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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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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.