Gov. David Paterson is signing a bill that will extend unemployment benefits to 56,000 New Yorkers who faced their last checks this week.
Paterson and lawmakers had to rewrite legislation in order to qualify for federal stimulus money to help more unemployed New Yorkers for a longer time.
But the AFL-CIO labor organization is upset. They say the state should also have increased the unemployment benefit.
Labor President Denis Hughes gives President Obama credit for extending unemployment benefits for 13 more weeks, but says Paterson must back an increase in New York’s embarrassingly low unemployment check.
Paterson pushed to hold off on that issue to get the extension passed so New Yorkers won’t lose their benefits.
Paterson will sign the bill Wednesday.
The AFL-CIO is made up of 65 national and international unions, together representing more than 10 million workers.
(Source: WCBSTV)
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8 Responses
Excuse me Mr. Governor, and how much will it cost New Yorkers in increased taxes to pay for all of this?
#1 – Have rachmanus on those who are unemployed.
At least they get something for a bit longer.
I have rachmonus on the unemployed and the ones that pay the taxes for the unemployed’s checks. What people like yourself don’t realize is that the source of the revenue comes from people like yourself in the form of higher real estate taxes, new user fees, higher income taxes, etc. Which means that everyone of us will not be able to have the discretionary funding that we would like so that we could give extra to the yeshiva, buy something a little better, or start pinching pennies on the necessities of life.
Nothing in the world comes from nothing. Unemployment checks are funded from our tax money. There is no such thing as finding the revenue from another part of the budget. When that happens, the special interests will scream and we are back at square one.
Seven years ago, my husband was unemployed for a full year, when Bush extended unemployment benefits for a few months, it helped put food on a table. If you had to pay for it, you gave me
some tzedaka. Thank you.
Now, I have better things to do and I will sign out for the evening.
#4, I hope you are giving back the tzedaka to people who need it now.
RBG, I did pay for it in the form of higher taxes. However, if we all were paying lower taxes, then we would have the discretionary funds so that we would be able to hire unemployed people like your husband at maybe even better wages than you received from the government.
Some people need that plaque for the wall next to the other one announcing their Tzdakah instead of doing it anonymously.
Flatbush Bubby; most ‘government’ offices/agencies have hiring freezes right now, you didn’t know that?
Most county, city and state offices/agencies also have hiring freezes, you didn’t know that?
Did you know that in order to work in a ‘government’ position one needs to take certain examinations and pass finger printing exams.
Also, one needs to actually have identity papers too (valid birth certification, social security card, driver’s license or other valid picture ID).
If the government would not give amnesty to millions of undocumented illegals who came to this country, THEN there could be employment for millions of out of work American citizens…
Bubby, write to the government and let them know that you are tired of having your taxes raised… You can write through your local Assembly or Congress person whomever he/she is.
RBG, I am glad your husband found a job, it is not an easy task these days.
Flatbush Bubby, I hope you can take a step back and actually read what you posted. Summarizing it, you have said –
1) How dare they increase my taxes so that people out of work but looking can survive while doing so.
2) The right thing to do would be for them to give ME more money (i.e. tax me less) so that I can then choose to give it to the needy if I choose to.
I hope you realize that you are spouting the talking points of the most selfish right-wing interests groups. Do you really believe that it is better for you to have $50 (which is probably more than you’ll actually pay for this extension) than for unemployed people to get money for basic sustenance? If so, CH”V that any of us should be on the other side of the table.