Obama: Jobless Need More Help

As Jobless Rate Hits 8.9 Percent, President Asks States To Allow Those Who Go Back To School To Keep Unemployment Benefits

(AP)  President Barack Obama said Friday there have been "somewhat encouraging" improvements in the country's stricken labor markets, but the rate of joblessness is "still a sobering toll."

The president spoke shortly after the government reported that the jobless rate rose to 8.9 percent in April, although the pace of layoffs slowed to 539,000 from well over 600,000 the previous month. He also announced a new plan to permit jobless people to return to college without losing their unemployment benefits.

Mr. Obama said that "if we want to come out of this recession better than before, we have to make sure we have a work force that's trained better than before." (Read his full remarks.)

As for the overall economy, he said: "Although we have a long way to go before we can put this recession behind us, the gears of our economic engine do seem to be slowly turning once again."

The president asked states and colleges to help jobless people pursue education and training without losing their unemployment benefits, which typically happens when they enroll in school. They also often fail to qualify for federal grants because eligibility is based on the previous year's income.

Under Mr. Obama's plan, the Labor Department will encourage states to update rules during economic downturns so the unemployed can enroll in community colleges and other education or training programs without giving up their benefits. States generally require people who collect unemployment to be actively looking for work, which can make it difficult to sign up for school or job training. Going to school will satisfy the requirement that they be actively seeking new employment.

"In a 21st century economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge," Mr. Obama said, "education is the single best bet we can make not just for our individual success, but for the success of our nation as a whole."

The Education Department will encourage colleges to increase financial aid packages for the unemployed. Colleges can consider unemployed workers' situation and make them eligible for Pell Grants, which help low-income students afford college, and other aid.

An unemployed person could get a Pell Grant and use it to pay for education or job training without giving up unemployment benefits. Beginning in July, the maximum Pell Grant will increase by $500, to $5,350.

"Our unemployment insurance system should no longer be a safety net, but a steppingstone to a new future," Mr. Obama said at the White House. "It should offer folks educational opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have" and give them skills they need to "get ahead when the economy comes back."

Mr. Obama has directed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to implement the changes. Both departments have launched a new Web site, http://www.opportunity.gov, to help inform the public.

States are to send letters to every unemployment recipient describing available training opportunities and financial support.

The $787 billion economic recovery package that Mr. Obama signed into law in February gave states billions of dollars to provide extended benefits to the unemployed.

[texasbeta]

Exactly, and even that British idiot Adam Smith and 'his invisible hand' (who was a follower of Karl Marx) said: "Capitalism is nothing more then socialism for the rich".

I suggest everybody jump back into the stock market because Tim Gheitner managed pull off what Hank the Snake Paulson could not with the the Super SIV (Special Investment Vehicle), he got the stress tests through.

And even though the stock market will go up from here, the 'real physical economy' and your own personal situation will only get worse through austerity.
Posted by whitemale08

I support your argument, but you are very much incorrect. Adam Smith wrote Wealth of Nations about 60 years before Marx and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto. Smith had no reference for being a follower of Marx, as he was dead before Marx published. The quote you are talking about was from John Maynard Keynes, not Adam Smith

[slownewsday05]

....when he walked out of the White House we had a $5.7 BILLION dollar debt. Even more debt that Bush II created!

That's why I ask the question where did you folks get your math classes? It couldn't have been from the same public education I got.
Posted by Rowdy109


Geee, Rowdy, I guess your "math classes" much be different from mine.

You said Clinton left $5.7 billion (which isn't right, but ok, for sake of argument)

How is that more than $4.9 TRILLION?

Hmm...

[whitemale08]

Some powerful people will always dominate the market. Better it is politicians who care for people than enterprise-leaders who want to make money at any cost.
Posted by Snowhare at 12:52 PM : May 9, 2009 --

Exactly, and even that British idiot Adam Smith and 'his invisible hand' (who was a follower of Karl Marx) said: "Capitalism is nothing more then socialism for the rich".

I suggest everybody jump back into the stock market because Tim Gheitner managed pull off what Hank the Snake Paulson could not with the the Super SIV (Special Investment Vehicle), he got the stress tests through.

And even though the stock market will go up from here, the 'real physical economy' and your own personal situation will only get worse through austerity.

[Snowhare]

Vocabulary clarification:
The word "Capitalsim" got its world-wide meaning through Marx' and Engels' manifesto.
They used it to describe the system they looked at as exploiting workers.
This system is still at work in the world, it has developed over time. So, it is not the same as it was then but the basics are the same. To call it a positive name: Free Market. The problem: Market never was free.
Some powerful people will always dominate the market. Better it is politicians who care for people than enterprise-leaders who want to make money at any cost.

[whitemale08]

When the IMF/World Parasites calls their system 'capitalism', then Hugo Chavez has every right to condemn 'capitalism'.

If any of you in this forum was to call the system we have right now: "capitalism", then I REJECT CAPITALISM!

Because this is not 'capitalism', it's crony fascism when we bail out Goldman Sucks.

That's why I defend Chavez's rhetoric because the very parasites that attack his country every single day uses the power of 'linguistics' to confuse the issue.

If this is supposed be capitalism, then let capitalism be damned!

[Snowhare]

try giving some of it to the people that really need it: the American tax payer!!! Its about time Mr Obama got his head out and started dealing with the issues that will help people get on their feet again! All we get is more of the same bull **** that got him elected!!!
Posted by freecomment

Exactly: detoxicizing the assets is best done by giving a big part of the money not to the banks but the people who can't pay their mortgages. This would have helped the people as well as the banks.
But I suspect that would have been just as bad for the extreme rightwingers here who want government to do policing and wage wars and nothing else.

[whitemale08]

if you think venezuela and colombia are so great, why aintcha there?
Posted by jgg00000008 at 12:30 PM : May 9, 2009 --

Who says that I'm not making preparations to move there?

After Obama finishes bailing out Goldman Sucks, there won't be any United States left to live in...trust me on that one.

You cannot bailout 1.4 quadrillion in worthless derivatives and credit-default swaps...IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

And yet the Stress-Tests is the perfect SIV (Special Investment Vehicle) to perpetuate the bailouts.

From now on the stress-tests will be conducted every quarter so that in a slick and round-about-way the government is 'certifying' and guaranteeing the bailouts in perpetud.

Think of the stress-tests as the 'austerity tax' that the United States will enforce to bailout the impossible 1.4 quadrillion in worthless derivatives and credit-default swaps.

[debinok1]

Thats because our politicians are the owner of the IMF. Get it? America owns the IMF and our politicians own America. Get it? Wake up from your COMMUNIST BRAINWASHING.
Posted by NunesPaul

""The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 185 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world""

The IMF has become its own entity. It is not controlled or owned by the United States. As a matter of fact if one controls the other, it would be the IMF controlling the US.

[whitemale08]

If you admit he's not perfect why have you been portraying him as the most perfect person in this world? Quit cheering that thief SOB.
Posted by NunesPaul at 12:16 PM : May 9, 2009 --

Look, all politicians are power hungry idiots but every now and then you come across one that stands up to the real enemy.

As soon as that happens, the bankers makes sure that the media demonizes that leader by confusing the issue.

The issue is not right vs left, capitalism vs socialism, Democrat vs Republican, the issue is people vs. the financiers....THAT'S THE ISSUE.

Banks are supposed be nothing more then a place wher you put your money to be safe and sound for a later day.

Banks are not supposed have the power over sovereign countries by speculating their currencies, their own national debt, or what their precious resources are worth.

When banks are given that type of power then you no longer have a Sovereign Nation-state system but an oligarchial/serfdom financial system that leaves everybody in the end starving, homeless and dying off as a population.

Which system would you rather live under?

[whitemale08]

Sure Einstein. Thats because our politicians are the owner of the IMF. Get it? America owns the IMF and our politicians own America. Get it? Wake up from your COMMUNIST BRAINWASHING.
Posted by NunesPaul at 12:09 PM : May 9, 2009 --

No genius, the IMF/World Parasites are owned by the Federal Reserve System which composed of a privately owned banking cartel that are using the 'bail outs' as an official way to bankrupt the United States and take 'sovereign' power to put this country in line with every other 3rd world country by means of massive 'austerity'.

The same way they used austerity to pay for the bailouts of hedge funds like LTC (Long Term Capital), the Mexican peso fiasco, the Russian ruple fiasco and now the 2007 Financial Crisis (the big momma of all mommas).