ISM Manufacturing Index surges to 48.9% beating expectations by 2.4%

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/

If this crosses 50 I will be much more inclined to say we are heading for a recovery. The new orders index which measures future demand rose to 55.3% from 49.2% in June. Readings above 50 indicate expansion and if this is accurate and factory orders will increase in the next few months, the ISM Manufacturing index may indeed cross 50 for the first time in two years. The Production index increased to 57.9% from 52.5% in June. The Employement index while still below 50% went up to 45.6% from 40.7% in June. Theoretically it would seem that if the New orders rise as the index suggests it will drive further increases in Productivity and sooner or latter Productivity increases will necessite increased employement. The essentiall thing that will drive this is demand, especially Factory orders but also Consumer Demand.

Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

lol. They aren't hiring either, stupid. IGA, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Food Lion, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, McDonalds, Burger king, Taco Bell, Hardy's, Outback Stakehouse, Texas Stakehouse, CVS, Walgreens, Ride Aide, Duncan Donuts, several Gas Stations, Auto-zone, and several other stores, restaurants, and convenience shops are all within 5 miles of where I live and not a one has been hiring people. When a job does come open its naped by a friend of a someone who works there, or an illegal alien. My mom can't work and has been constantly screwed out of he Disability by the Gov't, If my dad can't get a job, how can my brother or even myself find a job when every place above ISN'T HIRING. Wal-mart is running only 5 registers even though the store is equipt with about 30 and the lines are backed up. Other stores are picking up on the habit. Dollar Tree only has one register open at a time even though they have 5 and the lines are always backed up. They aren't hiring. This recession hit retail hard. Goody's went bankrupt wiping out another store in town, Hudson Belk is running on a skeleton crew. Go out of town to Clayton, Garner, Raliegh, Goldsboro, or Wilson; its the same deal.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

lol. They aren't hiring either, stupid. IGA, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Food Lion, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, McDonalds, Burger king, Taco Bell, Hardy's, Outback Stakehouse, Texas Stakehouse, CVS, Walgreens, Ride Aide, Duncan Donuts, several Gas Stations, Auto-zone, and several other stores, restaurants, and convenience shops are all within 5 miles of where I live and not a one has been hiring people. When a job does come open its naped by a friend of a someone who works there, or an illegal alien. My mom can't work and has been constantly screwed out of he Disability by the Gov't, If my dad can't get a job, how can my brother or even myself find a job when every place above ISN'T HIRING. Wal-mart is running only 5 registers even though the store is equipt with about 30 and the lines are backed up. Other stores are picking up on the habit. Dollar Tree only has one register open at a time even though they have 5 and the lines are always backed up. They aren't hiring. This recession hit retail hard. Goody's went bankrupt wiping out another store in town, Hudson Belk is running on a skeleton crew. Go out of town to Clayton, Garner, Raliegh, Goldsboro, or Wilson; its the same deal.

I am truly sorry for your family situation.  one possible solution is to move to another state

[Verily]

It definitely depends where you live. I am under the impression that the areas previously experiencing the fastest growth are now suffering the most from a lack of employment opportunities at the lowest levels--there are a glut of new residents of relatively modest means in those areas. Retail isn't exactly shining around here, either, but some stores are definitely hiring. I've seen help wanted signs scattered about Englewood and the surrounding inner-ring NYC suburbs.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

I don't think you understand how bad the job market is.

[King]

One could say this terrible job market was started by people who got laid off not willing to take the retail and service industry jobs on a temporary basis.  If they had that income/employee discounts to hold them over from the start, those retailers wouldn't have lost their customer base.

There's a psychological effect to having employment.  A person who makes small monthly wage at JCPenney's isn't going to be afraid to make those purchases on their VISA card. A person who is raking in the food stamps and welfare checks can feel rock bottom in their physcie and choose not to spend.

[opebo]

One could say this terrible job market was started by people who got laid off not willing to take the retail and service industry jobs on a temporary basis.  If they had that income/employee discounts to hold them over from the start, those retailers wouldn't have lost their customer base.

There's a psychological effect to having employment.  A person who makes small monthly wage at JCPenney's isn't going to be afraid to make those purchases on their VISA card. A person who is raking in the food stamps and welfare checks can feel rock bottom in their physcie and choose not to spend.

What utter rot!  In the first place the same demand-support you seek to maintain through 'retail and service industry jobs' could just as easily be supported by a reasonable dole.

But the point is that there is no dole in the US!  'Raking in the food stamps and welfare checks'!  You have no idea what you're talking about.  Food stamps are something like an absurd couple of hundred dollars a month, and are only temporary anyway.  As for 'welfare checks', what are you imagining?  That the poor can simply receive a check from the government?  Christ man, if that were the case we wouldn't have severe recessions.  No, 'welfare checks', meager as they are, are only for mothers with very small children.

The reason that people don't spend (support demand) on the ridiculous american version of the dole is not because of any 'psychological effect', but because the dole is about 1/4 of what it needs to be to provide security.  People don't spend without security.

Lastly the psychological effect of moving from a 'real job' to working in the serfdom of retail or restaurants would be far more damaging than if we had a proper safety net set up.  If workers could say, oh well, my job is gone, but I have a couple of grand a month gauranteed by the state for however long it takes to get a new one', then demand would not suffer. 

[Gustaf]

One could say this terrible job market was started by people who got laid off not willing to take the retail and service industry jobs on a temporary basis.  If they had that income/employee discounts to hold them over from the start, those retailers wouldn't have lost their customer base.

There's a psychological effect to having employment.  A person who makes small monthly wage at JCPenney's isn't going to be afraid to make those purchases on their VISA card. A person who is raking in the food stamps and welfare checks can feel rock bottom in their physcie and choose not to spend.

What utter rot!  In the first place the same demand-support you seek to maintain through 'retail and service industry jobs' could just as easily be supported by a reasonable dole.

But the point is that there is no dole in the US!  'Raking in the food stamps and welfare checks'!  You have no idea what you're talking about.  Food stamps are something like an absurd couple of hundred dollars a month, and are only temporary anyway.  As for 'welfare checks', what are you imagining?  That the poor can simply receive a check from the government?  Christ man, if that were the case we wouldn't have severe recessions.  No, 'welfare checks', meager as they are, are only for mothers with very small children.

The reason that people don't spend (support demand) on the ridiculous american version of the dole is not because of any 'psychological effect', but because the dole is about 1/4 of what it needs to be to provide security.  People don't spend without security.

Lastly the psychological effect of moving from a 'real job' to working in the serfdom of retail or restaurants would be far more damaging than if we had a proper safety net set up.  If workers could say, oh well, my job is gone, but I have a couple of grand a month gauranteed by the state for however long it takes to get a new one', then demand would not suffer. 

Yeah, why work in the serfdom of restaurants when one can be a whore, right? What do you think the psyhcological effect of that is?

And I'm curious as to how you can know anything about American welfare, since you've been either rich or in Thailand all your life.

Anyway, productive work is obviously a better way of propping up demand than redistribution.

[opebo]

Yeah, why work in the serfdom of restaurants when one can be a whore, right? What do you think the psyhcological effect of that is?

I honestly doubt that it is any worse.  I mean, I'd certainly rather have sex for $50/hour than scrub filthy foodstuffs for $7.

And I'm curious as to how you can know anything about American welfare, since you've been either rich or in Thailand all your life.

I was a graduate student, of course, Gustaf, and graduate students always try to get welfare.

Anyway, productive work is obviously a better way of propping up demand than redistribution.

Actually, no.  Redistribution is quite a bit better stimulus than 'productive work'.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

lol. They aren't hiring either, stupid. IGA, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Food Lion, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, McDonalds, Burger king, Taco Bell, Hardy's, Outback Stakehouse, Texas Stakehouse, CVS, Walgreens, Ride Aide, Duncan Donuts, several Gas Stations, Auto-zone, and several other stores, restaurants, and convenience shops are all within 5 miles of where I live and not a one has been hiring people. When a job does come open its naped by a friend of a someone who works there, or an illegal alien. My mom can't work and has been constantly screwed out of he Disability by the Gov't, If my dad can't get a job, how can my brother or even myself find a job when every place above ISN'T HIRING. Wal-mart is running only 5 registers even though the store is equipt with about 30 and the lines are backed up. Other stores are picking up on the habit. Dollar Tree only has one register open at a time even though they have 5 and the lines are always backed up. They aren't hiring. This recession hit retail hard. Goody's went bankrupt wiping out another store in town, Hudson Belk is running on a skeleton crew. Go out of town to Clayton, Garner, Raliegh, Goldsboro, or Wilson; its the same deal.

I am truly sorry for your family situation.  one possible solution is to move to another state

We did in 2002. We are now trapped you fool. We can't even aford the security depost on a new home. Where would we move too? You are full of bright ideas but you seem to not realise just how unrealistic and how impossible both your suggestions are. You are completely our of touch with reality. Lastly I Think NC is poised for a strong turnaround pretty soon. What we need is to bump up consumer confidence. The economy needs the Unemployment benefit extension. We extended it I think 3 times in the last recession, we have only done it twice this time and we are in a far worse condition. We need an extension now and one more at the beginning of next year to safely guarantee the 10 Million or more unemployed especially the 4.4 million who will lose benefits soon through this hiring glut. Charlie Rengel said on Fox News Sunday that he saw no reason not to and even highly conservative Jim DeMint said he two would support another extension. It would be the height of insanity and Obama the dumbest MF in history to not do it.

[opebo]

We did in 2002. We are now trapped you fool. We can't even aford the security depost on a new home. Where would we move too? You are full of bright ideas but you seem to not realise just how unrealistic and how impossible both your suggestions are. You are completely our of touch with reality.

You are certainly correct that your better, jmfcst, is out of touch with reality.  But isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?  You're still a Republican whilst living in poverty and despair?  At least jmfcst's delusions are based on an appearance of personal advantage.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

lol. They aren't hiring either, stupid. IGA, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Food Lion, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, McDonalds, Burger king, Taco Bell, Hardy's, Outback Stakehouse, Texas Stakehouse, CVS, Walgreens, Ride Aide, Duncan Donuts, several Gas Stations, Auto-zone, and several other stores, restaurants, and convenience shops are all within 5 miles of where I live and not a one has been hiring people. When a job does come open its naped by a friend of a someone who works there, or an illegal alien. My mom can't work and has been constantly screwed out of he Disability by the Gov't, If my dad can't get a job, how can my brother or even myself find a job when every place above ISN'T HIRING. Wal-mart is running only 5 registers even though the store is equipt with about 30 and the lines are backed up. Other stores are picking up on the habit. Dollar Tree only has one register open at a time even though they have 5 and the lines are always backed up. They aren't hiring. This recession hit retail hard. Goody's went bankrupt wiping out another store in town, Hudson Belk is running on a skeleton crew. Go out of town to Clayton, Garner, Raliegh, Goldsboro, or Wilson; its the same deal.

I am truly sorry for your family situation.  one possible solution is to move to another state

We did in 2002. We are now trapped you fool. We can't even aford the security depost on a new home. Where would we move too? You are full of bright ideas but you seem to not realise just how unrealistic and how impossible both your suggestions are. You are completely our of touch with reality. Lastly I Think NC is poised for a strong turnaround pretty soon. What we need is to bump up consumer confidence. The economy needs the Unemployment benefit extension. We extended it I think 3 times in the last recession, we have only done it twice this time and we are in a far worse condition. We need an extension now and one more at the beginning of next year to safely guarantee the 10 Million or more unemployed especially the 4.4 million who will lose benefits soon through this hiring glut. Charlie Rengel said on Fox News Sunday that he saw no reason not to and even highly conservative Jim DeMint said he two would support another extension. It would be the height of insanity and Obama the dumbest MF in history to not do it.

I understand your family is facing tough times.  I'll wait for the unemployment numbers to come out Friday.  If July's loss plus prior revisions is better than -325k and if the rate is <9.8%, then I don't think we should extend benefits.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/03/latest-factory-construction-data-points-to-recovery/
Basically more evidence that Congress and President should extend Unemployment benefits to boost consumer spending and confidence. The unnecessary wave of people who will lose there benefits over the next 6 to 8 weeks can easily be prevented. My suggestion would be to extend them into next year.

those how have been unemployed that long need to go get whatever job they can find. 

Where would you like them to get these jobs from? There are none.

grocery store

lol. They aren't hiring either, stupid. IGA, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Food Lion, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, McDonalds, Burger king, Taco Bell, Hardy's, Outback Stakehouse, Texas Stakehouse, CVS, Walgreens, Ride Aide, Duncan Donuts, several Gas Stations, Auto-zone, and several other stores, restaurants, and convenience shops are all within 5 miles of where I live and not a one has been hiring people. When a job does come open its naped by a friend of a someone who works there, or an illegal alien. My mom can't work and has been constantly screwed out of he Disability by the Gov't, If my dad can't get a job, how can my brother or even myself find a job when every place above ISN'T HIRING. Wal-mart is running only 5 registers even though the store is equipt with about 30 and the lines are backed up. Other stores are picking up on the habit. Dollar Tree only has one register open at a time even though they have 5 and the lines are always backed up. They aren't hiring. This recession hit retail hard. Goody's went bankrupt wiping out another store in town, Hudson Belk is running on a skeleton crew. Go out of town to Clayton, Garner, Raliegh, Goldsboro, or Wilson; its the same deal.

I am truly sorry for your family situation.  one possible solution is to move to another state

We did in 2002. We are now trapped you fool. We can't even aford the security depost on a new home. Where would we move too? You are full of bright ideas but you seem to not realise just how unrealistic and how impossible both your suggestions are. You are completely our of touch with reality. Lastly I Think NC is poised for a strong turnaround pretty soon. What we need is to bump up consumer confidence. The economy needs the Unemployment benefit extension. We extended it I think 3 times in the last recession, we have only done it twice this time and we are in a far worse condition. We need an extension now and one more at the beginning of next year to safely guarantee the 10 Million or more unemployed especially the 4.4 million who will lose benefits soon through this hiring glut. Charlie Rengel said on Fox News Sunday that he saw no reason not to and even highly conservative Jim DeMint said he two would support another extension. It would be the height of insanity and Obama the dumbest MF in history to not do it.

I understand your family is facing tough times.  I'll wait for the unemployment numbers to come out Friday.  If July's loss plus prior revisions is better than -325k and if the rate is <9.8%, then I don't think we should extend benefits.

I have already seen enough evidednce to justify it. In June consumer spending went up 0.9% at least according to a report I saw on CBS, however Consumer confidence went down that month and again in July due primarily to the two things, 1. Unlike you and I most people don't understand that jobs are a lagging indicator, 2. If Unemployments is still raising, Avg # of hours worked per week is now I beleive at 32, and wages are trending downward as well. There are two sources from which increased Demand will come, the tax cut from Obama's stimulus spread out week to week, and lastly Savings. An extension in unemployement will boost consumer confidence and make people more willing to spend rather then save.

Lastly I am sure that once people start to spend the economy will start to come back. The ISM numbers back that up the expectations are for expansion of new orders primarily cause stores are understocked. However if the stores increase inventory but find they can't sell it, you will see that second leg down of a W recession early next year. Though the recovery will be closer to an L shape then a V or U the difference between an L or a W is whether or not consumer confidence rises enough that this Christmas shopping season is better then last year. It shouldn't be hard to meat that standard considering how much people cut there spending in November and December which were probably along with Jan-Feb, the trough of both Consumer demand and consumer confidence. Thats why I think the Gov't should pass not only one extension in Sept, but one next February as well. The cost of doing this, about $100 Billion for both, is well worth it considering what is at stake here. The economy couldn't survive another a dip down like the one in Q4 2008(Oct-Dec) and Q1 2009(Jan-Mar).
As DeMint said we should not deny these people who frankly deserve the Gov't spending the most. Thats what the most conservative fiscal hawk in the Senate had to say about it.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Sorry Senator, but as unmerciful as it may seem, pain is a necessary part of recessions and recessions are a necessary part of the business cycle and the business cycle is a necessary part of capitalism.

I'm all for spending money to stave off an imminent collapse, but now that we have avoided one, I believe it is time to take away the punch bowl and start unwinding government spending.

I'll wait to see Friday's unemployment report.  If the losses are proving yet again to remain persistently high, then I'll agree with you.  But if the job losses are waning and under 325k, I'll think it will be time to shoot congress to keep it from spending another dime.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Sorry Senator, but as unmerciful as it may seem, pain is a necessary part of recessions and recessions are a necessary part of the business cycle and the business cycle is a necessary part of capitalism.

I'm all for spending money to stave off an imminent collapse, but now that we have avoided one, I believe it is time to take away the punch bowl and start unwinding government spending.

I'll wait to see Friday's unemployment report.  If the losses are proving yet again to remain persistently high, then I'll agree with you.  But if the job losses are waning and under 325k, I'll think it will be time to shoot congress to keep it from spending another dime.

Most people are not as sure about the economy as you are and even so, to start unwinding spending now would be the most stupid thing that could be done. July was very sluggish for retail sales and consumers are still uneasy about this. You have to remember that these are more then just numbers on a page but real people who will make decisions based on what is best for them financially and if it is in there best interests to save money, then thats what they will do. If too many make that choice then no, your recovery will turn into a dead cat bounce. Next year once the numbers are in from the Christmas shopping season is the time to consider reducing spending. The consumer spending/confidence just isn't there yet, and untill it gets higher there will be no recovery. What will happen is business will expand production in the expectation of higher sales and when those sales don't materialise they will cutback, causing layoffs to shoot up again. There is no reason not to extend Unemployement benfits. 4.4 Million of roughly 6 million who are on unemployement will see the benefits expire over the next few months. When we have spent almost 1 Trillion to bail out corporations I think the Gov't can afford less then 100 Billion to extend Unemployment again. We have done so in every other recession and in the previous one which was very mild we saw I beleive 2 or 3 extentions. So in this the most severe recession since the Depression an extention seems almost common sense and it would seem you would have to be severrely out of touch with reality on this.

[War on Want]

I agree with NCYankee here, extending unemployment benefits would be a great way to keep the economy recovering. It wouldn't be ridiculous if the government didn't extend benefits because it would essentially be a mini-stimulus that would be just as efficent was the current one.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Sorry Senator, but as unmerciful as it may seem, pain is a necessary part of recessions and recessions are a necessary part of the business cycle and the business cycle is a necessary part of capitalism.

I'm all for spending money to stave off an imminent collapse, but now that we have avoided one, I believe it is time to take away the punch bowl and start unwinding government spending.

I'll wait to see Friday's unemployment report.  If the losses are proving yet again to remain persistently high, then I'll agree with you.  But if the job losses are waning and under 325k, I'll think it will be time to shoot congress to keep it from spending another dime.

Most people are not as sure about the economy as you are and even so, to start unwinding spending now would be the most stupid thing that could be done.

there is a difference between unwinding spending and adding to spending...extending the duration of benefits would add to spending.

though it will be painful, now is time to tell those on unemployment insurance to take whatever jobs are available (and move to another town and live in an apartment if necessary).  As things continue to improve, the job hunting these people have been doing will bear fruit and many, after having taken much inferior jobs for a while, will be contacted to fill the positions they were pursuing.

Otherwise, if we extend benefits while things are improving, we're simply providing funds to support life styles instead of providing emergency funds.  I do NOT believe in government intervention simply to support life styles.  Sometimes, though painful, downsizing is the best solution.

And, understand, I am saying this as a contractor who has not been covered by unemployment insurance since April 1998.  Yes, not having that "safety net" has risks, but those risks are far outweighed by the benefits.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Sorry Senator, but as unmerciful as it may seem, pain is a necessary part of recessions and recessions are a necessary part of the business cycle and the business cycle is a necessary part of capitalism.

I'm all for spending money to stave off an imminent collapse, but now that we have avoided one, I believe it is time to take away the punch bowl and start unwinding government spending.

I'll wait to see Friday's unemployment report.  If the losses are proving yet again to remain persistently high, then I'll agree with you.  But if the job losses are waning and under 325k, I'll think it will be time to shoot congress to keep it from spending another dime.

Most people are not as sure about the economy as you are and even so, to start unwinding spending now would be the most stupid thing that could be done.

there is a difference between unwinding spending and adding to spending...extending the duration of benefits would add to spending.

though it will be painful, now is time to tell those on unemployment insurance to take whatever jobs are available (and move to another town and live in an apartment if necessary).  As things continue to improve, the job hunting these people have been doing will bear fruit and many, after having taken much inferior jobs for a while, will be contacted to fill the positions they were pursuing.

Otherwise, if we extend benefits while things are improving, we're simply providing funds to support life styles instead of providing emergency funds.  I do NOT believe in government intervention simply to support life styles.  Sometimes, though painful, downsizing is the best solution.

And, understand, I am saying this as a contractor who has not been covered by unemployment insurance since April 1998.  Yes, not having that "safety net" has risks, but those risks are far outweighed by the benefits.

How do you expect people to be able to move, and where do you expect us to move to? Everywhere my dad tries to apply they are just taking applications. You can't support a family of four on less then $1500 a month. We pay $300 a month for this shack of a place we live in now. The electric runs about $300 on Avg. Add in Car insurance, phone, and this f**king internet connection and you are pushing about $800 a month. We only get about 1200 from the Unemployment and about $300 from Food stamps. You say my dad should take a lower paying job, since when the hell is $10-$12 an hour "not" lower paying? Thats all my dad is asking for. Even if we could survive on lower then that, they two, are not available. Remember the minimum wage is now over $7 an hour so there are no abundant $5 or $6 grocery store jobs like there use to be. Now those places only hire when absolutely necessary and it usually ends up going to a friend of someone who works there or a f**king illegal.  There are just as many $8 and $9 an hour jobs as there $10 and $12 jobs, and just like them they are "only taking applications". From what I gather its same in many other states, so how is moving going to change anything, and where do we move too, the only reason we came here is we had relatives in NC help us here untill my dad found a job which took less then a month in mid 2002 the depth of the last recession. Not only are you asking my dad to do the impossible(find jobs that don't exist) you want us to take one that pays so little that would either A) live in the dark, B)Starve.

You talk about sustaining affluent lifestyles by extending Unemployment insurance, keep in mind that its only 2/3 of you previous income. Also we have been living in hell even with the Unemployement. You talk about us as if we were lazy welfare bleeders, how dare you, you out of touch elitist bastard. Nor are we holding out for job that pays highly. The most my dad ever got paid was $17.40 an hour. We are not even asking for that he is asking for 2/3's of that 10 or 12 an hour, and you consider that to highly paying, go to hell, you hypocritcal a**hole.  There is no more downsizing you fool, we have cut back, our electric is half what it was in 2007(when we lived in Selma, NC) and we shut off our Dish thats $400 in savings right there.

We are not out of this recession, we have yet to guarrantee the consumer confidence necessary to get us out, today was the beginning of "tax-free" weekend, no sales tax on Computers, School supplies and certain clothes. The stores are not exactly packed, we were out of Wal-mart in 10 minutes today, and that never happens. People are still fearful, and still hoarding there money. Also keep in mind the only reason the rate went down is because people are being kicked off the rolls. 1.5 million people are going to be kicked off and left with no income at all. 2.6 million more will be left to the mercy of there states and whether or not they passed extentions or not as well.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Senator,

My mother raised 4 boys by herself, without government assistance, without health care benefits, and without a good paying job (she mostly cleaned houses), and we lived a quarter mile away from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Houston (if you're ever in Houston, take a drive down my old street, but lock your doors and bring a gun...or maybe even use google maps to have a look around:  Forrestal Road, zip code 77033):

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29.679429,-95.347442&spn=0,359.997594&z=19&layer=c&cbll=29.679479,-95.347368&panoid=affnUcG1Pszp4_Fs7so9-Q&cbp=12,128.43,,0,5

and I lived on that street from 7 years of age until I was 22.  So, I know a little bit about poverty and hard times.  And I give more to charity, in terms of percentage and amount, than most, if not all, of the members of this forum.

And as bleak as times may seem right now, things will get better, and you're still better off than most of the people in the world.

But, since Congress won't need to make a decision on this for another month, let's reevaluate at that time.  Deal?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senator,

My mother raised 4 boys by herself, without government assistance, without health care benefits, and without a good paying job (she mostly cleaned houses), and we lived a quarter mile away from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Houston (if you're ever in Houston, take a drive down my old street, but lock your doors and bring a gun...or maybe even use google maps to have a look around:  Forrestal Road, zip code 77033):

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29.679429,-95.347442&spn=0,359.997594&z=19&layer=c&cbll=29.679479,-95.347368&panoid=affnUcG1Pszp4_Fs7so9-Q&cbp=12,128.43,,0,5

and I lived on that street from 7 years of age until I was 22.  So, I know a little bit about poverty and hard times.  And I give more to charity, in terms of percentage and amount, than most, if not all, of the members of this forum.

And as bleak as times may seem right now, things will get better, and you're still better off than most of the people in the world.

But, since Congress won't need to make a decision on this for another month, let's reevaluate at that time.  Deal?

I can't even guarrantee you I will be alive another month more or less be able to access the internet then. I still would like to know how you can say I am living a life of prosperity here on the gov't dime? I feal like sh**t, I got some kind of weird a** problem with my digestive system, no Health insurance, and I got about three months till I am living on the street. I still would like to know how $10 and $12 an hour is too much to ask? I still would like to know how you expect people to take jobs below that when even they don't exist? I still would like to know how you expect people to afford a move, and to where they would go? No sir, NO DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I can't even guarrantee you I will be alive another month more or less be able to access the internet then. I still would like to know how you can say I am living a life of prosperity here on the gov't dime? I feal like sh**t, I got some kind of weird a** problem with my digestive system, no Health insurance, and I got about three months till I am living on the street. I still would like to know how $10 and $12 an hour is too much to ask? I still would like to know how you expect people to take jobs below that when even they don't exist? I still would like to know how you expect people to afford a move, and to where they would go? No sir, NO DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

obviously, your family has seen the bottom fall out.  How are your parents coping with it?

[opebo]

I would just like to interject a note of thanks to northcarolina yankee for his honest anecdotes about his miseries.  We all need to remember that the rich are not just taking a little advantage - they are killing people.

But what I'm wondering, North Carolina, is, given they're tryin to do a genocide on your family, why you still have that frightful right wing blue avatar?