President Obama: ‘Long-term unemployed are not lazy’ (The only other explanation then, no jobs)

msnbc ^ | 1/7/2014 | Aliyah Frumin

[tobyhill]

Shortly after the Senate narrowly cleared the first procedural hurdle to temporarily extend federal benefits to the unemployed, President Obama urged Congress to pass the bill and laid out the moral case to help poor and struggling Americans.

“I just want everybody to understand this is not an abstraction,” said Obama, who was flanked by several who lost their benefits on Dec. 28 after Congress failed to act before leaving for the holidays. “…These are your neighbors, your friends, your family members, it could at some point be any of us. That’s why we set up a system of unemployment insurance. The notion was everybody is making a contribution because you don’t know when the business cycle or an economic crisis might make any of us vulnerable.”

Obama at the White House added, “We are not a people who say you’re on your own. We’re people who believe that we’re all in it together.”

The bill advanced by a 60-37 vote after six Republicans joined the Democratic majority. Democrats needed at least 60 votes to push the legislation forward and begin debate.

[Sooth2222]

I expect to collect Social Security just as soon as I can (without penalty) but not stop working (until they pry my mouse and keyboard from my cold, dead hands).

[LucianOfSamasota]

Obama is the world expert on lazy.

[Starstruck]

I expect to collect Social Security just as soon as I can (without penalty) but not stop working (until they pry my mouse and keyboard from my cold, dead hands).

Actually I have been weaning myself off work for the past 3 years. I started by taking Fridays off. That lasted a year. Then for a year and a half I worked 80-100 hrs a month. Now I just wait for 6-8hrs of work that needs my attention to accumulate, then go to the office. So now I'm down to 20-30 hours a month. Tomorrow's the day and I'm not really looking forward to it.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Bob Beckel today on The Five claimed that employees pay into unemployment insurance. Firstly, except for maybe two states (which tax both, but the employer MUCH MORE than the worker), they DO NOT, the employer pays a tax and secondly, extended UI comes out of the federal budget, i.e., your pocket.

[Theophilus]

The long-term unemployed are demotivated by long-term unemployment welfare disguised as “insurance”.

[Typical_Whitey]

This is the bigotry of low expectations. So according to this president we should all expect to be taken care of, isn’t a President supposed to inspire? This idiot thinks it is just fine for people to accept handouts, so come one come all and get your Obamaphones, Obamahomes, Obamaloans, Obamacare, WIC, SNAP and Welfare, it’s all free afterall right?

[TurboZamboni]

[RipSawyer]

What makes people my age sick is remembering when we could not imagine how one would manage to spend that much money. I well remember when $293. a MONTH was considered very good pay indeed. That much a WEEK was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msb7atPd1x8.