Jon Kyl (R-AZ): Unemployment Benefits Make People Not Want To Get A Job

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/01/gop-sen-kyl-unemployment_n_481526.html

A debate on the Senate floor Monday over unemployment compensation crystallized, at least for a moment, the divide between the two parties in Washington.

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting "because people are being paid even though they're not working."

Unemployment insurance "doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said during debate over whether unemployment insurance and other benefits that expired amid GOP objections Sunday should be extended.

"I'm sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue that it's a job enhancer. If anything, as I said, it's a disincentive. And the same thing with the COBRA extension and the other extensions here," said Kyl.

[Dappleganger]

1. Because starving and sleeping on the concrete is a MUCH better incentive.

Screw you, obstructionist asshat.

[jpak]

2. Unemployment checks are SOOOOooooo Big!

Why would ANYONE want to give up that wonnerful gravy train!!!111

mo-ran

:thumbsdown:

[GodlessBiker]

3. WHAT JOBS?, you fucking asshole!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

12. That's right!

There's all those jobs going unfilled........
Let's face it. Most of the people in Congress and especially those in the Senate do not really represent the average person in their state. They are really there to preserve the system and serve their corporate masters. Who else could say something like this and believe it unless they were living on a different planet?
:shrug:

[GodlessBiker]

23. +1

[arthritisR_US]

4. come election time these will be great sound bites. n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

5. Really?

:party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast::party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party: :toast:

Crap! He's onto us...................... :wtf:

[Danger Mouse]

6. Fuck this asshole. Ugh, looking at his ugly repuke face is making my stomach turn.

As if this prick even has any idea what it's like.
Fucking jackass.

[spanone]

7. boy, talk about dumb and dumber

[blockhead]

8. wow,

so out of touch about the working class

[deacon]

9. The GOP is hanging up their Going Out Of Business sign. Keep it up GOP. n/t

[county worker]

10. This is unbelievable.

They create a recession by not regulating the financial markets then want to walk away from the results of their shit!

I don't have words to say how I feel right now.

The picture that comes to mind is the ghost in Scrooge who had the starving children under his robes. Want and ignorance.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. Tell that to the 10% unemployed

In order to be included in that statistic you have to be actively looking for work.

[saracat]

13. ThatS my Senator! I am soo proud.This is AZ. There are NO jobs!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: Meanwhile the state party watches while we see many more of this type pouncing on open seats. Fiddling while rome burns. All the GOP make me vomit.They are lower life form scum. I want Kyl's family to be forced to live on unemployment. I hope everyone who voted for the bastard remembers they had a choice.They could have voted for Jim Pederson.

[Crazy Dave]

14. Let's not forget about all those lazy people on social security and...

disability too :sarcasm: :puke:

[Enrique]

15. the corporate fascists want workers as desperate as possible

they want workers to fear homelessness and starvation if they displease their slave masters.

[O is 44]

16. Anti-American

Dems should be on every network repeating this ad nauseam.

[TK421]

17. Bull-fucking-shit! Like I asked to lose my job of eight and a half years

as well as my health insurance....what a fucking wad of fuck this fucker is! :mad: Oh, Mr.Kyl....Cobra WAS offered to me, and guess what you fucking douche? I couldn't afford it last year! You see, Mr.Kyl, when you collect unemployment you are making a fraction of what you were making when you WERE employed, and when you are offered a health plan ( COBRA ) that will run you $230 something a month ( can't recall exactly what I was quoted ) on top of juggling your normal expenses you will find that affording such a plan is not possible.

These fucking senators are so out of touch with reality but hey, maybe it has something to do with the fact that they don't have a fucking thing to worry about when it comes to income and coverage

SHITBAGS....ALL OF THEM!!!!!

[marmar]

18. I'd like to see Herr Kyl put that theory to a test....

.....Lay his ass off and cut off his benefits.

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. He's at textbook republicant.

Perfect memorization of the talking points.

[my2sense]

20. Unbelievable

how these too could fix their mouths to spew this nonsense while peoples lives hang in the balance. It seems someone could have him declared "unfit to serve".

[aquart]

21. Freedom of speech means we have to let him blather and live.

Sigh.

[Arkana]

22. Blow it out your fat ass, Kyl.

Love,

An unemployed Masshole

[my2sense]

24. Where are the other Republicans on this

Why are they NOT on the M$M blasting this nonsense? Where is the outrage????

[high density]

25. What we need are more tax cuts for the uber rich, so they can create more jobs!

That's the ticket.

[haele]

26. Actually, I think he means "unemployment checks keep the smart unemployed looking for work -

-instead of just jumping at the first crumb tossed to them or giving up and dying in the street.

I swear - people taking his view must think there's too many "undeserving working people" and they have to keep workers from having a comfortable middle class life so they can keep their rightful social place in their own reality.

He and his conservative, privileged ilk apparently view the world thus - "there's me an the rest of my wealthy friends, peers and icons, and there's a couple dozen million servants who couldn't survive without us anyway".

The more uppity workers that actually value family, education and personal responsibility are actually worse than a welfare tit-sucker; they think they should have a say in the insulated world of Kyl and his buddies.

And of course, if someone doesn't have enough money or loses their job, for whatever reason, it's because Ghod doesn't favor them - so cast them and their loser families out into the desert with the rest of the trash and let another slob take their place in society; a person that will be venally happy to leave a foot on their children's necks for the price of a few crumbs and faint, distant acknowledgment.

Haele

[corpseratemedia]

27. A ridiculously senile sociopathic goper lawmaker who is too stupid to know that you

can't keep getting regular unemployment unless you are actively seeking a job.

Just keep making these eugenic NAZIistic statements - we'll have tons of your mouthvomit to use this Fall against you. Because even your teabagging supporters are now....unemployed!! Way to go!

[CherokeeDem]

28. I just emailed Kyl's office...

Here's what I wrote to him...

"In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work,"

"And the same thing with the COBRA extension and the other extensions here,"

Senator Jon Kyl

Really? You really believe this? This proves just how out of touch the Republican Party is with what people are truly suffering through. I have been looking desperately for a job for six months and there are few positions that are in my field at my level. Employers tend not to hire someone with my experience for a lower lever position. I am trying and so are the people that I have spoken with who are in the same boat I am. Frustrated, absolutely but deterred from looking, hardly.

The unemployment benefits I receive are barely enough to pay my living expenses not to mention the $260/mo for health insurance through COBRA and that is with the 65% assistance from the federal government. Without that assistance for COBRA, I would be without my blood pressure medicine and without the medicine; my blood pressure is extremely high and out of control and I am in high risk for a stroke. So, I think I have an incentive as do all the people that I see in the unemployment office. As I mentioned above, everyone is very, very frustrated. I was at the UI office today, guess which senator was the topic of conversation; of course, Bunning. I can tell you what people were saying about him certainly wasn’t flattering.

I know Republicans don’t care about the average citizen. I can’t offer you lots money for your campaign or perks so that you’ll vote my way. I’m just a simple American citizen who would love to have a job and the public option health care plan. You, however, think I am lazy and living off unemployment.

You, McConnell and the rest of the Republicans should be condemning Bunning for his actions, yet you are condemning me and the millions of Americans on unemployment. Republicans are disingenuous jerks and you are proof.

_________________________

I am sick of these bastards!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. If it's so cushy, senator, why not give it a try? Maybe the voters can arrange it for you.

[doc03]

30. Bull shit I got laid off this time last year after 39 years with my

employer at 61 years old I turn 62 next month. Just who in the hell is going to hire me when there are 6 unemployed for every new job opening?

[GreenTea]

31. Jon Kyl: Insensitive pontificating lying elitist slimy republican cracker!

What jobs dude?

[tonysam]

32. Standard GOP divide and conquer bullshit

Pit the workers against the unemployed while the rich crooks still get their goodies.

And people still fall for this shit.

[GreenTea]

33. And everyone on welfare lives in big house with pools & drives a Lexus - No that would be

republicans friends who receive corporate-welfare & offer campaign donations in return for being allowed to steal our tax dollars for the elites, corporate subsidies by the republicans.

[Canuckistanian]

34. Helluva time to invoke "tough love", asshole

People are out of work and not finding any.

Hey, maybe they can work for Kyl! Is HE hiring?

[BrklynLiberal]

35. Calling that moron a schmuck is an insult to schmucks.

[Urban Prairie]

36. Kyl: Pompous Hypocrite Fuckhead

We pay your bloated fucking salary and very generous benefits, including lifetime high quality healthcare and pension. so in return, you are depriving the very people whose hard work and taxes went to support you and your family and your assistants!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[BreweryYardRat]

37. Yeah, because living on $800 a month is so easy and fun.

I'm quoting that from a former roomie's unemployment check.

That'll keep a roof overhead ($400-500/month in most states), food in your belly ($100 a month minimum for a single person), and gas in your car ($100 a month, if you're lucky enough to own something with good MPG). You might have enough left over to pay your car insurance and buy the occasional bottle of cheap booze.

Any major unexpected expenses, any healthcare expenses beyond OTC meds, the unemployed are fucked.

[TheWebHead]

38. this latest extension brings the potential benefit period to 99 weeks

that's the longest period in the country's history just to put it in context. The issue is it sticks people on their first extension of course, though my understanding is that there are other funds the administration can tap from to pay the benefits for a few weeks so nobody will be going without their checks. For the last several months, the job losses have been flat, so there should be a conversation on at what point these extensions are going to expire, especially if the unemployment rate is going to become structurally larger due to the removal of the easy money that may have artificially kept it low before the housing bubble burst. If the unemployment rate is going to be above 9% for the next 2 years, are we going to have people on unemployment benefits for up to 4 years? Should it be incrementally notched down on each extension?