The Republicans in Congress blocked extensions of unemployment payments so that payments will end just before Christmas and right after Christmas.

They further said they will continue to block all social welfare programs until the "Bush Era" taxcuts are made permanent to all persons making more than $250,000 a year.

The Salvation Army of Leesburg/Wildwood says there are 250 families a day are in need of hot breakfasts from Salvation Army and the schools just outside The Villages have around 73% of the students qualifiying for free or reduced lunches. These school lunches are due to be cut if Congress does not give extensions by Dec. 31.

Originally Posted by Tbugs

The Republicans in Congress blocked extensions of unemployment payments so that payments will end just before Christmas and right after Christmas.

They further said they will continue to block all social welfare programs until the "Bush Era" taxcuts are made permanent to all persons making more than $250,000 a year.

The Salvation Army of Leesburg/Wildwood says there are 250 families a day are in need of hot breakfasts from Salvation Army and the schools just outside The Villages have around 73% of the students qualifiying for free or reduced lunches. These school lunches are due to be cut if Congress does not give extensions by Dec. 31.

Another liberal misrepresentation?

Yoda

Nancy Pelosi "Unemployment benefits creates jobs, tax cuts do not"

I'm glad the voices of the majority of the American people aren't falling on deaf ears.


Good for you Tbugs for seeking out charities and causes that you can help!!

Originally Posted by Tbugs

The Republicans in Congress blocked extensions of unemployment payments so that payments will end just before Christmas and right after Christmas.

They further said they will continue to block all social welfare programs until the "Bush Era" taxcuts are made permanent to all persons making more than $250,000 a year.

The Salvation Army of Leesburg/Wildwood says there are 250 families a day are in need of hot breakfasts from Salvation Army and the schools just outside The Villages have around 73% of the students qualifiying for free or reduced lunches. These school lunches are due to be cut if Congress does not give extensions by Dec. 31.

I did notice that you choked on the "Bush era" taxcuts....just to clarify,they are the tax cuts that President Obama mocked during the campaign and now, while he differs on the higher income cuts, he now agrees that tax cuts might be good....go figure huh ?

HOWEVER, my point is this part of those terrible tax cuts...

"Failure by Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts
, especially locking in the 15 percent capital gains tax rate, will spark a stock market sell off starting December 15 as investors move to lock in gains at a lower rate than the 20 percent it would jump to next year, warn analysts. "

http://politics.usnews.com/news/blog...ck-market.html

I realize that everything is about party with you, but dont you sometimes worry about our countries economy.

Your point about the Salvation Army is well taken however....you use the tactic that so many use to try and make everyone feel guilty when they do the right thing because they dont publicly talk about what is done for these organizations.

I am a nasty person from the right who opposes far left policies and I did volunteer my time and money on a regular basis to the Salvation Army and still do when time allows, so your little barb did not penetrate here,and it WAS a barb. You see, in my younger days, I was one of you, although I doubt if ever that as far left.

Using the guilt argument does not work....people of BOTH parties give money and time...people of BOTH parties care...it is not just you and not just those who support your political theories

No where in my original posting did I criticize either political party. I did not even mention Democrats. I merely stated that Republicans in Congress cut off unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and will continue to cut social welfare programs until the "Bush Era" tax cuts are extended permanently to all people - even the very rich Americans. I did not say this was wrong. I did not say it was the right thing to do, either. Just gave the facts.

I also reported that one of the programs that will be cut is the reduced/free school lunch program - which serves about 73% of the students in the immediate areas around The Villages.

Salvation Army is one of the best charities around. They still have need of bell ringers for their Red Kettles. Call the Leesburg office to volunteer. I am one of the bell ringers at Wal-Mart on 466.

Follow you own conscience for whatever program you champion. Hunger does not have a political party.

Regardless of opinion on the whole of the subject, it's unbelievable that the Democrats haven't been able to 'make hay' out of the Republican stonewalling. Obama was always in favor of keeping the tax cuts for the middle and lower class - it's the "rich" (and I use that term loosely as it means different things in different places) that he always opposed.

Of course, there's another possibility - that the Democrats are purposely allowing this to happen so that they can blame the GOP for everything when the 2012 election rolls around *and* get the "benefit" of the higher tax receipts that the non-partisan CBO say will result if *all* the tax cuts expire. The Dems are quick to point out how much the tax cuts for the wealthy will "cost" to the deficit but aren't as quick to point out how much the REST of the tax cuts would "cost" if extended.

What a lot of people don`t know is that this will kill small business, hundreds are going out of business every day, my small business does about 500,000 a year, and the last couple of years we managed to stay in business, by laying off people and doing away with health insurance. Our health insurance company informed us that they were going to hit us with a 50% increase, and I do beleave is was because or the new health insurance laws. I was lucky, I managed to sell my business in November and will be living full time in the Villages December 6th. I do feel sorry for anyone trying to run a small business in this economy. Small business is the largest employer in this country, where was their `bailout` and don`t say they can go to the banks (that where bailed out with our tax dollars) for a loan, the banks are NOT lending. I feel that if anything, they should some how raise the amount a small business makes before they are hit with more taxes.

Unemployment benefits now extend for 99 weeks or nearly two years. At some point the taxpayer needs to say 'enough'. Tbugs, I admire you for being a volunteer for the Salvation Army. There is no other charity that does so much for so little. However, I must ask if you worked steadily at it for two years, couldn't get a job working inside Wal-Mart in addition to your work as a bell ringer outside?

This is neither a Democrat or Republican issue. No one wants children to go hungry, heat to be cut off, etc. Rather, it is a question of how much can we afford and what we are doing to people by eliminating the incentive to go get a job and fend for themselves.

If you disagree, then can you tell me how long unemployment benefits should extend. They are already two years, should they extend for four years, eight years or perhaps for a lifetime?

Barbeque Man - I volunteer as a Salvation Army bell ringer during the Christmas holiday season. I do other volunteer work during some of my free time as a Villager. I retired from the Federal government after 36 years of work (helping veterans) at the Department of Veterans Affairs - and a few years in the Army. I do not work for money anymore. This is not bragging about myself at all. I feel very blessed by God to have done this and to be able to help others now - as well as to play golf.

How long should someone get unemployment benefits? I don't have an answer.

Is it right to punish children by cutting off their free lunches or hot breakfast programs by stalling votes in Congress? My answer is a resounding NO.

Maybe benefits should be linked to training programs as in the axiom, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him a lifetime."

This is a program that once upon a time was a 26 week benefit. Something to tide one over while LOOKING for a new job.
In today's entitlement environment it is now out to 2 years. So where is the logic? Once unemployed a person becomes an income "ward" of the government?
What is the incentive for these people to go out and LOOK for a job? None!! Zero!!
And I don't need to be reminded of the state of the economy and the level of unemployment (which went up again)....all I know is the people who HAVE to work, those who are not entitled to the weekly freebie wages, find some kind of work to put bread on the table.

As for Pelosi and anybody else who is drinking her koolaid, I await with baited breath for an explanation how extending unemployment benefits will create 600,000 new jobs. I believe they are using the letter of the law to have the bills they promote contains words that say increases new jobs....whether it means anything or not...as long as the words are present they feel they have done their job.

Go back to 26 unemployment and let the chips fall where they may. As afar as these other worthy programs being caught up in the usual multi purpose, cloud the issue, ram it and jam it ear mark type legislation. That is unfortunate, but certainly NOT justification to pass the bill. Quite the contrary. Maybe they will start writing stated purpose legislation....yeah right.

Ending the unemployment extension of benefits will add necessity to the equation which does not exist today. It will also cause the unemployment number to increase as these folks do start to LOOK for a job and the real unemployment number will eventually come to pass.....some where above 14%.

Proof positive that politics solves absolutely nothing and blind partisan allegiance is the lubricant that makes sure nothing changes.

btk

Originally Posted by Tbugs

No where in my original posting did I criticize either political party. I did not even mention Democrats. I merely stated that Republicans in Congress cut off unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and will continue to cut social welfare programs until the "Bush Era" tax cuts are extended permanently to all people - even the very rich Americans. I did not say this was wrong. I did not say it was the right thing to do, either. Just gave the facts.

I also reported that one of the programs that will be cut is the reduced/free school lunch program - which serves about 73% of the students in the immediate areas around The Villages.

Salvation Army is one of the best charities around. They still have need of bell ringers for their Red Kettles. Call the Leesburg office to volunteer. I am one of the bell ringers at Wal-Mart on 466.

Follow you own conscience for whatever program you champion. Hunger does not have a political party.

I laud you as I am a great champion of the Salvation Army, however to say that your post was not political is a bit of a reach. Somewhere somehow, the line must be drawn and no matter when it is drawn, it will create angst among some groups for sure. It is inevitable or we will succumb and as Zuckerman said....it will be over !

Seriously??

Do some of you who like to use the term rich especially politicians on left seriously consider a small business making 250k a year rich?

Check the new Democratic playbook. The left doesn't refer to them as rich anymore. It's Millionaires and Billionaires. Guess they lump a 250k small business owner into the Millionaires and Billionaires club now.

Why is it that the government always considers our money theirs to waste as they see fit?

Doesn't matter how much money a person has earned, the government shouldn't have to right to just confiscate whatever part of their income they want whenever they want.

What's the matter with people these days anyway? Why so quick to give away other peoples money they themselves didn't earn?

Oh but they are rich so they really don't need that much anyway, let's just take a little more... and more... and more... and more.

Where has all the common sense gone?

I taught in a school, for years, that had free breakfast, free lunch and free afternoon milk. It was a walk-in school. The kids stopped at the local 7 - 11 and bought candy soda etc., on their way to school. They had money for all sorts of things, just not their lunch. I remember a fellow teacher saying, "Pretty soon we'll be sending doggie bags home for their dinner." Not very long ago I read that a school district was sending home food, with the students. When is enough enough?

I don't buy the 'tax hikes will kill small business' line FOR A MINUTE.

Why? Because taxes are on your PROFITS. If you are "breaking even", hiking your tax rate to 100% means you STILL won't pay any taxes.

Now, your EMPLOYEES will feel a pinch if you have to start deducting more from their paychecks, this is true.

Or is there something else I'm missing here?

The health insurance hike? That's because of rising costs and rising demands for profits from shareholders. 50% hikes in premiums are nothing new - they pre-date "Obamacare" by some 25 years. It's just that *now* an insurance company can hit you with it and claim it's due to anticipated hikes in cost - yet inflation is still VERY low and it's not like they're covering many more people - AND they still get to kick you off when you're no longer a profit center (they just can't SAY it was because you suddenly got leukemia or some other expensive disease).

I mean, what were the excuses for the 15-40% hikes in the years prior to Obama's election? I seem to recall the same thing happened when we were threatened with "Hillarycare" (and I was working for a hospital at that time). The insurance companies hiked costs AGAIN in anticipation of the law - funny how they didn't lower rates when Hillarycare crashed and burned.