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May 13, 2009
Overhaul of Unemployment Proposed
Obama says system should offer job training
(A P ) -- P re sid e n t B a ra c k
O bam a w ants unem ploym ent
insurance to becom e a stepping
stone for future work by m ak
ing it easier to enroll in school
or jo b training. W hether he suc
ceeds will depend on the w ill
ingness o f states and colleges
to change the rules.
People w ho have been laid
o f f an d w an t to g o b ack to
school often have to give up
their m onthly unem ploym ent
checks. And if they decide to
retu rn to sc h o o l, th ey often
don't qualify for federal aid be
cause eligibility is based upon
the previous year's income.
U nder rule changes O bam a
outlined Friday, the L abor D e
partm ent will ask states to make
ex c e p tio n s d u rin g ec o n o m ic
dow nturns so that the unem
ployed can keep their benefits
if they go to community college
or pursue other education or
training.
S ta te g o v e rn m e n ts , n o t
Washington, decide who is eli
gible for unem ploym ent, and
they generally require anyone
collecting assistance to be ac
tively looking for work. T hat
LEADERS
are in our classrooms today.
P re sid e n t B a ra ck O b a m a s p e a k s a b o u t jo b s a n d re va m p in g th e u n e m p lo y m e n t s y s te m b y
offering jo b training to d is p la c e d w orkers. (AP P hoto)
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9 am - 3 pm
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can com plicate plans to attend
school.
The Education Departm ent,
meanwhile, will encourage col
leges to factor in the financial
situ a tio n o f an u n em p lo y ed
person applying for Pell G rants
or other education and job train
ing aid. Starting in July, the maxi
m um Pell G rant, w hich helps
low-income students afford col
lege, will receive a $500 boost
to $5,350.
C o m m u n ity c o lle g e s a p
plauded the p resid en t's plan.
G eorge Boggs, president o f the
A m erican A ssociation o f C om
m unity Colleges, said O bam a
w ould rem ove o b stacles that
keep the unemployed from head
ing back to school. The asso
ciation represents about 1,200
such colleges.
’
"Sometimes we don't give our said.
O bam a said it w as tim e to
g o v ern m en t cre d it fo r d oing
things that m ake sense," Boggs change "senseless rules" that
said. "It's great to see govern discourage displaced w orkers
ment stepping in and rem oving from getting needed education
and training so they can find
these disincentives."
H o w e v e r, o n e s ta te -le v e l and perform the jo b s o f the fu
critic accused O bam a o f avoid ture.
"The idea here is to funda
ing the question o f cost.
m
entally
change our approach
"L ik e so m a n y o f th e
to
unem
ploym
ent in this coun
president's initiatives, the an
sw er for w ho pays the bill is try, so that it's no longer ju st a
state taxpayers and future gen tim e to look for a new job, but is
erations," said South C arolina also a tim e to prepare yourself
Gov. M ark Sanford, a R epubli for a better job," O bam a said.
"That's what our unem ploy
can and one o f O bam a's sharp
est critics on spending issues. ment system should be — not
"No m atter how w ell-inten ju st a safety net, but a stepping
tioned this proposal is, we can't stone to a new future. It should
keep stacking debt on top o f offer folks educational oppor
debt to deal with problem s that tu n ities they w o u ld n 't o th e r
were, in many cases, created by w ise have," the president said.
too m uch borrow ing," Sanford
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Minority Entrepreneurs
Tapped for Micro Lending
T he Small Business A dm in
istration has approved the O r
egon A ssociation o f M inority
E n trep ren e u rs (O A M E ) as a
micro lender to help small busi
nesses in need o f capital and
laid-off w orkers w ho are start
ing their ow n businesses, offi
cials o f the federal agency an
nounced on M ay 6.
T he SBA support will give
O A M E a total o f $1.1 million to
lend to small businesses im m e
diately, with an optional ceiling
of $3.5 million.
“The lack o f cash flow is what
k ills sm all b u sin e sse s,” said
Sam Brooks, O A M E president
S a m B ro o ks
and chairm an
He said O A M E will use the
m onies to m ake small loans to
lo cal b u s in e s s e s th a t ran g e
from $500 to $35,000 and are in
terest free. Each loan applica
tio n w ill b e re v ie w e d by
O A M E ’s loan com mittee.
B ro o k s said the lo an s are
m ostly intended to give small
b u sin e sse s a q u ic k b u m p to
keep them going. O A M E will
also provide technical support
to borrow ers to help their busi
nesses thrive.
He said the loans aren ’t re
ally meant for someone who just
has an idea, with no business
or m arketing strategy.
F o r m ore in fo rm atio n call
O A M E at 503-249-7744 or visit
oam e.org.
tradesw o m en.net
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4
U S Soldier Kills Five in Iraq
(A P) -- An A m erican soldier
opened fire at a counseling cen
ter on a m ilitary base in Iraq
Monday, killing five fellow sol
diers, the U.S. com m and and
Pentagon officials said.
A lth o u g h it w a s u n c le a r
w hat p ro m p ted the shooting,
the in c id en t d raw s atten tio n
to the issue o f co m b at stress
and m orale after six years o f
w a r as th e m is s io n o f th e
1 3 0 ,0 0 0 -stro n g fo rc e tr a n s
fo rm s to on e o f train in g and
m en to rin g the Iraqis.
P re s id e n t B a ra c k O b a m a
sa id he w a s " s h o c k e d an d
deeply saddened" by the re
p o rt, ad d in g th a t "m y h eart
goes out to the fam ilies and
friends" o f all those in v o lv ed
"in th is h o rrib le tragedy."
A fter a m e etin g w ith D e
fense S ecretary R o b ert G ates,
O b am a said he w o u ld m ake
sure "that we fully understand
w hat led to th is tragedy" and
w ill d o e v e ry th in g p o ssib le
"to en su re th at o u r m en and
w om en in u n ifo rm are p ro
te cte d as they serve o u r c o u n
try so c a p a b ly a n d c o u r a
g eo u sly in h arm 's'w ay."
A brief U.S. m ilitay statement
s a id th e a s s a ila n t Jo h n M.
Russell, was taken into custody
follow ing the 2 p.m. shooting
at C am p Liberty, a spraw ling
U.S. base on the w estern edge
o f Baghdad near the city's in
ternational airport.
O fficials said Russell was re
ferred to the clinic by his supe
riors, presum ably because o f
concern over his mental state.