Extended Unemployment Benefits Blocked
The move to extend Unemployment Benefits remains stalled in Congress, according to some Washington Insiders, because opponents want to force Congressional Democrats to take up Bush-Era tax cuts before any other issues.
But hard-core unemployed workers like Miami-Garden's Iola Christian says the Political Impasse in Washington is going to hurt them very badly.
The former nurse's aide says "I just started collecting Unemployments benefits for the first time in the 30 years I've been working."
She's been looking for a health-care related job for a year, but now needs to find any work she can get.
The Miami Gardens resident says her unemployment check is the only income she's seen lately and she doesn't understand why Congress just refused to extend her benefits.
She adds, "They need to put themselves in my shoes and the shoes of other jobless Floridians who can't pay their bills, who have no jobs and no way to pay for their food or rent. I feel like I'm not living in the United States of America, but some third world country".
And she's not alone.
106,000 Florida residents now face Washington's benefit cuts .
They're part of the initial 800-thousand hard-core jobless workers seeing their checks discontinued Nationwide.
By the end of February, those numbers will swell to more than 4-million without any Congressional action.
But critics argue extending benefits will just deepen the federal deficit and does nothing to get people back to work.
Doral staffing expert Odalys Girado of RighHire Staffing Solutions says in some cases, jobless workers are choosing their unemployment checks over getting back to work.
She says, "When we call, and we don't know if they are on unemployment or not, we are often told the jobs just don't pay enough. And some are entry level or part time to full time positions and they say they'd rather collect their unemployment which they are not supposed to do. It's really sad."
On the upside, ADP Payroll's latest reports show Private companies added 93,000 jobs in November. And that's the best monthly gain in 3 years with the Servcies Industries adding 79,000 positions.
Still, nobody knows if many of the November's part-time jobs will turn into fuill time positions beyond the December Holidays.
And in the meantime, Washington's Cold Political climate is casting a very dark cloud over the holidays of millions of jobless workers nationwide.
And here;s what some "Facebook Friends" have to say:
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Duane Zimmerman There may be some individuals doing that, but for the majority I don't think that is the case:) ***McDonalds is always hiring:)16 hours ago ·
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Bryce Laufenberg You have to speak spanish to get that job..16 hours ago via Facebook Mobile · · 3 peopleLoading...
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Pedro González Munné Where: give me the address....????16 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
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Duane Zimmerman yeah, that is a problem in Miami......reverse discrimination...most jobs require you to speak spanish....that's why I moved out of Miami:)16 hours ago ·
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Bryce Laufenberg All over s Fl..16 hours ago via Facebook Mobile ·
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Al Sunshine Very tough issue. FDR Solution: WPA/Federally Funded Jobs?
Deepen the Deficit, Extend Benefits and allow Tax Cuts for the wealthiest Americans...Can't have it both ways...can we?16 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading... -
Duane Zimmerman ?@Pedro: ROFL16 hours ago ·
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Bryce Laufenberg I grew up here..can't pick up and go..its funny though..you can get a job that does not require english..but spanish..what's up with that??I think that has something to do with not enough jobs..is that considered part of the stimulus act?? Stimulate your way out..are you kidding me..16 hours ago via Facebook Mobile · · 1 personMarla Olinick Llerena likes this.
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Pedro González Munné Geeting worst: no you need to learn creole and be black! Lol16 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
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Barbara Holler So we just keep outsourcing the jobs Everyone can move to China or India work for what if your lucky 200.00 a week?16 hours ago ·
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Pedro González Munné No, come to florida, it's the same. But here you can be unemployed in a lot of languages.15 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
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Bryce Laufenberg You said Barbara..that's where our jobs are.. Roman Empire of the 21st century..15 hours ago via Facebook Mobile ·
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Jerry Gonzalez Poverty guidelines for a family of 3 is $18,300 and for a family of 4 its $22,050. I doubt unemployment benefits top any of these income levels. To suggest that Americans are choosing to live at or below the poverty lines instead of working is absurd. IF McDonald's is hiring and they were paying $9/hr, you'd earn a net of $18,720 in a year - deduct taxes, SS, insurance,etc and you're down to about $16k. Get real in any language.15 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
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Pedro González Munné Now I'm really depresed.15 hours ago ·
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Bryce Laufenberg Lmao@Pedro..nice15 hours ago via Facebook Mobile ·
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Duane Zimmerman ?@Jerry: But if you work full-time at 6 McDonalds, you'd clear bout 96 thousand...15 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
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Bryce Laufenberg Jerry..let's get real here..I'm a blue collar and ya see in this field we have a problem. There is constantly someone willing to work cheaper than the next man. There for I was already under payed and lost my job. Because some one took it at less pay. One gets a job and the other goes on unemployment..great revolving door..now that sounds like a fun ride..still forced to poverty.15 hours ago via Facebook Mobile · · 1 personDuane Zimmerman likes this.
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Pedro González Munné too cheap... to expensive... too bad15 hours ago ·
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14 hours ago ·
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Bryce Laufenberg Yep..14 hours ago via Facebook Mobile ·
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Jerry GonzalezBryce, the free market IS real. Supply and demand - regardless of what language you speak in Miami, NY, Texas, California. Unemployment is for those who pay into the system and get counted one way or another. How many do you think are off ...the chart and unemployed with no benefits? Unemployment is suggested to in the high teens and low 20% range. Imagine that and this GOP congress is about to add another 800k to the cut throat labor market.
Aren't you just glad that the millionaires and billionaires don't have to pay taxes so that they can hire all of us blue collar workers?See More
14 hours ago · · 1 personLoading... -
Bryce Laufenberg That's bs too my man..lots of avenues are used for the corruption behind the curtain..have to get someone to pull the curtain back for all to see is the question??14 hours ago via Facebook Mobile ·
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Jerry Gonzalez Nothing behind the curtain Bryce. Warren Buffet - on camera - said he pays the least amount of taxes compared to all the others who work in his office and he's not hiring either - tax cut or no tax cut.13 hours ago ·
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Cindy Cutler There just are no jobs, and with no unemployment and no jobs, the economy will get worse, crime will go up. Unemployment has to help out, employers are not paying employees, cutting back and it will just get worse. Putting money in people's pockets through unemployment creates jobs and then those unemployed can find jobs10 hours ago ·
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Al SunshineCindy..that's what a lot of people are saying too..you're not alone. Some studies show NOT extending benefits will take Millions out of the economy and slow things down even more. But it;s not good hearing about jobs people are not taking b...ecause they can make more collecting benefits.
Real tough issue, no easy answers.
How's our new Gov going to make new jobs, cut taxes and not lay off a lot more teachers, police and firefighters?See More10 hours ago · -
Cindy Cutler I can not imagine unemployment paying more than a job, I would take a job any day, except at Mangos where they never paid me!10 hours ago ·
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Carmen Romanthe ones that like to talk alot of hot air about unemployment verses getting a job are the very ones that take advantages of help like this and turn it around to suit themselves...Real people with a Brain and a thinking cap can not think th...at $100.00 a week could feed a family, pay light, or phone bill, and food..get real people///in my town there is no industry and no full time work in order for employers not to have to pay out any benefits to an employee//be in someone shoes before you blurr out such stupid and ignorant remarks////ask the expert were are her facts coming from.....or is she a trouble maker or is she trying to earn her browne points with her tea party friends....Does she have work for us un-employed??? We chalange you//we want our respect and pride back...See More9 hours ago ·
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David Manley ?...and the same morons shelved legislation that would mandate banks to prove ownership and title history prior to a foreclosure. And the worst part is that the legislation was written almost 2 years ago.8 hours ago ·
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Carmen Romanget me started on forclosures///fighting to hold onto cement of four walls////if the banks want to be greedy give it to them///they seem to run the country anyway what makes us any different from the rest of the world, even with the billion...s of dollars from our taxed dollars from us poor stupid puppets on a string, and giving the credit to the Government/// to help us to hold onto the four walls//they could care less//they dont show or want to help homeowners stay in their homes that our families old or young can just live out on the streets//We can join and be just like the other third world countries living in chanty towns and on the streets///See More8 hours ago ·
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David Manley ?...and as soon as the holidays are over, these people will be unemployed once more.7 hours ago ·
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Carmen Roman there is no going forward, going to Ground to Zero//going around in circles///no help///everything sounds good///do the math///7 hours ago ·
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Carlos Ruiz De QuevedoI learned that when there's a safety net, people are bound to fall. The bigger the net the more people fall. Our government's biggest mistake was to interfere with economy. Their first mistake was to save Chrysler the first time… We don't l...earn from our mistakes, because we saved it a second time and now every big company expects to be saved by government, particularly if they are, too big to fail. Since then, our political leaders have allowed companies to get even bigger – can you see what's going to happen in the future?
Years ago my company used to do work for Pan Airways…remember them? Employees and management were in a battle that was taking the company down the tubes. We used to talk to union workers and tell them they were going to bankrupt the company with their actions. Their response; "the government will never let that happen, because Pan-Am is the flag airline of the US." (perceived safety net). After Pan-Am went under, those same folks were concerned how they would pay their mortgage and kid's college – too little, too late. Government did right to let Pan-Am and other airlines go under. They should have done the same with the auto companies and even the banks.
The same applies with unemployment…remember when unemployment was a 13 week bridge for people to find ANOTHER job. Now it's over a year to find the RIGHT job or replace the previous employer. I was unemployed once at the beginning of my career and after the 12th week I took a job that had nothing to do with my career at a fraction of my previous salary…the result was that I learned something new.
I am self employed and every morning I start unemployed and by the end of the day I need to do something to earn a paycheck. I don't always get a paycheck; don't have unemployment and don't rely on government to provide for me in the future. Granted not everyone can fly high without a net, but once you learn to make a living on your own, you are never a slave to an idiotic boss or incompetent government. That doesn't mean that you don't have hard times; but you can see problems coming and you can do something to weather the storm.See More
24 minutes ago ·
Here's More Information about Unemployment Cuts: :
http://www.floridajobs.org/publications/news_rel/ucdeadlines.html
Here's more information from Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation:
"As of December 4, 2010, approximately 106,000 beneficiaries (65,197 for eb and 40,845 for euc) statewide will not receive the remaining balance on their eb claim or proceed to the next emergency unemployment compensation (euc) tier.
Miami-Dade - 4562
Broward - 2842
Palm Beach - 2028
For additional information on the program deadlines, please visit our hot topics page: <http://www.floridajobs.org/unemployment/hottopics.html>.
November 9, 2010
AWI issues reminder of upcoming deadlines for Unemployment Compensation Programs
Tallahassee - The Agency for Workforce Innovation today issued a reminder to unemployment compensation customers of upcoming dates that may impact their claims. under current law, the federal emergency unemployment compensation (euc), extended benefits (eb) and federal additional compensation (fac) programs will conclude over the next several weeks.
Initial state unemployment claims, which include up to 26 weeks of benefits at a maximum of $275 per week in florida, are not affected by the upcoming expiration of the extensions.
EUC program
In order to receive additional weeks of unemployment compensation available through the federal euc program, beneficiaries must exhaust their regular state claim by november 20, 2010. more information about dates impacting individual tiers of benefits in the euc program is available on the agencys hot topics webpage at http://www.floridajobs.org/unemployment/hottopics.html.
EB program
The eb program, which provides additional compensation to beneficiaries who have exhausted all euc to which they are entitled, ends december 4, 2010. due to federal funding limitations, eb will not be paid for any weeks of unemployment after the week ending december 4. this includes eb accounts that may have a balance remaining. more information on important dates related to the eb program is available on the agencys hot topics webpage at http://www.floridajobs.org/unemployment/hottopics.html.
FAC program
Customers should also be aware that the final week for payments of FAC - the extra $25 a week available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - will be the week ending december 11, 2010. FAC payments have been received as separate checks or electronic funds transfers.
Extended Holiday Hours
Customers with questions about their claims are encouraged to visit the agencys website at www.floridajobs.org or call awis unemployment compensation hotline at 1-800-204-2418.
The hotline will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. monday through friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. saturday, including veterans day and the friday and saturday after thanksgiving. customers who must contact awi by phone are encouraged to call wednesday-saturday if possible. there is virtually no wait time on saturdays.
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http://www.floridajobs.org/publications/news_rel/ucdeadlines.html
Each week thereafter, approximately 40,845 beneficiaries claims exhaust and cannot advance into euc or to the next euc tier. below are the numbers that exhaust each week in the requested counties:
