Media Matters for America – Fairness – Detroit & the Unemployed

How The Right Redefines “Fairness” To Push Tax Hikes On Poor People

The re-emerging right-wing myth that low-income Americans aren’t paying their “fair share” in taxes relies on flawed data: a report from the Heritage Foundation highlighting the fact that nearly half of Americans pay no federal income tax. In fact, while nearly half of Americans pay little to no federal income tax, nearly three-quarters pay other federal taxes, and nearly all pay state and local taxes; Americans who pay neither income nor payroll taxes are seniors, students, people with disabilities, and others who are not part of the working population.

Why The Right Is Wrong About Saving Detroit

An emerging myth being pushed by the right contends that federal spending to rescue GM and Chrysler was unnecessary, and that the companies instead should have gone through a “traditional” bankruptcy. In fact, economists at the time explained that frozen credit markets made private financing for a “traditional” bankruptcy impossible.

Economists Shoot Down WSJ’s Claim That Extending Unemployment Harms The Unemployed

The Wall Street Journal attacked a congressional deal to extend unemployment insurance, arguing that jobs are now “easier to find” and that additional benefits would delay workers’ re-entry into the workforce. But economists agree that at this point in the economic recovery, it is “vital” to extend unemployment insurance through the end of the year; moreover, without the extension, nearly 5 million jobless people could lose benefits by the end of the year.

Brent Bozell Now Making Up Oil Statistics

         During a discussion of gasoline prices, frequent Fox News guest Brent Bozell claimed that U.S. oil production has fallen under President Obama. In reality, the opposite is true: after increasing every year since 2009, oil production is at an eight-year high; gas prices continue to rise because they are determined by a world market, not by U.S. production.

Media Matters for America – Detroit and WSJ’s Claim

Economists Shoot Down WSJ’s Claim That Extending Unemployment Harms The Unemployed The Wall Street Journal attacked a congressional deal to extend unemployment insurance, arguing that jobs are now “easier to find” and that additional benefits would delay workers’ re-entry into the workforce. But economists agree that at this point in the economic recovery, it is “vital” to extend unemployment insurance through the end of the year; moreover, without the extension, nearly 5 million jobless people could lose benefits by the end of the year. Read More

Why The Right Is Wrong About Saving Detroit An emerging myth being pushed by the right contends that federal spending to rescue GM and Chrysler was unnecessary, and that the companies instead should have gone through a “traditional” bankruptcy. In fact, economists at the time explained that frozen credit markets made private financing for a “traditional” bankruptcy impossible. Read More

Tell Congress: Protect Unemployment Insurance for Millions of Americans … Joan Entmacher, National Women’s Law Center

Continue Federal Unemployment Insurance Benefits through 2012 Tell Congress: Millions of workers will lose federal unemployment insurance at the end of February unless you act now! They’re at it again. I’m sure you remember the feverish news cycle — federal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits were set to expire right before the holidays in December. House Republicans passed a bill that would slash the UI safety net (and more). At the last minute, Congress agreed to continue federal UI benefits for two months. But that extension expires in less than a month. We need your help to prevent millions of unemployed workers from losing the lifeline of UI benefits. Tell Congress: Fully Renew Unemployment Insurance for 2012 — no cuts, no barriers to benefits!      WWW.NWLC.ORG The House Republican leadership is still pushing to dismantle UI, with drastic benefit cuts and new barriers that would prevent many jobless workers from accessing these vital benefits. If we don’t act now to ask for a ‘clean’ renewal of federal UI benefits, harsh cuts and punitive barriers to benefits could be tacked on to the bill. The bill passed by House Republicans in December called for slashing benefits by more than half in states with the highest unemployment, denying benefits for workers without a high school diploma or GED, drug testing applicants for UI benefits, making jobless workers pay for their reemployment services, and allowing states to divert unemployment benefit funds to uses other than paying worker benefits. With unemployment expected to remain above 8 percent this year and long-term unemployment still at record highs, Congress must continue federal UI benefits through 2012. Tell Congress to do right by millions of Americans struggling to get back on their feet! Don’t let it get down to the wire again — ask your Members of Congress TODAY to pass a clean UI extension with no cuts or barriers to benefits! WWW.NWLC.ORG Thank you for all that you do to help us protect women and their families. Millions of Americans depend on these benefits, and we will keep you updated as the deadline draws closer. Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher Vice President, Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center P.S. You can find out more about the importance of federal UI benefits to women here and the latest on how women are faring in the recovery here.

Shame on Speaker Boehner … Richard L. Trumka President, AFL-CIO

	Shame While House Republicans are enjoying the holidays, our neighbors are facing the loss of unemployment insurancebenefits.Please call Speaker Boehner at 202-225-0600. Tell the person who picks up: “Speaker Boehner should be ashamed of himself. He needs to get his House in order, stop the partisan games and extend unemployment aid immediately.”

I wish that today I could send you a cheerful message with good news, wish you a wonderful holiday season and reflect on the incredible work we’ve done in the past year.

But we can’t rest and recharge: Six million unemployed workers are counting on us to keep on fighting for them, and we won’t let them down.

Please call Speaker Boehner at 202-225-0600. Tell the person who picks up the phone: “Speaker Boehner should be ashamed of himself. He needs to get his House in order, stop the partisan games and extend unemployment aid immediately.”

The two things House Republicans seem to be most passionate about are protecting millionaires from having to pay taxes and cutting unemployment benefits for jobless workers.

All 229 House members who voted yesterday to cut off unemployment benefits were Republicans. They should be ashamed of themselves. Once again they’ve blocked survival aid for men and women who want to work but can’t find jobs in this brutal economy. If House Republicans continue to block action, nearly 2 million people will lose unemployment benefits in January alone. How can they sit back and enjoy the holidays?

Please pick up the phone and call Speaker Boehner at 202-225-0600. Tell him to extend unemployment aid immediately.

Thank you for being a voice for jobless workers, and for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

P.S. 89 Senators—Democrats and Republicans—voted to extend unemployment this weekend. House Republicans have a decision to make. They can continue standing with the wealthiest one percent by taking directions from the most extreme of the Tea Partiers, or they can come to their senses and start standing up for working people and paying attention to the jobs crisis.

Please call John Boehner and ask him: What’s wrong with Tea Party Republicans in the House—and why can’t they get anything done for working families? His number is 202-225-0600.

Send a clear message now: “No help for the jobless? No vacation for Congress!” AFL-CIO

Chris from South Carolina used to work in an unemployment office. Then he was laid off. Here’s his warning:
You should know that Congress has let the emergency benefits lapse several times in the past few years and always when a break is scheduled for them. It happened last Easter and last Christmas. They don’t care about the unemployed. They take their holiday break and deal with it when they return to Washington.
We can’t assume Congress will renew unemployment in time for the millions who are hanging by a thread before extended benefits expire Dec. 31. That’s why we’re pulling out all the stops. More than 2,000 jobless workers, activists and clergy are on Capitol Hill, right now—demanding a clean and immediate extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Thousands more are in district offices across the country.

As we gather on Capitol Hill and at district offices, activists across the country are flooding Congress with messages.

Add your voice: Help make sure the voices of America’s jobless can’t be ignored by Congress. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=NNlhbPw0buvN0Kq3T7aq%2F2C84X%2BQ3emC

Diane from Michigan worked in the newspaper industry and is now unemployed. Here’s how she describes her situation:

Every job opening has hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants. It is almost impossible to get a job—especially if you also face age discrimination. Retraining is too costly. Meanwhile, we are hanging on by a thread. No health insurance….My current unemployment benefits are the only thing saving me from the street. I have faced food insecurity for the first time.

We must not let people like Diane be forgotten.

Make Congress hear the stories and see the faces of jobless workers. Contact Congress now and demand an immediate, clean extension of emergency unemployment benefits.

Momentum is building—but we can’t take the passage of emergency unemployment aid for granted.

Obstructionists like House Speaker John Boehner—who has nearly absolute control over what comes up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives—continue to block a clean, immediate extension of emergency jobless aid. There’s no excuse for that. Especially when our economy is so bad and budget cuts in our communities are so dire.

Chris, a now unemployed unemployment office worker, asks a powerful question: “Don’t they realize they work for us?”

Tell Congress: “You work for us. Renew emergency unemployment aid now.”

Will obstructionists like Speaker Boehner really let benefits lapse yet again, take a vacation, come back and play partisan games?

Will the obstructionists let families get thrown out of their homes? Will they force kids to go hungry to extract cuts and concessions that hurt our most vulnerable people?

Send a clear message now: “No help for the jobless? No vacation for Congress!”

Thank you for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

P.S. Our unemployment stories website has been covered by the media in publications lawmakers read while in Washington, D.C., including The Washington Post and The Hill—plus papers they read at home.

 But we need your help to make sure every lawmaker feels the heat and sees these stories. Take action now.