Obama Gets His Way Regarding Extension Of Unemployment Benefits

By Daniel T. Zanoza —— Bio and Archives July 25, 2010

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Just a few days ago, President Barack Obama celebrated the passage of H.R. 4213, a $34 billion bill which will extend unemployment benefits for recipients in 2010. I feel terrible for the millions of hard-working people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. But the fact is unemployment insurance was never meant to be a federal entitlement.

Sadly, there are Americans who will have to collect unemployment insurance far past the time this program was designed to assist those who lost their jobs. Though most collecting unemployment would much rather be working, there are reports some are actually turning down jobs for a number of reasons. There are those who are asking potential employers if they can get paid "under the table", in order to continue receiving their bi-monthly unemployment checks. The reason for this may not seem as sinister as it appears because the few available jobs simply will not provide enough money to pay their bills. And here is one more undeniable fact. The jobs of many of those who became unemployed after our nation's economy tanked will never return. For example, good manufacturing jobs and the companies which employed millions of Americans have permanently moved offshore. High taxation, government regulations and cheap foreign labor has driven many corporations out of the United States into the waiting arms of countries like Mexico, Japan and China. Businesses in the service industry, including telecommunications, find operating costs far less prohibitive in India, Taiwan and the Philippines. Much of this is a result of unions which feathered the beds of not only themselves, but politicians as well. Companies could no larger match union demands for ever-increasing employee benefits and salaries which essentially drove their own constituents out of the jobs market.

Obama administration is using this tragic situation to expand government

As usual, the Obama administration is using this tragic situation to expand government, put more Americans at the whim of federal largesse and ultimately control the lives of millions who are now dependent on the government in order to survive. The Obama administration never misses an opportunity to use the suffering of the American people for political gain. Initially, Republicans tried to hold their ground against more unchecked spending by a government which is out of control regarding financial responsibility. However, since Obama has the bully pulpit and the ear of the liberal establishment media, Obama was painting those who were against the extension of unemployment benefits as cold-hearted and uncaring. Some members of the GOP rightfully believed the $34 billion should have been taken out of the $862 billion stimulus package or paid for through the elimination of wasteful government spending. Of course, Obama won the political argument and another $34 billion has been tacked on to the national debt which will be paid for by countless generations to come. To add to the problem, states that find themselves in smothering debt will be even more hard-pressed to meet their financial obligations related to the extension of unemployment benefits. For example, California--which is near the brink of bankruptcy--provides a substantial percentage of the high benefits they pay to those on unemployment rolls. A state which was recently paying some of its bills with I.O.U.'s will find itself in a deeper financial hole from which recovery is nowhere in sight. The reality of having so many Americans dependent on unemployment benefits is clear. They are like addicts who are at the mercy of a President whose policies have destroyed millions of jobs, contrary to the propaganda spewed forth from the White House every day. In fact, while hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil were spilling daily into the Gulf of Mexico for months, Obama was on a national tour touting the success of his stimulus scam which supposedly created and/or saved millions of jobs. Obama was so brazen that he recently had a photo-op with three Americans who were depending upon the extension of their unemployment benefits because they could not find jobs. As many conservative pundits pointed out, Obama looked foolish because on one hand the President was claiming his stimulus program was a huge success while on the other hand, he inferred unemployment benefits should be extended because so many Americans could not find jobs. You can't have it both ways, Mr. President, and most of us realize the latter is true. I suppose the most insulting aspect of the entire situation related to the unemployment benefit extension legislation is the fact the bills were co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut). These are two individuals who should be in handcuffs and shackles while serving time in a federal prison because of their monitoring of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which many economists believe plunged American into its current recession. Instead, these two legislators, who acted criminally, are doing their best to help Obama, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) destroy our nation's economy.

Unemployment insurance is not an entitlement

Unemployment insurance is not an entitlement. One day, these benefits will run out for those who depend on this money to buy groceries, clothe their children, pay their mortgages or rent, along with the other expenses that must be paid by every American family. These Americans must live on a budget. They cannot print their own money. They cannot borrow from foreign nations to meet their needs. They are not too big to fail. Yet, ultimately, this will be the case. I believe this is the ultimate goal of the Obama administration. Socialists, like those who are in the Congressional majority, contend the government knows best. The only question that remains to be asked is whether it's too late to do undo the damage that has been done by liberals who control every branch of government.