TKC NOTE: An important call to action from Kansas City Congressman Cleaver regarding benefits desperatly needed amid current harsh times . . . Read closely . . .
CONGRESSMAN CLEAVER URGES IMMEDIATE ACTION TO HELP MISSOURI’S FIFTH DISTRICT
This week I urged the Speaker of the House to let Members vote immediately on extending emergency unemployment insurance. Twice now Republicans have voted against House Democrats’ efforts to be allowed to vote on the extension.
Hardworking men and women in Missouri’s Fifth District are struggling. They have played by the rules and have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. To cut off their lifeline right now, while they continue to look for work and still must feed their families, is mean-spirited and just plain wrong.
At the end of December, 1.3 million Americans lost unemployment insurance, including 20,000 Missourians. Failure to act will cost an estimated 1,362 Missourians their benefits every week for the first six months of this year. Right now, almost 3,500 residents of Missouri’s Fifth District have been cut-off from this critical lifeline. And the number continues to grow.
Earlier this week, the Senate voted 60-37 to begin consideration of a bipartisan three-month extension of unemployment insurance. This is the first step toward reinstating the vital economic assist for the 1.3 million Americans who were cut-off during the holidays.
It is now time for the House Republican leaders to let us vote. This extension is necessary not only for Missouri families, and those around the nation, but also for local economies and businesses. To say it is a disincentive to looking for work is, quite frankly, disingenuous.
Since the expiration of the Emergency Federal Unemployment Compensation program 22,619 Missourians have lost their benefits, and that number grows every day. This averages $235.04 a week in income. These are dollars desperately needed to feed their families, pay the heating bill, and keep a roof over their heads.
We, in Congress, need to work together and focus on expanding economic opportunities for the middle class and creating jobs for all hardworking Americans. This extension needs to happen – and it needs to happen now.
FACTS ABOUT FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM:
- Was signed by President George W. Bush and took effect in 2008.
- Has been reauthorized several times as the economy continues to recover.
-1.3 million job seekers were cut off on December 28th as the program expired.
- Without an extension another 72,000 people nationwide are estimated to lose unemployment insurance every week during the first half of the year.
- Is one of the most effective job creation strategies when joblessness rate is high.
- Every dollar of unemployment compensation spent creates $1.52 in additional economic activity.
- Last week alone the lapse in unemployment insurance cost state economies more than $400 million.
- According to the Congressional Budget Office extending unemployment benefits for another year would save 200,000 jobs.
- Expiration of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation will shrink GDP by .04% points in the first quarter.
- Letting benefits expire won't put people back to work.
- Unemployment rate is 25% higher than when the Emergency Unemployment Compensation passed in June 2008.
- Millions of Americans will exhaust benefits before finding work.
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I like government cheese. Thanks Congressmen Cleaver. I love being paid not to work. Now where is my Obama Phone and EBT card?
ReplyDeleteCleaver and his ilk are part of the problem, both Republicans and Democrats alike. Mark your calenders for November when when we get the chance to vote every single one of them out. It will be tough with gerrymandering but it can be done.
ReplyDeleteSo frustrating! The company I work for hires extra staff this time of year. Ever since they started extending benefits, we cannot get good help. Make those folks want to go back to work!
ReplyDeleteAge discrim. If you are over 50 years old. High unemployment.
ReplyDeleteYes, Shut down more coal fired power plants, put more people on welfare and tell them you are helping them and are compassionate. Then pay up or freeze up. Good plan.
ReplyDeleteBut the stock market is at record highs!
ReplyDeleteMore free money for niggers......just perfect
ReplyDeleteTHIS from a guy who didn't pay back his SBA loan, got sued, lost, and now refuses to pay the judgment against both him and the missus? How many Congressmen have their checks garnished?
ReplyDeleteThe Congressman celebrates the accomplishments of the War on Poverty? 50 years and trillions of dollars and the poverty rate today is no better, probably worse, than when the war started!
ReplyDeleteAfter 50 years of fail, isn't it about time to fire the generals?
Take a pay cut cleaver and stand up for combat vets. Stop supporting cutting veteran benefits while supporting illegal aliens. You sick fuck.
ReplyDeleteI know there are a lot of white veterans in Kansas City but just because they are white doesn't mean you strip what was promised to them by the government you work within.
Typical Dem. Yes, unemployment stimulates the economy??????
ReplyDelete7:57 is dead on the money. I see the same issue while trying to hire staff for our company. It's too easy to sit at home and not do a fucking thing rather than to get a job and have to do something. Or you do hire some and the racist fucking pigs a week later are trying to do anything they can to create a law suit against you. They stir up and try to piss off your good employees or start talking bullshit about how we are forcing people into slavery. Oh yes, I have heard it all the past few years.
ReplyDeleteCongressman Cleaver and other members of the Black Congressional Caucus and entertainment media should be given an award for betraying his people and turning them into a permanent underclass. Black dependency on the welfare state will increase to the point where the inner cities of America will become like the Indian reservations without casinos. Look at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and then imagine it surrounded by a city and that is the future for poor Blacks in America after Cleaver and Jackson and Sharpton get done with them. These guys have hurt blacks more than any racists.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced same as a couple other people who commented - when telling people who are on unemployment of jobs they say they can make more on unemployment or at least not much less and not have to be under the thumb of a "boss" and do what they want. Many are supplementing unemployment with cash for services etc. The $15/hr folks have many of these idiots believing they should hold out for $15/hr and most of them will never make that b/c their work output is not worth it.
ReplyDeleteIt was the white race who turned the blacks into a permanent underclass. What a bunch of racist bullshit.
ReplyDeleteOk Tony your little friend and his race baiting crap is getting very old here.
ReplyDeleteMs. 12:46
ReplyDeleteI'm the racist? Unbelievable.
BTW, asshole, I'm not little. You're probably short. Its been my experience that most racist are vertically challenged.
Little, as in I think they meant narrow minded you asshole
ReplyDeleteBullshit. Since when does little mean narrow minded. So, how tall are you?
ReplyDeleteYou are one sick pathetic person
ReplyDeleteBullshit.
ReplyDeleteI have spoken of Byron before on national television. Here is what I said:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnO6ai0Ktro
Blacks did this to themselves by bring lazy and so fucking stupid.
ReplyDelete"by bring"
ReplyDeleteLooks like we can see who is really a bit lazy and ignorant.
Step up your game, son.
Don't you just love the assholes who live only to catch someone making a spelling error. These are the same dumb fucks who can't drive for shit and cause all the wrecks that kills everyone but them.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar note you ever notice the more pro life stickers or God loves me stickers a car has the worse a driver they are? Probably ones who scour the internet looking for spelling errors as well.
spell checking on TKC.....LMFAO...that's almost funny...
ReplyDeleteHere's a comment about me that's not the usual nonsense.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous jodi said...
people who think byron doesnt contribute to society b/c he doesn't love enriching the capitalists at the cost of his own long term safety and health need to seriously reconsider their perceptions of "value". i would argue that most of the time byrons contributions to challenging the racists on this site, and occasionally making insightful statements, itself qualifies as a valuable contribution to society. the fact that he at the older edge of the workforce and has health issues should immunize him from derision, but apparently not for some of the scum that frequents these boards.
1/11/14, 8:21 PM
Thanks again, Jodi. Someone gets it!
Some very astute readers leaving comments today.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's been well documented that many people can financially survive better while living off the various government programs (food, housing, unemployment, childcare, etc.) as opposed to working at or near minimum wage. When you enable people to make poor choices and remain dependent upon others, then you must be acting in your own selfish interest. There exists a whole group of middle-class people who owe their own economic well-being to maintaining the government dependent crowd. Congressman Cleaver is a prime example. Honestly, if he was truly concerned with the homeless, hungry, and unemployed of Missouri's 5th District, wouldn't he be back in Kansas City full-time engaged as a minister (his training) helping these people? Many years ago, he chose to chase after his ego fulfillment and the attainment of power. Harsh words to hear perhaps, but the truth often stings.
Byron, so "someone" named Jodi! who you probably made up! gives you a little shout out and you think your racist! stupid opinions have worth??
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see commenters calling you out on what you are... a white man who is filled with hatred and contempt for whites, who lives off the government handouts as do so many blacks, who refuses to work and would rather suck for free than be productive, who lies and uses falsehoods and invective rather than truth to argue the facts put before him, who thinks he is a LOT smarter than he is because he's won a few chess matches.
You are older, but you could work. You claim health issues and disability, but others have pointed out many disabled people who are productively employed. Yet for all of your foul-mouthed retorts, I've never seen you address that point.
You are not immune from derision, you invite it to be heaped on you. You are not making valuable contributions to society because you mooch and take from those who produce while giving nothing in return.
See comment in previous post.
ReplyDeleteTony I am so god damn tired of seeing Byron Funkhouser’s shit on these posts all the time. He is ruining your site. He is not from around here and adds nothing to this local blog. His insight is hateful as a rule and does not reflect the views of people in Kansas City.
ReplyDelete