Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/04/23/another-4-4m-filed-for-unemplo.html
…
1 Like
Mitch McConnell: We’ve seen 14 days now of declining unemployment figures. No more help for private citizens. But we’ve got another trillion for Fortune 500 companies heading out the door day after tomorrow.
12 Likes
I’m still questioning the legitimacy of the job search requirement for unemployment insurance when so many businesses are shut down.
16 Likes
I read that some states are removing that requirement, since it’s obviously pointless at this time.
11 Likes
The handling of this is so F’d up. They should have funded payroll for employers, kept everybody employed through the shut down, kept everybody on their health insurance.
Instead we’ve broken our unemployment system, kicked millions off their health insurance, done next to nothing for low and middle income people out of work and short on cash, and tossed trillions at wall street.
16 Likes
We lost two more clients yesterday. Their final month will be May. Since most of our clients are automotive dealerships, I expect the rest will follow before long. Our owners managed to get one of the loans being offered, so we may be able to go a bit longer, but I expect they will cut their losses sooner than later.
Almost nobody is buying a car right now, even with some unbelievable incentives from some dealerships. I saw an ad for a local dealership – not one of our clients – offering zero payments for 7 months, and 0% financing for 7 years. I missed how much of a down payment they were requiring. In 20+ years working in auto advertising, I’ve never seen an offer like that. Not even in 2008 when the manufacturers were being bailed out. Probably because they were being bailed out. This time it’s the airlines making out like bandits.
I wonder where else my skills could be put to use? I’m sick of advertising. Ideally – if I avoid dying from COVID – I would like to spend the last part of my life doing something that matters. At least I’m in a slightly better position with savings and debt than I was in 2008, so I may have some time to think about it.
Would you honestly expect anything else from the current administration and the culture of capitalism that has been allowed to run unchecked since Reagan? They’ve been rich for so long that they don’t even think about whose backs they’re planted on. How do they weather this? More insulation between them and the poor through cash infusions and expensive hidey-holes. Help the poor not be poor? That’s socialism, my friend. They will have none of that except when it’s all theirs.
11 Likes
I know a lot of people are thinking the exact same thing. We know we can’t rely on our government, businesses or most other institutions to make change, but this moment has already reshaped so many of our perceptions of what’s necessary and what’s possible. I don’t expect that “the forests will echo with laughter” tomorrow, but there’s change afoot.
7 Likes
Or UBI and Medicare for all.
This is a feature, not a bug.
8 Likes
I just checked California’s EDD program, and they’ve updated the COVID-19 FAQ to announce the pandemic assistance program will be taking applications starting Tuesday, April 28. So, some hopeful news for that federal assistance for the self-employed.
Perhaps they might revisit the job search requirement at the state level when this goes live.
6 Likes
I cannot be specific, but know that we take it personally. I’ve been supporting (my state’s) UI (unemployment insurance) since 1997.
Know that there are dedicated people working to make sure people are getting paid. I go home at 7 am knowing I did my best.
ETA: I’m not working remote, but on-site.
6 Likes
And the stock market is going up!!! scratches head
1 Like
A start: Immediate legislation should be passed at the appropriate (state or federal ) level. Halt foreclosures and evictions, place a moratorium on rent, mortgage, and insurance payments, halt accruals on credit card (and bank) interest, penalties and fees. Open a Federal Reserve checking account for every US taxpayer whether citizen or not. Begin a write down on personal debts to the ability to pay.
8 Likes
Seems reasonable, so there’s no way in hell anything like that is going to happen, unless the people rise up and demand it. Our elected officials aren’t going to push hard for it, and the GOP block will keep anything close to that from happening.
5 Likes
So we’ve exceeded the number of people unemployed during the depression, and probably also the percentage of the population, if we take “self-employed” (particularly gig-workers) into account. Officially we’ll hit that percentage soon anyways, especially once states like Georgia “reopen” and their economies crash - all the workers who technically aren’t unemployed now soon will be, as non-essential businesses won’t get any business nor government support.
What’s really galling is that this is so clearly by Republican design. They’re totally open about it. If the Democrats don’t use this as their talking point for the next decade at least, I despair.
5 Likes
They never do and they won’t because in the end the centrist dems in charge are sucking from the same teet.
5 Likes
A more sweary version:
4 Likes
He turned that up to eleven! 
And I just added another YouTube subscription 
4 Likes
Whew! Now THAT is some righteous anger! And all perfect fucking points. I’m sharing that far and wide. Spit was flying.
3 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
