April 16, 2014
^fJürilanh (Observer
Page 9
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Allow a Vote on Unemployment Benefits
Crucial SUDDOrt
support
for people fallen
on hard times
by
J udge G reg M athis
On Dec. 28,2013, more
than 1.3 million Ameri­
cans lost their Emergency
U nem ploym ent Insur­
ance benefits. The pro­
gram allowed individuals
who have lost their jobs
to receive additional unemployment
benefits for up to 47 weeks.
The critical question on this is­
sue is whether or not America
should maintain its commitment to a
robust social safety net for our
nation's working class families and
other Americans that have fallen on
hard times. It is the same ongoing
debate between Republicans and
Democrats in Congress over pro­
grams such as Social Security, the
^ Supplemental
X X X Nutrition
X X and ^ Assis-
d
s“ s e ts ,a n , d X la 8 m
d e ,™
3 ™
X ,™ S
. a . . Z . . . ^ . .
^ tsa" dlas' ^ * e Senate passed
:_____ ... . . . .
SUp ? o X ,h i s I h a tu n dmpíoy’nen,
cize government support to work- hisorheremployees. I thinkit would a h S ^ in d
P0™0 ' ‘*ndonlyava,k P aym ent benefits for almost three
mg class families, but defend tax be an unconscionable and rail
i v 1” dlvlduals who
actively million Americans.
] credits and governm ent decision for politicians in Washing- v^dualf who ^ec^T additl° n’
Unfortunately, House Speaker
sponsored program s to
benefit the wealthy.
ton to keep chipping awav at u n e m n l™
emergency John Boehner has indicated he
America’s social safety net.
elieibk- inment assistance
only win not allow m em bers in the
B illio n a ire W arren
IfRepublican’s are serious about
Buffett once stated that reducing A m erica’s deficit they
due to tax policies that fa- should focus on restructuring our
vor the rich, his effective nation’s tax system w W c h Z g l v
tax-rate of 17.4percent was favors rich individuals and large
lower than his secretary’s 35.8 per- c o rp o ratio n s - we should n ! t
theJr
. e iV e u p to o n e h a lfo f
amourn is o f te V lL T T
canZ J
Z ts o n .v ^ T * ’
what • 7 count for a factio n of
indlv,duals would typically
House o f R epresentatives to vote
on the bil1’ which would certainly
pass‘ At the Same tim e’ C°ngress
is set * approve several exten-
sions on corporate tax breaks. This
is wrong and we m ust stand up to
cent rate.
.
downsize America's social s a fe tv
A recent study by the National net.
Y
P rio ritie s P ro je c t found th a t
Conservatives often demonize
America’s top earners will receive our nation's social programs by ar-
an average tax cut o f over $66,000 guing they make people lazv^nd
dollars while the bottom 20 percent discourage them from working but
receives an average of $ 107 dollars, the facts do not support this. Jp p o -
. •
m em bers o f C ongress that are
em pi° y m ent m surance ben- obstructing an unem ploym ent in-
h a rd S
*
’T “
SUrance extensio" Call Speaker
tem norarilvV ii>e° P h a V e
J° h" Boehner's ° f« c e a n d tell him
®™P° rar,!y fdllen on hard tlm es- 10 do the right thing,
lies a n d l
T ’ h d " " "
Judse Greg M a M s is ^
”fo r
search for w o ^ ' '
“
“dwjcac^ or ^ j u s t i c e . His
The wealthy can write off loan inter-
est payment for vacation homes,
nents o f social programs have used
limited cases oPf ihegal fraud and
F a m ily
inspirational life story o f a street
b e e n esacrossour country have youth who rose fro m ja il io Judge
get special tax treatment on capital
abuse to misguide some American’s
ticians h r w T e Januaiy fo rPoi'-
iT n »m n i
Ft
« ... - « . « .
h a , provided hope to millions who
S
2
K
S
2
-
*
Ryan Budget is a Path to Economic Disaster
Drop this plan
and get serious
M
H. M
by
arc
orial
In the same week
that we marked the 46th
anniversary of the as­
sassination of Dr. Mar­
tin Luther King Jr. and
learned that 7.1 million
A m ericans had e n ­
rolled in the Affordable Care Act,
House Budget Committee Chairman
Paul Ryan introduced a draconian
2015 budget plan that increases
military spending through 2024 by
$483 billion - to pre-sequester lev­
els, yet cuts non-defense spending
by $791 billion.
This illogical plan proposes to
repeal the Affordable Care Act, end
Medicare as we know it, and slash
critical safety-net programs, includ­
ing the Supplemental Nutrition As­
sistance Program (or SNAP - for­
merly food stamps), Head Start and
Pell Grants.
P u b l is h e r :
E d it o r :
It is ironic that a plan called the couple of years, thereby reversing
“Path to Prosperity” is nothing more the gradual upward trend in job cre­ from programs that serve people of the economy and poverty. We urge
than a path to political grandstand­ ation. In short, the Ryan budget, limited means. These dispropor­ Paul Ryan and his colleagues to
ing and partisanship that has no while not surprising in its familiar tionate c u ts ...c o n tra s t sharply drop this plan and get serious about
place among constructive ideology or fanciful push towards with the budget’s rhetoric about developing a responsible budget
efforts focused on real pros­ austerity, represents the height of helping the poor and prom oting that does not depend on hurting
o p p o rtu n ity .”
millions of working and middle-class
perity for all Americans - not irresponsibility and is a blueprint
T
he
C
e
n
te
r
fo
r
A
m
e
ric
a
n
a select few.
for disaster for millions of hard­ Progress called Ryan's plan "the Americans to benefit the richest few.
The night before Dr. King’s April
At a time when Americans working Americans. It has immedi­
same
conservative,
top-down
poli­
4, 1968 assassination, he said:
are looking to Washington ately, and rightfully, drawn wide­
cies
that
have
failed
the
nation's
for solutions to the problems spread condemnation.
“The question is not, if I stop to
middle
and
working-class
families,
of income inequality and the
Ethan Pollack, Senior Policy seniors, and the econom y," while help this man in need, what will
ever-increasing Great Divide, the A nalyst w ith the non-partisan
happen to me? The question is, if I
Ryan budget goes in the opposite Econom ic Policy Institute con­ the New York Times called it “De­ do not stop to help the sanitation
structive to the country’s future.” w orkers, what will happen to
direction.
cluded that much like the budget
Thankfully, spending for the them ?... Let us move on in these
Rather than closing the gaps, it Ryan proposed last year, this one
exacerbates the problems by raising burdens seniors, the disabled, and next two years was set by the powerful days, these days of chal­
budget agreem ent passed in the lenge to make America what it ought
taxes anaverageof$2,000formiddle- children - while cutting taxes for
class families with children, accord­ the rich. Tax cuts for people who Senate and the House and signed to be. We have an opportunity to
ing to the Office of Management don t need them and econom ic by President Obam a in Decem ber make America a better nation.”
and Budget, while giving the wealthi­ insecurity for everyone else is 2013. So it is unlikely that the
We can start now by stopping
Ryan budget will become law in the Ryan budget - and even more
est taxpayers a break by lowering grossly irresponsible budget and
the short-term or is for anything importantly, stopping its budget­
their taxes from 39.6 percent to 25 econom ic policy,” he added.
more than show.
percent.
cutting fever that threatens the eco­
The non-profit Center on Budget
Nonetheless,
it
is
a
dangerous
The Economic Policy Institute and Policy Priorities reports that
nomic health and recovery of our
“vision”
for
our
nation.
The
Na-
nation.
(EPI) estimates that the “prosperity “Some 69 percent of the cuts in
tional Urban League strongly re­
Marc H. Morial is president and
proposal" would result in the loss of House Budget Committee Chairman
jects
this
budget
because
of
its
likely
chief executive officer o f the N a­
three million jobs over the next Paul Ryan’s new budget would come
destructive impact on employment, tional Urban League.
Mark Washington, Sr.
M ic h a e l L e ig h to n
E xec iftrvE D irector :
C reative D irector :
Rakeem Washington
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