Congress is at it again. Attacking those most vulnerable so they can pay-back their corporate contributors and their ALEC masters.
At the end of last year, Congress voted to kick the can down the road, only extending Unemployment Insurance for two months in the debt ceiling "compromise". Now those two months are up and its time to pay the piper.
Millions of unemployed Americans and tens of thousands here in Ohio, are looking to Congress to renew unemployment insurance, but some members of congress want to strip millions of dollars away from working families by reducing insurance benefits we already paid for.
Senator Portman is worth over $11 MILLION and could care less about the fate of hard working Ohioans. While he choose which luxury car to drive or where to locate his third home, tens of thousands of Ohioans are fighting every day to feed their families and keep their heat on.
Unemployment Insurance is one of the best ways to stimulate the economy. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist for Moody's, has shown that for every $1 spent in unemployment insurance, the GDP is increased by $1.61. Compare this with the darling of the right, tax cuts. According to Zandi, for every $1 spent on the Bush tax cuts and corporate tax cuts, the GDP is only increased by 32 CENTS, less than the original investment.
This makes common sense. When people are unemployed, they don't have money to pay bills, purchase food, and spend money in their communities. When unemployed Ohioans receive unemployment insurance, that money goes straight back to our local communities and has a huge multiplier effect.
We need to stand up for the unemployed in Ohio. Not only does it make good economic sense, its just the right thing to do. Ohioans stand up for each other.
See you there!
P.S. Do you have old pairs of shoes we can use at our event (and then donate to a shelter)? Do you have stories about unemployment insurance but unable to attend? Contact denise@progressohio.org and we will work out a plan to get your shoes and make sure to get your story to the Senator.
