Topic: unemployment

It’s time to extend unemployment benefits

By Chris Lugo | June 24, 2008 |

America is in the midst of a recession largely attributable to the economic policies of the Bush administration and the Republican party. As a result of this recession, millions of hard working Americans have been put out of work. Almost every family in this country has been touched by the current recession. On top of this, consumers are being forced to pay record high gas prices and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes due to foreclosure. Now is not the time to cut tax paying American citizens off of their unemployment benefits.

Since the beginning of this year nearly 325,000 people have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate is rising. As of May the unemployment rate stands at 5.5%, up nine percent just since April. With the cost of gas, food and medicine many families are suffering.

As a candidate for federal office I support House Resolution 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, which will provide an additional thirteen weeks of extended unemployment benefits in most states. This means that 3.8 million citizens will continue to receive benefits through March of 2009. «Read the rest of this article»

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State priorities out of order

By Scott Beasley | June 1, 2008 |

With the recent budget shortfall the state is facing, I find it extremely ironic that the state government has prioritized a honky tonk party bunker before education. Perhaps the Governor fears a nuclear attack in Nashville. Perhaps he wishes Nashville to have a ballroom to host the next “Dancing with the Stars”. Perhaps he just wants a place where he can whine and dine future business prospects in the hopes of getting them liquored up enough to open up shop here. Who knows?

The nearly $20 million price tag, is only the projected budget, anyone want to bet it goes over? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for attracting businesses to the state, but what kind of a message are we sending here? The first highly hypocritical aspect is the state being forced to cut 2,000 jobs to meet the budget constraints next year. Would someone please tell me how this is supposed to work? We cut jobs, so we can spend $20 million on a banquet hall, so we can attract development in hopes of creating jobs? «Read the rest of this article»

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