Friday, December 13, 2013

Improving the American economy includes extended unemployment benefits.

That sounds rather odd, doesn't it? If the economy is improving then why extended unemployment benefits? Because we are getting close to recovery, but, we aren't there yet and unemployment is still placing a drag on the economy. 

I worry about temporary jobs during the holidays now filled by the once unemployed. Some may turn into permanent jobs, but, there will be others that will not. The need of those families can't be abandoned when the economy is still not recovered. The economy is stronger and continues to grow when citizens receive unemployment benefits. 

We need to keep nudging the economy to recovery. Unemployment benefits do that. Don't judge the unemployed, empower them. A salary is always better than an unemployment check.

By Kieran Nicholson, Ryan Parker, Jordan Steffen and Kurtis Lee
The Denver Post


The two-year plan (click here) would avoid "the constant brinksmanship and crisis governance that we've seen up on Capitol Hill that impedes growth and makes businesses and investors less certain about wanting to put their money in," Obama said.

The budget, he said, is something the federal government can do to help mayors create jobs, the topic of Obama's meeting with the mayors.

The president also again advocated an increase in the minimum wage, saying "that could have a tremendous boost in a lot of the cities where there are a lot of service workers."

After the meeting, some of the participating mayors said they also discussed income inequality, early childhood education, the Detroit bankruptcy, and other issues specific to their cities.


"It's very clear the president is focused on wages and benefits," said Bill de Blasio, the mayor-elect of New York City....