Let’s jump right on in!
Missouri State Senator Jim Lembke has been heading up a filibuster of a legislation that would allow Missouri to accept federal funds to extend unemployment benefits and school aid because 1. he thinks unemployed people are getting over on the rest of us and 2. he wants to send a message to the federal government about spending money it doesn’t have.
That’s the gist of the fiasco unfolding in Jefferson City.
When Lembke says this is not about hurting the unemployed he contradicts his own public statements made during his vicious filibuster on the Senate floor.
I was listening as Senator Lembke and his minions made the argument that the unemployed are slave masters who have enslaved employed people…as they ranted about lazy Missourians who are enjoying their benefits so much that they can’t be bothered to go out and get one of the fabillion trillion good jobs these GOP Senators are certain are out there.
Any attempt to present this mess as anything other than an attack on the unemployed is the very definition of bullshit.
Lembke has a clear and freakishly harsh loathing for unemployed people and he’s sleeping well because in his mind he’s using the power of government to send out some tough love…and emancipate his constituents while doing it.
News that State Senator Lembke and his GOP minions were going to end their filibuster was also bullshit.
In a move that solidifies Lembke’s position as the King of Rancidity in Missouri, he called a press conference where he said he’d end his filibuster against accepting federal unemployment benefits if Governor Nixon agreed to reject federal stimulus money for other important as hell shit.
Lembke and his sidekicks demanded that Governor Nixon reduce the reappropriations by $300 million before he releases his hostage.
Pause…sip coffee…continue.
Now it is important to understand that these GOP State Senators think unemployment benefits are a form of economic slavery, because that’s a point that keeps getting lost in the coverage of this shit.
So the mess that’s happening in Jefferson City is this – a gaggle of GOP State Senators, who are trying to save face after their own colleagues turned against them for this ridiculous and damaging filibuster, are holding unemployment benefits in bondage so they can emancipate working Missourians from the tyranny of federal stimulus money and the oppression of the unemployed being able to put food on the table.
And they’re proud of this shit.
They’re gloating over it.
Odds are they’re so thrilled with this latest move that they hurried back to their offices to Google themselves looking for articles of praise and adoration.
As for those fabillion jobs Lembke and his homeboys keep claiming are out there waiting to be filled…
This is what a state government held captive by Tea Party champions looks like…
….as it’s ugly as hell self treads all over Missourians in a quest to pander.
Watching him in action is a painful as hell way to demonstrate just how much elections matter.
Blink.
5 comments:
Another ridiculous thing that irks me about this argument that Missouri Republicans are somehow emancipating taxpayers by refusing federal funds for things like education, health care and unemployment benefits:
They talk like that money they are refusing is going to go straight back to taxpayers -- like the refund check from their efforts might be showing up in your mailbox next week. Um, no. What will almost certainly happen to that federal money that has already been allocated to go to the states is that it will GO TO ANOTHER STATE where the legislature suffers less from proud stupidity.
They aren't saving any Missourians any money. They're just screwing Missouri over to make a political point.
I feel like I've somehow moved to Bizzaro world hearing the ish these jackals on the far-right keep making up. I mean it is just beyond belief.
Missourians should force him to produce a list of actual jobs that exist that are a living wage. They get away with this stuff because they speak in vague theory. If they are so convinced of these jobs then they should be able to point directly to them. And they should be available to people. e thing is everyone knows these jobs do not exist but they don't force the politicians to prove their point. They have a burden of proof. They should also have to produce evidence that people are being held hostage by the unemployed. Of course people eventually give up looking when you apply for a huge number of jobs and don't even get an interview.
Demand proof Missouri. Once they have to produce evidence they will stop speaking in these generalities.
This bullshit is happening to us in Virginia,too. It's insane how businesses demand we lower corporate taxes so they can 'hire new workers' yet they offshore everything as soon as possible.
According to Sen. Lembke's thinking, I guess I should feel liberated because my extended unemployment benefits ran out in mid-January.
Sorry, but this white, 61-yr. old NW County woman isn't buying it. As the law requires, I was looking for jobs while I had benefits (and trying to pick up temp work to stretch the money) ... and I'm still looking. In today's job market, ageism (in addition to racism, sizeism, etc.) is rampant. Employers are scared $#!tless that if they hire someone with my experience (executive secretary/asst.), they might have to actually pay them a living wage of $15/hr. instead of $9 - 10/hr. And don't forget the health insurance costs for us 61-year-old geezers.
Hubby is still working full-time & pays for health insurance for both of us. But he's 18 mo. older than me, so when he retires @ 66 (another 3 yrs.), I still have to have coverage somehow until I turn 65.
Lord willing and I get a job pretty soon, I will most likely be working fulltime for only another 5 - 6 years. When I can collect SSI (G*d willing it's still there!), I'll have Medicare & supplemental insurance.
Sorry I rambled. I'm so happy this %#@#&* is term-limited, and even happier he's not my state senator (but I feel sorry for his SoCo constituents).
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