Unemployment benefits story (sympathy or sob)

Count me as a liberal recently converted into a deficit hawk. We can't afford indefinite unemployment benefits *or* tax cuts at the moment.

We're up to 99 weeks in some parts of the country, and there's a big fight looming over whether that should be extended. The people whose 99 weeks are about up are trying to start a grassroots movement.

 

I agree with you on that. Just pointing out the logical inconsistency of Congress acting as Robin Hood in reverse, cutting off the most desperate to feed the wealthy.

 

so if the taxes were raised on those who got the $250,000 cut (nobody i know) then the unemployment could be cut or would it get extended more?

 

It's really screwed up. If you went on it at a certain time, you might be eligible for 99 weeks. If you went on it at a different time, it might be significantly less than that.

 

Whatever happens on either score, the tradeoff is adding to the deficit. If the prevailing mood is "let's get the deficit under control," I can buy that. As of now, however, the party in power seems hellbent on adding to the deficit by giving a few thousand extra dollars to the people who need it the least.

 

one problem with your Robin Hood in reverse theory is that there is a huge disparity among the so-called "rich." someone as head of household in the $190,201 - $372,950 range pays 33%. some people will scream and deny it but in some parts of the country $190k for a family of 4 is not rich. in some parts of the country it is mega-rich.

 

There is no scenario anywhere in this country whereby $190,000 is not enough to live on. It may not be rich. But anyone who cannot make it on that amount should draw zero sympathy.

And anyway I don't know if that $190K range is a neat Fox News talking point to skew the stats in favor of their argument, but we are talking about $250K as the cutoff point. In which case my previous statement goes triple.

 

well the rich don't have to take the few thousand extra dollars from the party in power. maybe some of these guys will pay some people's unemployment or hire some people.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/1110/Buffett_Rich_dont_sacrifice.html

 

sorry chief i didn't get it from Fox News. and the point isn't that it isn't enough to get by. the point is that if that guy is busting his ass and making that much he should be doing more than just getting by.

 

Essentially, we can't afford to do something we can't afford not to do.

 

Oh good lord that fucking "Warren Buffett should donate all of his money" bullshit. Please be smarter than that. Warren Buffett could donate all of his $37 billion fortune and he would erase precisely 0.3 percent of the national debt.

 

no we'll just go with that whatever percent you decide the "rich" should pay bullshit.