The 99ers — Our National Shame

The historic tax cut compromise ensures that those forces tearing American society apart will become even more entrenched. Among these trends, one that doesn't get much attention is a key new industry here in the United States: we are "manufacturing" poor people like there's no tomorrow. And for these newly poor citizens, the so-called 99ers whose unemployment benefits have expired or will soon, there may not be a tomorrow. Obama's "compromise" does not extend "Tier 5" benefits, which means those who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment insurance are screwed..

Calculated Risk recently posted a chart you should take a look at. He also quoted a 99er in Oregon who's about to lose his benefits.

"This is just as scary as people lobbing mortars over your head at 2 o'clock in the morning."
     —James Mitchell, a 64-year-old Vietnam veteran who lost his job in early 2009 and is about to exhaust his unemployment benefits.

You can easily see that the United States is creating far more poor people than it has created jobs. From Calculated Risk

And then there is congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R, Minn), who was put out because the tax cuts might interfere with our manufacture of poor people, which is America's fastest growing industry—

Michele Bachmann is the latest member of Congress to demonstrate that she does not completely understand unemployment legislation.

In a statement to MinnPost on Tuesday, the Minnesota Republican criticized the deal President Obama crafted with Republican leaders to preserve rich people's tax cuts for two years and extend unemployment benefits for 13 months.

"As part of the compromise, the President wants to extend unemployment benefits for another 13 months," Bachmann said. "Unemployment benefits are already at a historical length of 99 weeks, and the President's request would push benefits to three years."

Problem is, the president's request would do no such thing. It would preserve the 99 weeks by reauthorizing Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits programs, which together provide up to 73 weeks of benefits beyond the standard 26 funded by states...

Bachmann is one of the loudest conservative critics of Obama's deal with congressional Republicans, which has also been panned by progressives.

The version of the statement on Bachmann's website is better. It says, "Unemployment benefits are already at a historical length of 99 weeks, and the President's request will cost another $56 billion."

Michelle is a member of Congress, which may seem a bit of a stretch to some observers. They would argue that important questions remain unanswered about whether Michelle's mere membership in our species Homo sapiens qualifies her to vote, to drive a car, to make babies, to raise children, to hold a job, to run a household, to cook a meal, and so on. On the other hand, she is a Republican legislator, and many would argue that at least for that job, she is perfectly qualified, even if she does fall short in all those other areas I mentioned. I briefly discussed these important issues in Sociopaths In America.

Some have argued on economic grounds that creating millions of destitute people is not very good for American society—

James Hamilton at Econbrowser, however, points to some well-traveled comments from the CEO of Wal-Mart, reminding just how impactful UI [unemployment insurance] benefits are:

“And you need not go further than one of our stores on midnight at the end of the month. And it’s real interesting to watch, about 11 p.m., customers start to come in and shop, fill their grocery basket with basic items, baby formula, milk, bread, eggs,and continue to shop and mill about the store until midnight, when electronic — government electronic benefits cards get activated and then the checkout starts and occurs. And our sales for those first few hours on the first of the month are substantially and significantly higher.

“And if you really think about it, the only reason somebody gets out in the middle of the night and buys baby formula is that they need it, and they’ve been waiting for it. Otherwise, we are open 24 hours — come at 5 a.m., come at 7 a.m., come at 10 a.m. But if you are there at midnight, you are there for a reason.”

As Hamilton points out, it's safe to assume the "multiplier" is pretty high here. This could be a problem.

Yessiree, this could be a problem, people doing without baby formula, milk, bread and eggs.

The 99ers are our National Shame, but what would Jesus Michelle Bachmann do? Some people, many of whom serve in the Congress or work at the White House or do business Inside The Beltway, have no shame. They have no conscience. They feel no guilt. Those parts of their psyche are missing. These psychological components just don't exist in those Big Brains of theirs.

And like all poor people, the 99ers will soon be forgotten. But at least no one can claim that America doesn't "manufacture" things anymore. Poor people are our biggest product. That's the Good News.

Comments

[Remi]

Maybe they will have to breastfeed instead of feeding their kids expensive formula? If they are approaching the end of their 99 weeks, they got pregnant a little while into their unemployment, with few prospects of new jobs. Regardless, I don't think that millions of people that reach the end of their 99 weeks will let themselves be forgotten. If the european unions and students can come out in force, why wouldn't millions of hungry Americans? Where is their American sense of entitlement?