This is just a quick post to let people know that more of nothing is going on in Congress. So if you are unemployed and getting unemployment compensation, you may be interested in the most recent vote on extensions. The current unemployment is set to expire on November 30th just before the holidays. Don’t ask for an extension to the unemployment compensation and absolutely don’t tell anyone about the congress people that care more about anything else but helping unemployed people. Okay, so do tell on them. That’s why I’m posting their votes here!
Republicans will vote for every war or tax cut for the wealthy and not worry about where the money comes from, but if it’s for some out of work not so rich person, well, forget it! They will not pass this unless they know how to pay for it. I know how to pay for it. Why don’t we just stop these two wars and take care of our own for once? Just asking and thinking out loud. I also thought we got rid of many of those Blue Dog Democrats but unfortunately there must be at least 11 left to vote with the Republicans and I would like to add shame on those congress people that didn’t even bother to show up to vote!
I love the “Mayhem” commercials from Allstate. If I was in the market for insurance, I might even consider Allstate just because I love their commercials. Fortunately for me I have a low cost insurance company that I would be hard pressed to leave. You can catch a good compilation of the commercials here.
If you haven’t seen the ads, you need to watch for them because they are hilarious. They are a reminder of the potential “Mayhem” that exists in our lives when we are driving our car. Too bad “Mayhem” is so handsome even if he acts deranged as real “Mayhem” is much uglier in truth.
These commercials remind me of the mayhem many of us might feel about business and politics today. Mayhem is all around us. Just think about the BP oil spill and now the Enbridge spill in Michigan as well. The problem is no one is really protecting us from it like an insurance company is supposed to do. The government keeps holding hands with BP like they are star crossed lovers and they are convincing us that everything will be okay because they got married and the baby will not be a “bastard”. No, in fact that baby has disappeared and you know that old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind!” However that “Mayhem” is going to haunt us for years to come with health and environmental issues.
Some have felt the deranged sting from “Mayhem” when they lost their jobs and their waiting in line filing for unemployment. They are put in a state of panic wondering what they are going to do. The 99ers met “Mayhem” head on and there was no insurance company to bail them out. Their unemployment ran out before they could figure out how to deal with the mayhem this economy threw at them.
The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan probably meet “Mayhem” often. He may be waiting in a roadside bomb or a sniper somewhere. The soldiers do their jobs hoping “Mayhem” stays away from them and their friends. However, “Mayhem” always finds those people that it really wants to seek and none of our soldiers are safe from “Mayhem”. The politicians don’t protect them and don’t even put forth good policy decisions that make the soldiers know when the job is really done and they can put “Mayhem” to rest.
“Mayhem” is touching all of us in some way or another. Our schools are under funded and cuts are being made that will certainly make it easier for “Mayhem” to enter the lives of our most vulnerable, our children. “Mayhem” might take the appearance of an over- stressed teacher, crowded classrooms or missing programs but “Mayhem” will make an appearance.
As we are stuck defending our homes because of cuts in police protection, be prepared to meet “Mayhem” when someone decides their business is your business. “Mayhem” happily follows the troubled and the criminal.
“Mayhem” has even entered congress. How else can we explain the fact that everything seems to be so ineptly handled? The unemployment extension couldn’t be passed until after the July 4th recess. Obviously congress didn’t feel the bite of “Mayhem” personally or they would have pushed this through in any way possible as soon as possible. The “Mayhem” that really exists in congress is the way it works or doesn’t work. When the Republicans were in power, they didn’t need 60 plus senators to get things done. However, now that the Democrats are in power, they struggle to get anything done and blame it on the Republicans. Those Republicans must be very powerful to be so clever. President Obama came into office with a boat load of people behind him. He could have done so much but he chose to shake hands with “Mayhem” and let him take over. It really is sad that “Mayhem” has taken the voice of people like Newt Gingrich.
Senators and Representatives will probably understand “Mayhem” better when they meet him in November. He’ll be smiling but they will be in the fight for their political lives as most people could care less about anyone in public office today. Would you throw a lifeline to your senator or representative? Many people think it’s time to clean house. The only problem is what will “Mayhem” like this bring us? More people like Newt Gingrich? I don’t think that’s what we need but I sure hope “Mayhem” makes everyone think before he leaves us alone after the storm!
An unemployment line in Plainfield Township in Michigan.
Most people today don’t need a political poll to know that our country is heading in the wrong direction. Unemployment and under employment are a part of our every day life. Many people are sitting on pins and needles hoping the other shoe doesn’t drop and they lose their job. It isn’t just manufacturing jobs that are lost as well. Police officers and teachers are being laid off in a domino effect from the current unemployment situation. In addition we all know that as less money is circulated in the environment other jobs and businesses will be affected as well. Times are tough and many people have never seen it so bad. In Michigan many of our youth that graduate from college are moving out of state. In some of the jobs they are getting, they are truly under employed as their skill sets are much greater than the jobs they are doing. Many have to pay for astronomical college education loans with fairly high interest so they settle for any job to pay that bill. Meanwhile the politicians have put on blinders to all of this. They may pay some lip service to some of the problems of unemployment and the homeless. However, many of them are truly clueless and fairly uncaring in their approach to dealing with the problems that face our country. Interestingly enough the unemployed have the potential to have a major impact through political action.
The number of Americans receiving food stamps reached 39.68 million in February 2010, the highest number since the program began in 1962.[4] As of June 2009, the average monthly benefit was $133.12 per person.[5] As of late November 2009, one in eight Americans and one in four children are using food stamps and the program rate is growing at 20,000 people a day.[6] Recipients must have at least near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits.[7]
These are troubling statistics when you think about it and realize that we have around 307 million people in our country. Meanwhile, you or someone you know is worrying about paying bills or saving your/their job. Wealthy people continue to plan their weddings, take their trips and live in a manner that is basically unchanged for them. The politicians continue to travel at tax payer expense on their “fact finding” missions. Some of you might not realize that these trips are not always what they appear. Joe Biden took his honeymoon with Jill on the tax payer dime. I only know this because he talked about the trip on CSpan during an interview back during the last election cycle. Sure he was with other senators on the trip but he took his new wife and they made a honeymoon of it. These politicians love their jobs. They love the power, the travel and the prestige. With this in mind unemployed people it turns out have an opportunity to impact the mid-term election if they can organize.
If you read the whole article by Annie Lowery, you realize that the numbers are so large for the unemployed that they could very well have an impact. If their friends and families join them, they have real power. The Tea Party has had an impact so why couldn’t the unemployed have an impact? If you or someone you know is unemployed I encourage you to read the article and join the netroots campaign to have an impact in the election. Legislation can be pushed right now to help the unemployed. The extension was passed but it did not include the “99ers”.
I, like many Americans, wish our country would devote more energy to the problems at home with our economy. I am troubled when we give a lot of money to Pakistan and then find out that some of that money might be used against our troops. I remember James Carville talking when Bill Clinton was running for president. He said, “It’s the economy stupid.” Most of you will probably remember this. It’s 2010 and as much as we think things have changed they have stayed much the same. It is the economy stupid! That should be the battle cry of the unemployed. You can yell it from every window like in the movie “Network” where they yelled, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more. “ Just be sure to add, “It’s the economy stupid.” This election is a no brainer, if politicians want your vote they better bring out the big guns on the economy. Stand up and be heard and let these career politicians know that you are more than willing to put them on the unemployment line if they can’t figure out a way to help the unemployed and jump start job creation!
This is just a quick post to let people know that more of nothing is going on in Congress. So if you are unemployed and getting unemployment compensation, you may be interested in the most recent vote on extensions. The current unemployment is set to expire on November 30th just before the holidays. Don’t ask for an extension to the unemployment compensation and absolutely don’t tell anyone about the congress people that care more about anything else but helping unemployed people. Okay, so do tell on them. That’s why I’m posting their votes here!
