Thursday, January 2, 2014

"It has to stop sometime."

Harry Reid says that when the senate returns from its holiday recess next week it will vote on a 90 day extension of the unemployment benefits.  The benefits, which expired on December 28, serve as a lifeline for 1.3 million long term unemployed Americans. 
No word on whether the House will follow suit.
Critics say enough is enough.  “How long do they want to extend benefits, three months, a year, two years or longer?  It has to stop sometime.”
Does it?
The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program was approved by congress under Bush 43 in 2008.  If our math is correct, that is 5 going on 6 years of providing assistance to the unemployed. 
Compare that to big oil companies that have been receiving tax breaks and taxpayer funded subsidies since 1913.  Yes, that’s 1913…one hundred years of government assistance.
Big oil posted profits of $120 billion in 2012…yet they continue to receive tens of billions in tax breaks and government subsidies.
It has to stop sometime!  Doesn’t it?
If we can afford to extend benefits to the folks at Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips and the like, then shouldn’t we be able to help out those less fortunate?


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