CONGRESS SAVING MONEY – CUTS UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND COBRA

Congress is balking at renewing unemployment benefits and COBRA, strategizing on elections and maintaining a “frugal appearance.”


“The U.S. Senate today got the unemployment extension bill approved by the House last month, but changes have been made and a lot of political maneuvering is expected before a final vote is taken“The 65% subsidy for COBRA benefits, however, has been dropped for those who lost their jobs after May 31.


And the bill doesn't provide any more weeks of benefits for those in high-unemployment states like California who have exhausted their maximum 99 weeks of aid.”


Of course, they're cutting costs via benefits! How the hell else can they afford this?

It's estimated that the U.S. has fired approximately 3,000 Tomahawk missiles during the current War in Iraq. The average Tomahawk cost is $800,000, or COBRA benefits for 184,615 families for a full year.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us in excess of $1, 005, 300, 000,000 as of 5 minutes ago, or COBRA benefits for 77,330, 769.23 families for one full year.

But what the hell! If we wasted money on COBRA, we wouldn't be able to do this:

Or This:

“cost is becoming a major battle ground. The House bill, after significant cuts, would cost $111 billion. Changes already have been made in the Senate version, but no cost estimate has been made.

There are also differences over whether extending unemployment benefits simply encourages those out of work to continue to accept government aid rather than take any job.”


MAN! Am I glad we have our priorities straight!

Can't have any lazy-ass Americans living off the feds when they can put that money to better uses.

Do Unto Others What’s Been Done To You

The blockade of Gaza seems to be repeating history in reverse. The Turkish aid flotilla raided this past week is reminiscent of the British attack on the “Exodus 1947” in 1947. Loaded with Jewish immigrants heading to blockaded Palestine from Germany’s death camps, British soldiers boarded the ship and were met with violence. Gunfire from the British troops followed, killing and injuring refugees.

For years, Gaza and West Bank citizens have been forced to live in slums, sequestered from their jobs, required to pass through multiple checkpoints to and from work.  Aid to Gaza and West Bank is disrupted by the IDF, starving innocent civilians.  IDF soldiers are commonly committing egregious atrocities against the civilian population.  Aid to the innocent is cruely blocked with either conformity or extermination as a goal.

Sounds of history resonating through the air like the screams of the dying.

Gaza

WWII Jewish Ghetto

Gaza

WWII Jewish Ghetto

Gaza

WWII Jewish Ghetto

Gaza

WWII Germany

You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not see the similarities.  Like an abused child, Israel is repeating history.

The incident in 1947 garnered international support for the Jewish refugees, resulting in the establishment of the State of Israel.  Perhaps Israel's appalling activities of the last three years will do the same for Gaza and West Bank. 

We can only hope.