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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKrugman : The Unemployed Stare Into the Abyss. Republicans Look Away.
The cruelty and ignorance of Trump and his allies are creating another gratuitous disaster.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/opinion/republicans-unemployed-coronavirus.html
In case you havent noticed, the coronavirus is still very much with us. Around a thousand Americans are dying from Covid-19 each day, 10 times the rate in the European Union. Thanks to our failure to control the pandemic, were still suffering from Great Depression levels of unemployment; a brief recovery driven by premature attempts to resume business as usual appears to have petered out as states pause or reverse their opening.
Yet enhanced unemployment benefits, a crucial lifeline for tens of millions of Americans, have expired. And negotiations over how or even whether to restore aid appear to be stalled. You sometimes see headlines describing this crisis as a result of congressional dysfunction. Such headlines reveal a severe case of bothsidesism the almost pathological aversion of some in the media to placing blame where it belongs.
For House Democrats passed a bill specifically designed to deal with this mess two and a half months ago. The Trump administration and Senate Republicans had plenty of time to propose an alternative. Instead, they didnt even focus on the issue until days before the benefits ended. And even now theyre refusing to offer anything that might significantly alleviate workers plight. This is an astonishing failure of governance, right up there with the mishandling of the pandemic itself. But what explains it? Well, Im of two minds. Was it ignorant malevolence, or malevolent ignorance?
Lets talk first about the ignorance.
The Covid recession that began in February may have been the simplest, most comprehensible business downturn in history. Much of the U.S. economy was put on hold to contain a pandemic. Job losses were concentrated in services that were either inessential or could be postponed, and were highly likely to spread the coronavirus: restaurants, air travel, dentists visits. The main goal of economic policy was to make this temporary lockdown tolerable, sustaining the incomes of those unable to work.
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duforsure
(11,882 posts)By giving the $300 a month compared to $2400 a month for the unemployed, unlike other countries have done like Canada, and have seen much better economic results , and helped their elderly get by much better , and stimulated the economy much better. All while trump puts trillions into the markets so he can brag everything is fine, he's stiffing the seniors again, and will pay dearly for it in States like Florida for screwing them over, again. $2000 a month with direct checks might save us from a trump depression, but a one time $1200 check won't , and be woefully inadequate sending this country into a trump depression. trump spent trillions for the wealthy for his tax scam bill he signed, and now trump and Mitch are screwing over the elderly, again. This is backfiring on trump and republicans .
Celerity
(42,646 posts)Full socially security payments are
3,790 for someone who files at age 70
$3,011 for someone who files at full retirement age (FRA)
$2,265 for someone who files at 62
Surely you are not saying that they should get the full $2400 per month per person if they are getting full SS.
If that was the case, you would have some elderly couples potentially getting $12,380 per month in payments. That is never going to fly, and is profoundly unfair to us younger people.
Not that the extra payments would last that long, but that is almost 150 thousand USD per year to people with a lifetime of savings, often with massive home equity, and who also have reduced expenses compared to working folk, especially those with children.
rgbecker
(4,806 posts)The $600/week has been for unemployed workers.
Average SS benefits for retired workers is about $1500/Mo.
[link:https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=what+is+average+social+security+benefit+per+month|
Celerity
(42,646 posts)2400 usd, then at least far more than what they get now).
I do agree that 1500 usd per month in SS is shit, especially if it is only a single person and not a couple (thus 3000 per moth which is far more liveable upon an amount).
duforsure
(11,882 posts)Isn't much to get when they funnel trillions and millions to help the wealthy. If the people allow this to continue the wealth gap will increase more , and middle class and the poor will suffer, especially now.
Trueblue Texan
(2,371 posts)Social Security benefit is income-based. Many people don't even make $500 a month. And women who stayed home with children usually get FAR less.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)Celerity
(42,646 posts)Captain Zero
(6,714 posts)Those full amounts are not the gauge, Very few people earn them.
Right now the benefit is based on average of yearly income reported for the previous 36 years for a full retirement.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)3Hotdogs
(12,207 posts)the system?
My net is $1,581. I retired in 2006 at age 66.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)duforsure
(11,882 posts)Which goes to everyone until this gets better, like others have done, but many aren't getting larger amounts now monthly for their SS .many don't get $1,000 a month and can't afford meds, and some food, but trump and the GOP have trillions to give to the wealthy, and who'll pay that bill when it comes due? The seniors with reductions to Medicaid, Medicare, and to Social Security. No telling how many trillions are being printed up to protect the wealthy in the stock markets, but can't give $2000 a month to the poor and elderly now? Billions of stimulus was given to millionaires and billionaires , and I suspect playoffs to trump from them getting it with funneling money thru his businesses, or for campaign donations which he funnels into his pockets. $1200 direct check is just another slap in the face to people needing help the most when they give the rich windfall amounts without care for the rest.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)duforsure
(11,882 posts)niyad
(112,432 posts)And I do know exactly how much they are getting.
Wounded Bear
(58,437 posts)I'm pretty well off in SS terms because I had a few good earning years in the middle/end of my work life.
I have no illusions about how much others make. I know most people make no where near what I do. I'm in pretty good shape personally, but I know that many people aren't.
Send help where it is needed.
duforsure
(11,882 posts)You fail to list many getting a small amount from SS, and barely get by already.2k was what the House passed per month, and stimulates the economy much more. Less won't. It'll also prolong the recovery faster.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)individual hits 2K per month?
I explain. Let's say, as many on here have pointed out, a person is now getting the average SS payment of 1500 usd per month. Would they get an additional 500 usd (so they are getting 2K total per month) or is that 2K in addition to the 1500 (ie. they would now get 3500 usd per month)?
Also, if a person is now unemployed, and was getting the 600 usd per week (so 2400 per month) in increased unemployment, would that be reduced to 2000 usd per month?
judesedit
(4,437 posts)I should get approx $1400, but was totally misinformed numerous times regarding my situation. Those figures are total crap for the majority of Americans who worked their butts off for years.
Celerity
(42,646 posts)Captain Zero
(6,714 posts)Who managed industrial plants for 32-36 years.
judesedit
(4,437 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Just underlining. The Republicans refused to begin negotiating a final form. MALICE.
And now they're going home for a month, and McConnell's self-cornered and having to agree to get something passed quick. INCOMPETENCE AND MALICE.
JHB
(37,128 posts)It's more like turning their noses up in contempt.