Unemployment benefits extended

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Unemployment benefits extended

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Monday, December 27. 2010

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State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond announced recently that the Georgia Department of Labor is processing extended benefit claims for unemployed Georgians who will qualify under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 enacted Dec. 17.

The new legislation expands the extended benefits claim filing period for jobless Americans through Dec. 31, 2011. The bill does not, however, provide additional benefits beyond 99 weeks.

“These additional resources will help qualified jobseekers provide food, clothing, and shelter while they seek employment, and I’m especially pleased that the approval came in time for Christmas,” Commissioner Thurmond said. “More than 53 percent of jobless Georgians have been out of work 27 weeks or longer in a very difficult economic situation.”

In November, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 10.1 percent. For 38 consecutive months, Georgia’s unemployment rate has exceeded the national rate, which was 9.8 percent in November.

The Georgia Department of Labor is identifying individuals who potentially meet the eligibility requirements, as outlined in the legislation. Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements are being notified by mail.

Individuals who may be eligible will be those who had remaining weeks of eligibility when the previous benefit extension law expired on Nov. 30. Claimants who have exhausted all weeks of eligibility will not benefit from the new legislation.

Thurmond urges those who may be eligible to monitor the department’s website www.dol.state.ga.us for up-to-date information.

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#1 Anonymous on 12/27/10 at 12:12 PM [Reply]

99 weeks?!? Gosh, unemployment is supposed to be for SOME help in the short term, not a new way of life.

6-12 weeks tops. After that, cut 'em off. Every seen anybody getting free money get off their butt and go get a job? Nope, me neither. Cut the welfare mooches off already.

#2 Working Man on 12/28/10 at 01:12 PM [Reply]

Enough with the welfare. No one gets a job until their unemployment welfare is cut off. Extending welfare only ensures they won't get out and work.

#2.1 Anonymous on 12/29/10 at 12:24 PM [Reply]

why work when mine (and yours) hard earn money is supporting these folks? sure, they may have needed after they lost their job, however, if the gov't is going to keep feeding them food cards, unemployment checks and etc.. then why would they get off their lazy a... and work? I know for a fact I've had people on unemployment apply and their first words are THEY MAKE US DO THIS, TRY TO GET A JOB, AND TURN IN WHERE WE HAVE APPLIED, I WILL BE BY HERE EVERY WEEK TO GET AN APPLICATION SO I CAN STAY ON IT" They tell you they don't want a job, they are just "doing" this to keep getting that free check, heck, most of them are working under the table for cash and living much better than those of us that get up and make a honest check every week and make ends meet best we can and stress how we will pay our bills from one check to another, food, heating, children's lunches, etc... this makes me freaking sick!!!!!

#2.1.1 Ben Had on 12/30/10 at 07:12 AM [Reply]

Naive,stupid,or just plain ignorant?
What will these people do once they are cut off from gov't support? They will feed their families somehow,maybe with your food after they kick in your door and kill you for it.Probably live in your house for awhile after that.

There are millions of people out of work, and a lot of them are highly skilled and intelligent. Before you say they can scrub toliets,or work at McDonalds,TRY to understand that employers don't hire people with degrees or skills for those positions. No employer wants to waste their time training someone who is over qualified, when there are plenty of people without skills to pick from.

I think it is just plain stupid for people to say "cut them off". I guess these ignorant folks want a revolution,because that's exactly what will happen if we cut these millions of Americans off.
No more U.S.A.
No more beloved Fox News Network.
Communism? You can count on it! Chinese with a southern drawl.

So,keep on with your shallow-minded suggestions,meanwhile those that you admire are destroying our country,and are taking you one step closer everyday to becoming one of those that you would cast aside.

#2.1.1.1 Anonymous on 12/30/10 at 09:55 AM [Reply]

U R THE STUPID ONE....... GET A LIFE

#2.1.1.1.1 E.J. on 12/31/10 at 12:53 PM [Reply]

GET AN ARGUMENT, Anonymous!!!!! Tell us WHY and HOW he is stupid. Offer something! Otherwise, your statement has no power or relevance whatsoever.

#2.1.1.2 Anonymous on 12/30/10 at 11:50 AM [Reply]

Cut 'em off. Kick in my door? I'll shoot 'em. Steal my food? That's what they are doing anyway when they live on welfare for year after year.

Don't think McDonalds will hire someone to scrub toilets because they have a degree or skills? I know that's not true because I worked in food service for a year and I had 2 degrees when I was hired, but even if what you say is true, all they have to do is fill out the application and leave off your degree and skills.

Revolution? Sorry, pal, but the fact that these people are living off welfare defines them as too lazy to get out and work, much less get out and revolt. Revolution of the Lazy Welfare Dolts...lol...now that's a good one.

#2.1.1.3 make em work for it on 12/30/10 at 12:43 PM [Reply]

So, the logic is, "Keep giving me free welfare money or else I will steal from you."

Really? Not only are we supposed to hand out to them for 99 WEEKS, but if we dare ask someone to go get a job, any job, we're supposed to allow ourselves to be BLACKMAILED into handing out more money when they don't want to work?

Now, who is naive, stupid or ignorant, again?

Want a real solution? FORCE those on unemployment or welfare to do 15-20 hours of VERIFIED COMMUNITY SERVICE (picking up trash, sweeping parking lots, washing cars, landscaping, etc.) every week in order to collect their welfare or checks. I guarantee you'll see some folks giving up their welfare and getting a real job. And there won't be as much trash on the highways. Now that is a WIN-WIN.

#2.1.1.3.1 E.J. on 12/31/10 at 02:15 PM [Reply]

Not a bad idea to make them work, but it costs money to hire people to organize and supervise them. Of course, right there you have a job opening, but it still costs the government money. And what of the mother with kids? Is government to pay also for child care while mom works? Or would it be better emotionally for those children to be with their mother for a while until she can get a job that will pay for all their needs plus the costs of child care?

Blanket statements and ideas don't solve problems. The world is far bigger and more complicated than many in Madison County are aware of or want to realize; it's easier (lazy?) to be simplistic, black-and-white, yes or no.

#2.1.1.4 E.J. on 12/31/10 at 12:42 PM [Reply]

Thanks for offering this side of the story. Unemployment compensation does go a ways to prevent the chaos and anarchy of desparate people. The key is to figure out where the very fine line is to be drawn. Our government has been complicit in causing this extreme recession and so it must maintain order as required. It would seem that very, very soon the economy will be opening up with jobs. As soon as it begins to do so is the time to curtail benefits (draw that line). However, government budgets are set in advance by the year; therefore, another extension into the unknown has been decided.

Yes, there are those who would game the system, sometimes out of real need, but most would really rather have a job for both the higher income and the self-respect. I am self-employed so I can't draw benefits. I have almost no work now and have been drawing from my retirement savings. This means I'm o.k. for now but somebody's going to have to support me down the road when my retirement funds run out long before I'm dead. Help on the front end avoids help on the back end. My only hope is to hope I die before my savings run out.

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