I wish all the people here would call a Congressperson after the jobs

numbers come out Friday and remind them that it represents the faces of millions of people who need help. Now. And perhaps suggest
that they move jobs to the front burner.

Last year, and the year before, the gov spent, very quickly, trillions of dollars:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/02/04/business/20090205-bailout-totals-graphic.html

to make sure that car companies and financial firms didn't fail again (cause they already had once)

yet when it comes time for a jobs bill to employ people weatherizing homes, that falls off the table
and when it comes time to extend unemployment benefits (which might be better in a WPA type program, that falls off the table too.

And these people didn't fail. They did go to work every day for 10 years, or 12 years, or 18 years. And then one day they found the doors locked, for some of the fortunate an unemployment check for a few weeks, and then nothing. Nothing.

Prior to the passage of HCR we talked about how 51 senators could get health care through, and others have suggested a Truman-like approach where the pres sends legislation to Congress to make it very plain to people who is standing in the way of taking care of their families. Mostly people were focused on how to get it done, not excuses. I am just not hearing that now.

You may feel differently, but this is far worse for us than any disaster or terrorist attack.

I am astounded that the Democratic Party doesn't seem to be isn't putting a program forward to create jobs for millions of families that are unemployed, or perhaps worse, underemployed. This should be front and center on every talk show and at every photo op for the president. The Republicans are traditionally the one's who practice "I got mine" politics. We can show them there is a better way?

How about a big flashing red number at the top of the DU page (like the mail notification), which stands at 16.6% of our neighbors for whom this economy is not working. Maybe leave it up until we are at near full employment?. ust to remind us that the Democratic Party, the party of jobs, needs to focus on people that are hurting.

(And if you are thinking I have forgotten how the stimulus stopped the hemorrage of jobs last year - I have not. But these people, our neighbors, the ones who are desperately trying to figure out how to keep from moving their kids into the car while they make it to their new $8/hr job, can't eat that. It wasn't enough.)

Yeah sure, they'll care.

I emailed Rep. Chris Van Hollen a couple of months ago, saying we need a big jobs bill. All I got was a bla bla bla automated response, which is completely unlike him. Normally he is very responsive.

The crazy optimist in me would like to hope that they have a huge jobs bill being drawn up, and intend to spring it on the Repukes a few weeks before the election. The realist in me says don't hold your breath.

I am under no illusions. 5 people calling, 100, people calling, even 5000 people calling - they would not even think twice, most likely.

But one never knows. This is like one of those diseases that doesn't kill youm, but it compromises your immune system so that something else can.

The wealthy, that is those with much of their money in investments which are expanding into other countries to get their return, are continuing to rack up more of the "American $ Pie", while all these people who are out of good work are losing more and more, day by day.

Wouldn't it be crazy kool if everyone on DU would call a congressperson once a week? And maybe even call a friend and ask them to call a congressperson and a friend to insist that we put jobs on the front burner?

Make it loud, and obvious, that this is the party for whom "I've got mine" is always paired with "so I need to make sure you have yours too".