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

Misanthropy 101, Part II

Apparently hating on the poor kids is a big meme of conservatives this week.  Michael Bloomberg, outgoing (thank God) Mayor of New York City (calling yourself an Independent because you disagree with republicans on gays and guns while marching lockstep with them on everything else doesn't make you a Liberal) said this week when asked about 11-year-old Dasani, the subject of a New York Times series on the poor:

"The kid was dealt a bad hand.  I don't know why.  That's just the way God works.  Sometimes some of us are lucky and some of us are not."

You know, it takes a special breed of chickenshit to blame God for the harm your policies (see at the first link) have caused your fellow human beings.

Peace,
emaycee

Misanthropy 101, Part I

Republican Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston thinks that poor kids should be forced to either pay a nickel or a dime, or perhaps sweep the cafeteria floor for their government provided lunches, in order that they might learn that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Au contraire, Rep. Kingston--there are plenty of free lunches in America.  You just have to be rich or be born rich to get them.  You should know--your party spends most of its time fellating the rich.

As if it's not bad enough that the richest nation on the face of the earth is second only to Romania in the number of children living in poverty, this chickenshit from Georgia thinks going hungry isn't enough punishment for these children, but that the kids should be humiliated as well.

I once heard a particularly loathesome person described as being "a wet fart of a human turd."  Frankly, that sentiment describes Rep. Kingston to a tee.

Peace,
emaycee

My nose

Laura Clawson wrote a piece where she points out that the republican states' refusal of Obamacare's Medicaid provisions is not only a healthcare issue, but it is also a political issue.

It's also a health issue.

From seasonal flu outbreaks to potential pandemics, people who don't have healthcare don't take preventive medical measures because they can't afford them.  As everything continues to go more and more global, that means from business travellers to tourists, from truckers to those just passing through, as time goes by when one enters a state that has refused the Medicaid provision one stands a better chance to get sick.  And bring that sickness to a cross spectrum of Americans.  It's cruel for republicans to show such callous disregard for their own citizen's well-being, but's it's utterly despicable when it's shown for the rest of us.

There's an old saying that says you're free to swing your first anywhere you want--until it hits my nose.  Republicans are free to excoriate Obamacare all they want to their base...until it impacts the health of the rest of us.

Peace,
emaycee

Another reason to stay the hell away from Michigan

As if we don't have enough trouble a) attracting businesses here, and b) keeping our talented young people, republicans in the Michigan Legislature today, based on the feelings of 4% of Michiganders, passed a law  that will basically require women in our state to buy rape insurance.

No shit--the republicans passed a ban on abortion riders (given Roe v. Wade is this constitutional?) which in short will force Michigan women to buy rape insurance or else pay thousands of dollars not to carry their rapists' children to term.

I mean, for fuck's sake, if you're going to live with the whims with batshit insane republicans anyway, might as well at least live in the south where you don't freeze your fucking ass off  for six months out of the year.

Peace,
emaycee

Uh-oh...

Well this is a fine kettle of fish...

A report has surfaced that Hillary Clinton, our best hope in 2016 Hillary Clinton, recently spent some time at Goldman-Sachs headquarters kissing banker ass and saying that lambasting Wall Street wasn't doing anyone any good (Digby notes the report is second hand and since it's coming from a Wall Street psychopath that caution in reaction is warranted).

Funny this should come out just as I was beginning (as I did before the 2008 Democratic primaries and decided to go with Obama instead) to have my doubts about Hillary Clinton.  Frankly, I wouldn't at all be surprised if Ms. Clinton did utter the remarks--her husband wasn't exactly an economic populist and I've never seen any reason to believe she was either.  No only that, but after watching Elizabeth Warren be an actual Democrat and stand up for the working class (and isn't it a hoot to watch?) I keep thinking how nice it would be to have Warren's heartfelt economic populism (she's not running) in the Presidency and not another half-hearted economic populist like Obama.

Might be a good time to take a good long look at Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who's rumored to be considering a run and has actually governed (successfully, too) like a Liberal Democrat.

Peace,
emaycee

What becomes of the bare necessities

A recent study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University shows that 50% of renters are what is known as cost-burdened in their rent, that is they pay better than 30% of their income for housing (20.6 million people).  Twenty-seven percent pay more than 50% of their income (11.3 million people).

One supposes our foes on the right will point to this as being the fault of those uppity poor folks trying to have more than they can afford.  But the plain truth of the matter is that it's a combination of wage stagnation, high unemployment, a minimum wage that hasn't come close to keeping up with inflation, and rent just being too damn high (did you know that almost half of America's homeless have a job?).

Combined with a study from the Alliance for a Just Society which shows that for every $15.00 an hour job ($31,200 a year, full time, for our republican friends who struggle with math) there are currently 7 job seekers, and that we've lost 4 million $15.00 an hour jobs since 2009 (and that's not to mention that $31,200 a year isn't exactly going to make anyone rich), one has to wonder if the the bare necessities are being priced out of the reach of ordinary Americans what becomes of the American dream?

Judging from these numbers, it isn't going to be long before we're gathering scrapwood to build our very own 21st Century Hoovervilles, from where we can watch the wealthy with awe while our children go hungry.

Either that or we can be like the French and tear the mother fuckers down.

Peace,
emaycee