White House photo shows Obama talking, but CBC members were heard 85% of the time
The unemployed, “are begging for help and I think that the Congressional Black Caucus and the president are both interested in trying to come up with some means of addressing that and doing it rather quickly,” said CBC Chair Emanuel Cleaver.
The good news for 99ers: The President mentioned he wants to possibly attach the 99ers money to some other big piece of legislation somehow… which piece, how and when is unclear… The Congressional Black Caucus continues to bring the issue of unemployment benefits to the table. In this case the big table in the State Dinning room at the White House. Were it not for the persistence of Rep. Barbara Lee the issue would never be discussed in the White House. Much like so many other issues (high incarceration, programs for the poor, and so on) they focus on — almost no one else in Congress — is doing so.
May 12: CBCers at White House yesterday after the meeting
The bad news for 99ers: The President does not seem deeply motivated to to actively support unemployment benefits in general terms. He understands that getting legislation through Congress without a trick play will be difficult. The White House also seems to bothered by the idea of bringing “unemployment” up while at the same time arguing that “jobs are being added and things are “slowly improving.” As 2012 approaches, the White House would seem more interested in PR and pandering to certain vote blocks than in “doing the right thing.” The “doing the right thing” argument has been brought up as a motivating reason to support H.R. 589 by several CBC members. The issue of stimulating the economy has also been mentioned. Problem is: Obama and his political strategists are assuming the black vote is theirs 24/7 no matter what. With that said, why act on initiatives being pushed by black representatives in Congress? Where is the leverage? White House efforts to placate voting blocks going into 2012 can clearly be seen in the non stop focus over the last month on immigration and The Dream Act — two issues important to the Hispanic community. Just yesterday, the President three Hispanic related events on his schedule. Hispanics gave President Obam a low approval rating in a recent poll and their vote is important in 2012.
When the issue is discussed it happens because it is pushed on him rather than the other way around. Just as a backgrounder on the CBC/Obama meeting in general: The CBC members controlled 94% of the discussion. They, led by Chair Emanuel Cleaver, came up with the policy suggestions and the topics of discussion. The President, in his usual listening posture, made a few suggestions and threw out a few “my staff will followup…” statements here and there.
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Keep up the good work Lauren…I’ll try to see if I can catch your radio show
this evening at 6:30PM (3:30PM PAC TIME):
The White House also seems to bothered by the idea of bringing “unemployment” up while at the same time arguing that “jobs are being added and things are “slowly improving.”
I hope the CBC did mention the many faxes I sent Rep. Barbra Lee that Discrimation is rampant. And, that Employers watch & listen to the financial news too. If there is bad news on the horizon they will cancel hiring for a position that I have interviewed for. I had 4 opportunities last week they either decided to rethink the position to the internal needs & not hire or no repsonse.
I watched on CBS Evening News with Katir Couric last night and a African-Am college student was asked by the Reporter has job searching been frustrating. And has he found work yet. The student answered that he was frustrated and that he and his graduating friend in two days still have had no luck finding employment.
Sad News below:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/weston/fl-fatal-weston-fire-20110510,0,7069965.story
Wow, I just saw this in someone Twit but I also saw it on The Ticker on MSNBC news.
Florida Man Sets Himself On Fire B/C He Lost His Job.
Thank you, Ms. Burke, for giving this issue such attention. Like Barbara Lee, you are in a lonely place, speaking for over 14 million Americans who are unemployed. Not all 14 million are 99ers, but the 99ers who have used up all the available unemployment in their state are only the worst off of a very unhappy and greatly ignored group.
While I am grateful beyond word that the Black Congressional Coalition is taking the lead on this issue, that does not blind me to the fact that this should not be necessary.
Unemployment is affecting Americans across race and income levels, though of course as you point out, it is worse for low-education and young blacks.
As a serious universal problem in just about every state, we should be hearing from all members of Congress and the Obama Administration about legislation being proposed and coming up for votes concerning unemployment and unemployment benefits.
You have to figure with 14 million unemployed, plus their families and friends, that the fate of the unemployed will touch more than 50 million voters at a minimum during 2012. That number far exceeds the number of Hispanic and Asian voters. Why the Democratic leadership is abandoning the unemployed in favor of appealing to special interest ethnic and union lobbies is anybody’s guess. Logically speaking it seems like pure stupidity, both from a political and economic point of view.
Foreign workers aren’t going to get our economy back to where it should be. Only when American citizens are working again in fulltime, good paying jobs will the country have enough revenue to function without high levels of borrowing.
barbara lee for president!
until then, maybe the cbc, or perhaps their constituents, should be pushing obama on creating more jobs – by executive order. extending unemployment benefits is good, but jobs jobs jobs would be much better.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/08
The official Hispanic unemployment rate for April was over 11%. Maybe Obama would consider helping them?
Lauren, I want to thank you for making this blog available, and I also want to thank Rep. Lee and the CBC for their efforts on our behalf. I saw the pdf on funding that was released. I am gratified to see that at least someone out there feels that the SCEP program (of which I am a part) deserves proper funding. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for that.
President Obama could have included a 21st century version of WPA or CETA in the first stimulus package. He did not. As a matter of fact, even his own advisors said that package was too small to get the job done. If something like WPA or CETA had been created in 2009, it would have been just in time to act as a safety net for the millions of exhaustees like myself who fell through the cracks in 2010.
After President Obama’s failure to protect the Senior Community Employment Program from Republican hatchet men, I am convinced now that he doesn’t care about workers in this country, senior or otherwise, so I hope no one out here is holding their breath for him to create jobs jobs jobs. I’m not saying that wouldn’t be a good idea, but his administration is peddling the falsehood that jobs are on the rise and things are improving. Why would he then turn around and create something like CETA or WPA? The election is next year, the Repubs are on a budget cutting rampage, and the president’s plan includes pandering at al costs, no matter how many people he hurts in the process. He thinks he’s got the black vote sewed up? Don’t be so sure. In the black community where I am it’s becoming increasingly harder to defend this man’s record on jobs and unemployment. The president threw the 99ers under the bus, and he tossed senior workers underneath the wheels too. This is only the beginning.
The Black vote has most certainly been thrown under the bus with the its poor, children and seniors. This is a heartless mindset.
If Blacks continue to vote in 2012 for this type of treatment then I have no more respect in any manner for some of my own people. Some are doing it because he is “supposedly” black and down with the program. Which is in itself fueled by racist motivations. Yet we pull the race card out whenever we think another race has slighted us in any way.
All races of people who are unemployed at this time are suffering. Obama is not concerned with the Black issues alone. He is however pushing for the rights and liberties for the Hispanics because we have been traded in for their votes in 2012. The difference between them and us is that this time around they are demanding to see passage of key legislation that will affect them now and in future generations. The Hispanics have been meeting with him on a regular basis to have these measures put into place before they surrender their votes again to him in 2012. Unfortunately we will vote for him again just because of the color of his skin. We will not research and look at other viable candidates such as Ron Paul. He appears to be a person who is just, honest and fair in his decisions about happens in America and to its people. No longer vote Democrat because you’re suppose to. Be an independent, free thinker for once in your life. Think outside the box.
Obama knows and can count on some of us to be stuck on stupid. A lot of us need to find and walk in the path of God. Because if we truly knew God as a lot of us profess we do. Then we would have his gift of discernment in our hearts. And we would not be deceived by anyone or anything because we could easily see what is good and what is bad. If God is good then you’ve made the right choice.
Ron Paul? Sorry. He’s not getting my vote. He would not have voted for the Civil Rights Act. His son Rand consistently and cheerfully demonized unemployed people last year, so it’s clear to me that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. The senior is a Libertarian, and the son is a Tea Party stooge, also known as America’s Dumbest Senator. He earns that title each and every time he opens his mouth. I will choose who gets my vote, and I am not going to debate anyone about this.
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Ms Barbra Lee thank you for not forgeting about the american people who built this country, apparently the rest of washington has! I myself am a99ers per-say! I’d rather be a working man, as i havce been my whole life. I was recently eveicted from my home. My pride has been hurt, after my bank account has been murdered, Ionce had $40,000 in bank had home. Now I am homeless an job less. While the politicians sit at fine dinning around Washington DC an laugh an joke, and say no one wants to work. that is so untrue! Nobody wants a handout. We desire jobs , so we can support ourselfs an our families. What happen to the American dream. It has become a nightmare for me. I have news for all of the politicians that are sitting on their asses, while good people suffer. ENJOYYOUR LAST TERM IN OFFICE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE LIES. WAKE UP AN HELP US, REMEMBER WHO ELECTED YOU, WE CAN ALSO REMOVE YOUR ASSES JUST AS QUICK! KEEP AT IT BARBARA LEE, WE ALL RESPECT AN LOVE YOU , FOR YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
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God bless u crew of 42. I am amazed that American people are suffering for so long. What will it take to make everyone see that this needs to stop? We need to STOP helping other countries until we fix US. I put myself through college so that my children could have better. Yet, here I am unemployed and penniless.
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ime one of the 99ers i been unemployed for 1 year i me no longer reciveing unemployment benefits even thou i email resume and fax and nobody is hiring and yet my benefits been cut this is wrong by the way its twice as hard for people with learning disability. please reply