper chamber doing the same thing.
Yet these people have the gall to tell those that are unemployed that they don't want to extend benefits any further because those lush benefits are making them lazy and making it so nice for them that don't need to look for work.
Where is the outrage?
Why is this not being treated as an emergency?
Why does the Fed worry about inflation, when one of their mandates is to work towards full employment?
Democrats as far as I'm concerned have done a PATHETIC job of calling Republicans out on their hypocrisy. Harry Reid needs to stop being Grandpa Majority leader and start being a little more Dirty Harry. Jeebus what is the problem.
Republicans pull poll numbers out of their asses stating that Americans don't want to add to the national debt, when the real statistic is the exact opposite. Why is there no Democrat media response team? It is one thing when Daily Kos, Media Matter or Olbermann call them out, they can be waived off as being liberal mouthpieces.
Lastly, the numbers above (congressional pay) is being paid to individuals in the Senate that have a median net worth of $1.7 millon and to House members that have a median worth of $684 thousand.