Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) didn’t have much patience for the egghead economists and their proposals for additional weeks of unemployment benefits, job-sharing or workforce retraining. ‘What would help me a lot is if you all came to Vegas and drank and gambled like crazy,’ she said
Before I leap whole-hog into this rant, and in the interest of full disclosure, I should advise that I’m currently unemployed. I’ve been out of work since the end of January, and I’m still looking. That being said, clearly I’m not exactly a dispassionate observer when it comes to issues surrounding unemployment and unemployment benefits. I’m most definitely a very concerned individual who’s deeply sensitive to this issue because it impacts me- as it does far too many Americans- directly.
Millions of Americans are, like me, currently unemployed. We want to work, but due to forces largely beyond our control (involving copious amounts of greed, avarice, self-interest, and incompetence), jobs are hard to come by. I’m fortunate in that I can live off my savings and my unemployment benefits for quite some time. It’s not how I would choose to live, but I’m thankful that my financial situation is manageable. It won’t be forever, of course, but for now and the foreseeable future I’m OK. Millions of my fellow Americans are not nearly so fortunate.
This is why Rep. Berkley’s thoughtless comments have me seeing red. She’s not the only clueless, horribly insensitive member of Congress, of course. There are many like Berkley who have never had to, and never will have to, worry about where their next Big Mac is coming from and who’s going to pay for it. Most Congresscritters haven’t the faintest idea what it means to be out of work and trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage or rent and feed their family. They will never know the stress of having to decide whether to buy food or pay their electric bill. They don’t get it, they never will, and frankly most don’t care enough to try to understand how so many of their constituents live hand to mouth. How else could you explain Republicans (and even some Democrats) blaming the unemployed for their plight?
While Rep. Berkley is making light of this country’s dire employment situation, the Senate is taking their sweet time discussing continuing extended unemployment benefits for millions of Americans. Berkley’s House Ways and Means Committee is also debating this issue, but debate will not feed the families of the unemployed. Currently, 1.2 million Americans in need of extended unemployment benefits are waiting on Congress to cut the talk and take some concrete action. I’d suggest they not hold their breath on that count. A sense of urgency or compassion is not something you’ll find in abundance in Washington these days. The general attitude, as reflect by Berkley’s insensitive comments, is “Let them eat cake.”
Berkley needs to remove her anterior from her posterior and acknowledge what’s going on in this country (and a heartfelt mea culpa would be a good start). Instead of joking about unemployment and working with Republican to advocate for tax cuts for the wealthy, she needs to take a good long look at what’s happening in this country and do the right thing. Now.
Of course, I’m not planning on holding my breath on this count.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
