Fuck John Boehner

While fellating a bunch of his wealthy benefactors at the American Enterprise Institute this week,  John Boehner took time out to disparage the unemployed, saying,

"...this idea that has been born, maybe out of the economy over the last couple years, that you know, I really don't have to work. I don't really want to do this. I think I'd rather just sit around. This is a very sick idea for our country."

One can only be disgusted by Boehner's abject hypocrisy, though, considering that under Boehner's "leadership" the republicans in the House are responsible for the least productive Congress in U.S. history, who also will have worked a grand total of eight days beween the end of July 2014 and the middle of November 2014.  And for being utterly incompetent, Boehner is getting paid a paltry $223,500.  Fucking sitting around indeed.

The only sick idea is that a worthless cretin like Boehner is anywhere near a position of responsibility in our government.

Peace,
emaycee

Picture me, banging my head against a wall

So the President, rightfully concerned about unemployment, decided to convene a meeting with the leaders of...wait for it...corporate America.   Yup, Apple (bang), Boeing (bang, bang), and Wal-Mart (bang, bang, bang, bang....), among others, are being asked how to cure unemployment and help the long-term unemployed.

One supposes that when the President is concerned about global warming he'll meet with Exxon Mobil and BP, and when he's concerned about gun control he'll meet with Smith and Wesson and Remington.

Some days I really wish I'd devoted this blog to baseball.

Peace,
emaycee

1.3 million

That's the number of Americans whose unemployment benefits are set to end a week from tomorrow, because Congress failed to grant them an unemployment benefit extension.

While Democrats can be faulted for valuing a budget deal more than the needs of the unemployed (remember that unemployment is still at 7%, with a UE over 13%--and that there are three job seekers for every job opening), Senate Dems have at least invoked cloture setting up a vote for a retroactive extension for early January (House Dems never had a chance--working half the month proved too much for House republicans and they left town long ago).

Let's face it--this is a big part of the republican agenda to continuously fuck over those in need.  And Democrats need to make republicans own the failure to extend the unemployment benefits.

There's a great scene in It's a Wonderful Life where George Bailey's guardian angel Clarence asks him how he can help.  Bailey asks if he happens to have the $8000 he needs, and Clarence responds that they don't need money in heaven.  To which Bailey replies, "Well, it comes in pretty handy down here, Bub."

It's high time republicans were knocked off their lofty perches and had the common wants and common cares of the working folks of America shoved in their faces.  If nothing else, it will show many Americans it's actually the Democrats, for all their faults, who have their backs.

And that when American families are hurting financially, the money received from unemployment compensation comes in pretty handy.

Peace,
emaycee

Now I got a job, but it don't pay

With their record on job creation about as sterling as a charcoal briquet, republicans are turning to their age old bullshit:  there's plenty of jobs out there, but no one can pass a drug test and those lavish unemployment benefits are keeping people from taking a job.  Why, they're saying, all sorts of businesses are having these problems.  Setting aside the facts that a) drugs cost money, and b) unemployment benefits are finite, here is a lesson in employment economics:

I have a "friend" who has been unemployed for some time now.  Said friend has never used drugs (doesn't drink, either) and unemployment benefits ended a couple of years ago.  My friend has given up on finding a full-time job (wise decision, they're just not offering those jobs anymore) and decided to look into a part-time position with several nearby retailers (all of which are nationally known).  My friend found that the only jobs available average fifteen to twenty hours a week, and that an open availability was required.  My friend has one child and a spouse who works in retail, as well.  The numbers for one week:

           Michigan minimum wage ($7.40) x 20 hours:          $148.00
           Taxes (conservatively @ 20%):                             -$29.60      
           Gas expense (again conservatively):                        -$15.00
           Child care expense (10 hours at $5 an hour):          -$50.00
           Net pay:                                                                  $53.40

Keep in mind that I figured my friend could get some hours when the child was at school/the spouse wasn't scheduled.  If that didn't happen, my friend would fucking lose money if you add the half-hour travel time per scheduled day.  As is, this comes to roughly $2600 a year--and for that my friend has to work nights, weekends, holidays, swallow customers bullshit, swallow management's bullshit, entrust the child's care to strangers, and receive zero benefits..all for what is effectively $2.50 an hour. It's often said that part-time minimum wage jobs are good for students, but if our national merchants had to run their stores with nothing other than students working for spending money they'd be out of business in a few weeks.  Frankly, these comapnies are run by people like my friend, but absent a living wage, it's easy to see why so many of them are saying fuck you and staying home.

One of the great early lessons my parents taught me and my siblings was that in this world, you get what you pay for.  I'm not the slightest bit surprised that many businesses are having trouble finding candidates to fill all their open positions--when you pay next to nothing, you get next to nothing.

My hunch is that the ignorant mavens who run our businesses don't care either.  They'll just make everybody who is working for them work harder to make up for the lack of help.

After all, masters can do that with slaves.

Peace,
emaycee

We're all alone

As of last month, we have 11.7 million unemployed Americans (of which 4.6 million, or nearly 40% are long-term--unemployed for longer than six months), 7.6 million Americans are working part-time hours and need full-time hours, and 2.3 million Americans were marginally attached, i.e., they wanted work and had looked in the past twelve months but either became discouraged or were unable to take a job because of family obligations.  By my calculations, that's better than 20 million Americans, and the numbers don't even include those who have completely lost hope of finding employment.

So yesterday, when Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar scheduled a Congressional hearing on long-term unemployment, you'd expect most Committee members to show up to see what they could do to help alleviate this problem for average Americans, also known as their constituents (because, get real, corporations flat just don't give a fuck about us).

You'd be wrong--Sen. Klobuchar was joined by four, count 'em four, of the Committee's twenty members, all Democrats (Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Reps. John Delaney and Elijah Cummings of Maryland).  Granted, republicans had 100% no-shows, but a sixty percent no-show rate for the Democrats isn't exactly a number to be proud of.

All of which begs the question...if our hard work that earns an opulent lifestyle for our corporate superiors isn't enough, and our taxpayer dollars supporting their families isn't enough, exactly what does it take for our "leaders" to actually give a fuck whether we live or die?

Peace,
emaycee