Unemployment benefits will start running out for a 150,000 Californians starting this week, according the the California Employment Development Department.
Loree Levy, an EDD spokeswoman, said the people affected are on so-called Fed-Ed emergency aid. People collecting Fed-Ed normally would be able to get 20 weeks of benefits.
But the law authorizing the program expires Tuesday, Nov. 30. Unless Congress approves an extension of benefits, federal funding for the Fed-Ed program would end. The last week of payable benefits — whether or not a laid-off worker has received all 20 weeks of payments — would be Dec. 5-11
Those collecting Fed-Ed are not the only ones facing a cutoff of jobless aid. They are just the ones that, as a group, will be hit first. EDD estimates 454,000 jobless workers altogether — equivalent to the population of Long Beach — could be removed from the unemployment rolls by the end of the year if Congress doesn't take action.
That does not include 250,000 other unemployed workers who have exhausted the 99 weeks of benefits now available and who are not eligible for any more aid.
Let me save you the math: over 750,000 Californians could lose their entire social safety net by January 1, 2011 - the population of Oakland and Anaheim combined.
Earlier this month, Congress failed to pass another extension of unemployment benefits, All 19 members of the California Republican Caucus. (combined net worth of $672,185,877) who all voted to cut off unemployment benefits.
"We cannot continue to pursue these extensions indefinitely, and Congresswoman Bono Mack is unwilling to add $12 billion to the deficit at the expense of our children and grandchildren's futures," Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs) spokeswoman Anjulen Anderson said.
Bono Mack is also on the record as supporting extending the Bush tax cuts for millionaires - a move that would blow a $700 billion hole in the budget. No word yet from the Congresswoman on how she plans to pay for that.
This might be a good time to reintroduce the CA-GOP Congressional delegation again.
Keep these lawmakers on speed dial.
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