Will more jobless benefits aid economy?

[Swimmy]

Will more jobless benefits aid economy?

You would think that with the recession crisis the politicians would just pass something fast and worry about their political posturing after.

[clarencebunsen]

In December 2001 it was abvious to anyone with a pulse that some sort of economic stimulus was needed. The only thing Tom D and 50 followers were willing to pass was an extension of unemployment. That is when I decided that I would not support any members of the Senate Democratic caucus of 2001 for any further elections.

Can anyone name an equivalent group which has deliberately sought to harm the country strictly for political gain?

One mor thing I don't understand. How does taking tax money from one group and distributing it to another stimulate the economy?

[Swimmy]

I have been grappling with that for a while. I do not have the answer. But a majority of Senators seem to have the answer to your question. Too bad hrc is not in the habit of responding to her constituents' questions. We may never find out.

[frankcor]

I'm no economist but I think it works something like this: We're borrowing the money, approximately 1% of the GNP, and pouring it into the economy. People can do one of two things with it: spend it or save it (pay off debt). Both of those things are good for the economy.

If you consider that the economy is growing at about 3% right now, that additional 1% is a pretty significant kick in the pants and should jump-start things.

It worked in 2001 and it should work again. Your mileage may vary.

[Swimmy]

They should teach a financing course in high school that instructs the kiddies to live within THEIR financial means, not daddy's or mommy's. Then you might not have half the credit and lending problems that put us into this recession.

Using the money to pay off debt I think would be healthier for the economy because then it could free up more capital to spend. Just spending it outright appears to to fruitless.

[Clipper]

Our government has taken on the same financial irresponsibility as the rest of the country. People live on credit, and credit terms keep getting higher and longer. You can now finance a car for 7 years. Who the hell had made a car that lasts 7 years?? Maybe honda, or a foreign manufacturer. Credit cards used to have an interest rate of about 11 or 12% as a high rate. Now that is average, and 6 or 7% is reserved for the very best credit ratings.

the government has devalued the dollar by simply printing more money at every turn in the road. They BORROW for every little reason and that continues to devalue the american dollar. The sad part is that foreign countries now own a majority of our banking firms, and are rapidly gaining total control over our economy.

Such idiotic things as the "payday lenders and check cashing services" prevalent here in the south are allowed to operate at usurious rates. People are sucked into either paying the high interest rates, or in some cases put up the title to their car for a small loan. I cannot believe that they are allowed to operate.

It reminds me of the days when Guido and Vinny would loan ya a $100 for $120 next week, and kick your ass if ya didn't pay it. Who knows, maybe Guido and Vinny run the whole show in the new and legal industry, haha.


Sometime in the future, SOMEONE is going to be required to pay some of this debt down. My kids, grandkids or their kids and grandkids. The debt cannot simply keep compounding forever, until the dollar is worth absolutely nothing.

The government needs to quit going to the "payday lenders" of the world to "borrrow" instead of remedying the problem. Pretty soon we will be speaking chinese or some saudi dialect of arabic.

Jobless benefits should be limited to training, and no further give aways or benefits to those that have been unemployed long enough to exhaust the benefits.

I don't have the answers to the economic woes, but I can tell ya that the simple answer is not to continue borrowing and borrowing, and giving away and giving away.

[frankcor]

Careful, Clipper. Some of my best friends are named Guido and Vinny.

I don't know that either spending or saving (paying off debt) is more beneficial to the economy than the other. It seems to me that both provide more capital for investing in even more economic activity.