| December 31st, 2010, Michael Colliss  In the previous three articles of this series, the writer has attempted to show that the battle for a Tier 5 – if it is to be waged successfully – has to be a “ground up” battle. We need to educate the general public, insure that local media has a correct understanding of what was done when congress reauthorized the existing benefits and the huge number of growing 99ers. Many people have, understandably, become demoralized and even despondent, believing that no one in authority understands or perhaps even cares about the millions and millions of people that have lost their job through no fault of their own, and despite consistently looking for a job – any job – remain unemployed and are now facing the bitter reality of no more unemployment benefits. While such feelings may foster a sense of helplessness, it is important that the unemployed not feel helpless, because, quite simply, they are not. → Read More December 30th, 2010, Michael Colliss  This is the third in an ongoing series of articles on the struggle to get attention to and action for the millions of American workers who have lost their job through no fault of their own and have exhausted all their available benefits. In the first of this series we talked about the need to educate the general public, our second article dealt with the need to educate the media. In this article we should look at the way we can consolidate the message and attempt as much as possible to create a sense of solidarity among the unemployed and those that care deeply about this issue who may need unemployment benefits to survive but recognize that this is a critical problem for America and one that is not going away soon and unless dealt with will continue to hamper if not block altogether the effort to claw out of the chasm the American economy was thrown into by the Great Recession. → Read More December 27th, 2010, Michael Colliss  This is the second in our ongoing series on how we should continue to press for a Tier 5 expansion of unemployment insurance. A key in this effort will be to insure that local media provides continual and above all accurate coverage of the crisis presented to American society by the lack of support for the 99ers. It is absolutely true that the road to a Tier 5 only exists through both Houses of the U.S. Congress. Media coverage by itself cannot create a Tier 5. But it can create an environment that will gain attention of the Members of Congress. How to get this coverage is the subject of this article Perhaps it would be helpful to define what “local media” means. The fact of the matter is that coverage in the newspaper in a local paper or local television or radio show is going to get your Congressman’s attention much more then a segment on network news, or a mention of the 99ers on a cable news program → Read More December 25th, 2010, Michael Colliss  As we begin to gear up for the next chapter in the effort to gain attention to the leaders in Washington for those that lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and who despite their best efforts, have still not found a job, and have exhausted all benefits available we need to consider what is probably the first – and some would say the essential – step of education of the public If one looks at the major changes brought about by legislation in the past 120 years of American history, they only occurred if and when that Franklin D. Roosevelt called “an aroused citizenry” which understood the problems and supported change to deal with them. The 112th Congress will constitute itself on January 5, – less than two weeks – and those that advocate for the 99er’s must use the time before (and after) the start of the new Congress to educate the general public with true and accurate information about the unemployment crisis. → Read More December 23rd, 2010, Michael Colliss  My fellow Massachusetts man, John Adams, once said “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” Millions and millions of Americans who lost their job through no fault of their own and who having exhausted (or are about to exhaust) their benefits are coming to terms with the stubborn fact that, with the final adjournment of the 111th Congress no immediate help is coming for the long term unemployed. Many of those who have exhausted their benefits and still remain unemployed – the 99er’s – are understandably becoming more and more despondent, wondering if there is anyone in power that understands and cares about their situation. → Read More December 22nd, 2010, Michael Colliss  A little after 6 PM on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives adjourned subject to Concurrent Resolution 336 thus bringing an end to the 111th Congress. The 112th Congress will meet for its first session on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 The lame duck session of the Congress which ended last night was only the 40th one in the history of the United States and it is likely that future historians will consider it one of the most unusual if not most contentious in the history of the republic. When the members of the House and Senate arrived to begin the lame duck session on November 29, the Democrats were still reeling from a hu8ge setback at the polls, with Republicans gaining 63 seats, far more than the 39 they needed to assume control in the House. The Democrats still managed to keep control of the U.S. Senate, though with a significantly reduced majority and will only have a paper-thin majority in the Senate of 3 votes. → Read More December 22nd, 2010, Michael Colliss  The House of Representatives returned to Washington on Tuesday, December 21 for an abbreviated session, primarily to deal with Senate action on a continuing resolution to continue funding the U.S. Government. Without Congressional action, the U.S. Government would have had to shut down all operations except for national security and public safety functions. The Senate passed a “continuing resolution” that would provide funding for government operations through the first week of March 2011 at about 2 PM. The House passed the Senate measure without amendment at 7:34. The final vote was 193 in favor of the bill to 165 opposed. Seventy-six Members of Congress did not show up for the hastily called session. → Read More December 21st, 2010, Michael Colliss  The Constitution of the United States requires a census of population of the United States every ten years. One of the original intents of this clause in the Constitution was to insure “proportional representation” in the House of Representatives, in other words to spread out the distribution of House seats in proportion to the distribution of the population of the United States. On Tuesday, 12/21 the Census Bureau released date which shows massive shifts in where the people of the United States live from Democratic-leaning states in the Northeast and Industrial Mid-West to Republican-leaning states in the Sun Belt. The shifts in where people live, and thus the shifts of number of seats from the states is seen by many to present another opportunity for Republicans who, after netting 63 House seats in the 2010 election, stand to solidify their majority in Congress during the upcoming round of redistricting. → Read More | Listen to Mike Colliss Interviews |
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