Pennsylvania will likely lose EB by May 20

First topic message reminder :

FIRST PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE BELOW. IT IS NOT ONLY FOR PENNSYLVANIANS BUT FOR MOST STATES. THEN READ THIS - Please contact Governor Corbett at PA.gov and PA Dept. of L&I's Minority Chair, Senator Christine Tartaglione at her website http://www.senatortartaglione.com/ and plead with them to enact legislation to extend Extended Benefits (EB) ASAP. If anyone can put together a general letter and post it, please do. We are likely to lose EB by May 20th but I do not know what the deadline is for applying to the Federal Government for the Extended Benefits (EB). Remember Pennsylvania is a RED state (Republican Governor) and not likely to want to extend these "free" Federal funds (nuts ain't it). Also any other legislators which you can list from PA, please do and give us their contact information. We must fax, call and email now. We don't have much time and remember THEY SCREWED US OUT OF TIER 4 AND POSSIBLY EB BY TRADING TAX CUTS TO THE RICH FOR AN UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION OF 13 MONTHS. HAD WE KNOWN MOST OF US WOULD LOSE EB BY THE MIDDLE OF JULY, WE WOULD HAVE SPIT ON THAT DEAL. AS IT IS TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH ARE NOW PAID FOR BY CUTTING EB. SO PLEASE GET TO IT, WE NEED YOUr HELP. ALSO, PLEASE CHECK YOUR OWN STATE NOW, THEY ARE BEING VERY QUIET ABOUT THIS. MAKES ME WONDER


PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE
On April - 2 - 2011 References at bottom

As more get jobs, those who haven't lose benefits.

The prognosticators are optimistic to the max when it comes to the nations employment situation， as they expect the U.S. Labor Department to report Friday morning that the nations employment expanded by 180，000 to 200，000 in March."Businesses are hiring， and with layoffs being minimal， it appears that the labor market is indeed getting better，" said Joel L. Naroff， of Naroff Economics in Bucks County.That optimism scares Sharon Dietrich， a community legal-service lawyer who has long been one of the chief advocates for the unemployed in Pennsylvania.She is concerned because， even if the job market is starting to blossom， 90，000 unemployed Pennsylvanians could soon find themselves ineligible for part of their jobless benefits. That is about one in six of the states unemployed.The first 45，000 will lose their benefits for six weeks， starting Saturday."People without jobs will be even more out of [the publics] mind as the unemployment rate declines and economic optimism increases，" Dietrich said."But the statewide unemployment rate is still 8 percent， and thousands of jobless people remain as desperate as if it were the middle of the recession，" she said.For technical reasons， the benefits problem is more likely to affect unemployed Pennsylvanians than the jobless in New Jersey and Delaware.And now， a primer on unemployment benefits:In all three states， as in most states， the newly unemployed begin by receiving 26 weeks of state-funded unemployment benefits. Since the recession began in December 2007， the federal government has funded an additional 53 weeks worth of payments， broken up into segments.The last six weeks of the 53 are known as tier four， which are designed to phase out as a states average three-month unemployment rate falls below 8.5 percent.With a 9.2 percent unemployment rate， New Jerseys labor market is still tough enough so its jobless qualify for those six weeks. Delawares rate also qualifies.But Pennsylvanias three-month average just dropped below 8.5 percent， warranting the end of the tier-four benefits.After the regular state and emergency federal benefits run out， there is still one more set of benefits for the long-term unemployed – a 20-week block known as Extended Benefits， now funded by the federal government.These， too， are designed to phase out， state by state， as conditions improve. So， how is improvement measured? The long-standing formula compares a states average unemployment rate for the most recent three months with the same period in 2009. If it is 10 percent higher now， the benefits stay. If not， they vanish.But heres the scenario. In 2009， the unemployment rate was worsening. Now its improving. That means the gap between the two years is narrowing， so it is more likely that those benefits will go away.Pennsylvania will likely reach that point by May 20， with all extended benefits coming to an end as of June 11， the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry projects. The department estimates that 45，000 jobless will be cut off at some point during the 20 weeks.But many more will be affected because they will not receive any of the 20 weeks of benefits after they use up their earlier payments.To cope with this situation at a time when 13.6 million Americans are unemployed， Congress changed the "look back" to three years， comparing 2011 to 2008.But there is a catch. Each state has to agree. Delaware already has， and a bill is awaiting Gov. Christies signature in New Jersey. No word from his office on his plans.In Pennsylvania， there is no pending legislation. Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D.， Phila.)， the minority leader of the state Senates labor and industry committee， plans to introduce a measure early in April."We are in the situation now， where state legislators are convening and they have to get to this st， before their state triggers off" the extended benefits， said Maurice Emsellem， who monitors the issue for the National Employment Law Project， a national advocacy group."Once you trigger off， you are off for 13 weeks，" he said.Potential opponents to Tartagliones measure include large employers and municipalities such as the City of Philadelphia that fund unemployment benefits themselves and do not tap into the statewide unemployment insurance fund.For John Di Ciurcio， the issue is now moot: He was laid off as a help-desk specialist in April 2009， and he exhausted all state and federal benefits two weeks ago. But he cannot imagine why support for the unemployed would diminish now."They are saying the economy is coming back， but jobs are the last to come back，" he said. "Maybe those benefits will buy you a little time to hopefully get a job."

http://www.lenely.com/as-more-get-jobs-those-who-havent-ce-benefits-losemployment-l/
and
http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-01/news/29370840_1_unemployment-rate-unemployment-benefits-extended-benefits/2[i][u]

finally a answer....thank you.

Senator Tartagleone has introduced the three-year look back legislation to committtee. Please note update in this thread: Western PA EB Organizing Alert

JoanB wrote:Senator Tartagleone has introduced the three-year look back legislation to committtee. Please note update in this thread: Western PA EB Organizing Alert

hey Joan, oh man I wrote the nastiest letter to her this morning, and I can't take it back.. That is the bad thing about email. Well it was pretty much "why doesn't anybody know what is going on. Loved your artwork on the Flyers. Now what is he deal, does it still need cosponsors or what. You the girl! Was ill the pass few days, glad to see you again. Internet very slow. So I will skate on later, Dazed

Wow Joan, I think we have a huge fight coming up, we better be ready


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ap_eXEWLJY&feature=related

Don't worry, we are ready. The NC army, which I guess consists of me, is writing your state legislature pretending to be from PA. You have plenty of time to fight. We should be able to get this done.

Dazed&Confused wrote:Wow Joan, I think we have a huge fight coming up, we better be ready


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ap_eXEWLJY&feature=related

I thought you were talking about the EB fight.

lendmeflight2 wrote:Don't worry, we are ready. The NC army, which I guess consists of me, is writing your state legislature pretending to be from PA. You have plenty of time to fight. We should be able to get this done.

Lendme, what is going on in NC? I've lost track...is there something we can do to help you? I'm so sorry...I've gotten so caught up in what's going on here that I admit I haven't paid close attention.

The republicans stuck both stand alone bills in committee and wrote another one that they attached to a ridiculous budget bill. It was ratified but the governor vetoed it because the budget says that if they can't come to an agreement then they have to go with the republican budget. Democracy right? Anyway, they are trying to decide if they should attempt a veto override or not. They said they were going to negotiate with the governor this week but I haven't heard anything more.

I think it will pass but they just drag it out and drag it out.

lendmeflight2 wrote:Don't worry, we are ready. The NC army, which I guess consists of me, is writing your state legislature pretending to be from PA. You have plenty of time to fight. We should be able to get this done.

Hey, you wanna send the NC army to PA, don't you know we are Yankees up here and the only Rebels be JoanB, AloneinPA and me, probably a few select others.

Sir Lendme, thank you so much, hey we used to have workfare here, they would drop everybody off to clean the sidewalks and streets by 9am they'd be sleeping on your lawn. Cost more to transport them than it was worth.

Aw, you are such a nice person writing our legislatures. I know it is going to come down in your favor when she gives in and she will. Ain't no Democratic Governor gonna do something that stupid. She just wants to play hardball for a while. I'll send JoanB down there to whack her with a HOCKEY STICK or shot a puck at her, that ought to bring things to an end

Gotta laugh once in a while, but don't tell JoanB, she is a PITA, big time.

Praying it happens soon for you. Dazed.

JoanB wrote:

Dazed&Confused wrote:Wow Joan, I think we have a huge fight coming up, we better be ready


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ap_eXEWLJY&feature=related

I thought you were talking about the EB fight.

Hahahhaha, did I get you? I told Sir Lendme, you were going down to NC, which is quite beautiful by the way, to whack their Governor with a Hockey Stick, or perhaps shoot a hockey puck at her, that ought to straighten her out on the EB situation being she is a Democratic. I think that ought to do it.

Oh Joan, on one of the PA EB threads I sent you something about Corbett that is really important. I think we got what we need to get his hi-knee in a twist along with the rest of the legislatures. This gal who wrote the article, her name is Donna, use to work for Ed Rendell and she is spilling a lot of beans. I think we should contact her. I believe she writes for the Patriot. You go look and if you can't find it, I'll find it, just seems I can't sleep well at night since I've been ill, so I fall asleep when you are just getting on here. I'll try to have that straightened out by Monday. Eh, you kill me, so funny.

Was it not so very nice of Sir Lendme to write to our legislatures, saying he is a citizen of the Commonwealth of PA. Such a nice thing to do. I did it last year when we had the problems in November, wrote every Senator in Washington, now I am on all there mailing lists. Man do they ever love themselves. Dazed.

P.S.: Little know fact, when NC join the original 13 colonies, it became the what would be the 26th state, and was the last state to join the colonies before we became the United States and the World Police.

I did it as much as it pained me to say that I was a citizen of a northern state. I will stick around NC and let the southern winds blow me home every night. I like the way it smells here. You are right it is very beautiful here, God's country they say.
We have plenty of time to fight your battle, you don't lose EB until next month. If we continue to write you will be ok.

lendmeflight2 wrote:I did it as much as it pained me to say that I was a citizen of a northern state. I will stick around NC and let the southern winds blow me home every night. I like the way it smells here. You are right it is very beautiful here, God's country they say.
We have plenty of time to fight your battle, you don't lose EB until next month. If we continue to write you will be ok.

Did it pain you that much to say you were a northerner, hahaha, pains me sometimes top. Took many a vacation to NC, I especially liked Hilton Head Island. Took 12 people 3 days to fix a rotor, glad that is where we broke down, loved the beach. Dazed

Dazed&Confused wrote:

lendmeflight2 wrote:I did it as much as it pained me to say that I was a citizen of a northern state. I will stick around NC and let the southern winds blow me home every night. I like the way it smells here. You are right it is very beautiful here, God's country they say.
We have plenty of time to fight your battle, you don't lose EB until next month. If we continue to write you will be ok.

Did it pain you that much to say you were a northerner, hahaha, pains me sometimes top. Took many a vacation to NC, I especially liked Hilton Head Island. Took 12 people 3 days to fix a rotor, glad that is where we broke down, loved the beach. Dazed

I like NC, have many fond memories as a kid growing up vacationing on Cape Hateras. My family would head down for vacation just as soon as school would let out for the summer. A big thank you to lendmeflight2 for coming to the aid of the PA long term unemployed!

So, you guys were both "out of towners" or as some of us call your "foreigners". The coast is nice. I grew up on the other side of the state in the mountains with all the other hillbillies.

Have you guys heard anything positive on the local news up there about this issue?

Yes, on the news they reported about a guy named Sir Lendme who has been has been pretending to be a Pennsylvanian writing the state legislature about EB. They said there is an all points bulletin to pick him up in NC and have him extradited to PA for impostering a Yankee. Sometimes I think I am funny.

Sir Lendme, not a word about it yet. Just keep on emailing them. Thanks so much. Dazed

No worry, the south doesn't extradite above the Mason-Dixon line or the Manson-Nixon line or whatever it is.

I was told that EB doesn't run out until end of july.

Rose wrote:I was told that EB doesn't run out until end of july.

Please see this thread:

ttp://www.unemployed-friends2.org/t1604-pennsylvania-will-likely-lose-eb-by-may-20

....and this article, containing information from the National Employment Law Project (NELP). The last payment in PA will be made in June, the cutoffs for claims is May 20.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/extended-benefits-expire_n_851002.html

Pennsylvania UPDATE, Legislation was introduced by the Democratic Minority Chair on 4/22/11. PA has a RED Governor but is a Blue State, singing the blues. Even though the rate in PA is 7.8%, here in Philly it is 10.2%. Also, PA made a couple of mistakes this year on reporting date the actual rate, off by .3 and reporting data late. Not sure why. Also, it has one of the highest IUR's in the US, even though the TUR is relatively low in comparison. We have at least 1/2 million people our of work. Major reason for lower rates is people falling off the unemployment rolls and the reopening of mines, and and expanded logging industyr bringing in 13,000 jobs @ $10/hour.. Where he got the other 57,000 other jobs he claims, idk. Being Pennsylvania is the 6th most populous state and has such a high IUR, I am hoping for the best. What all this TUR and IUR means is slightly confusing. So there is legislation just have to get the cosponsors, and the legislatures in DOL are majority Republican. However I read this article and posted it here under one of the PA EB threads, that the Governor and Legislature among other appointees have a sweetheart deal paying only 1% of the pay to cover medical, retirement, etc., and that is why Gov. Corbett did not really shake up the union tree too much. It is typical greed, they wanted to keep this deal hushed, hence he pretty much left the unions alone. This information was reported in an article in the Patriate News, by I believe a woman named Donna Miller, who formally worked for Ed Rendell. Hoping we can use this greediness, which is what it is, against this Governor who while in Philadelphia last summer, during his campaign declared there are plenty of jobs, people just are too lazy to work, if they can collect and sit on the sofa. Well I don't think much of this great benefits sweetheart package all the legislatures are getting for medical, retirement, etc., a 1% deduction from their paycheck, is all they pay for all their benefits, that is a disgrace. This is a disgrace which has been in effect for at least 24 years. Gotta get um. Dazed.

I just got off the phone with a UE rep on the phone and for them saying how PA is getting better. Wow it sure took over an hour to even talk to a rep. Well she told my friend that there going to send him a EB package and not to worry that she is confident it will get the look back granted for PA.

Rose, you can't count on the CSR's. They told me "don't worry about if, if it is going to happen, there is nothing you can do about it."
As of a week and a half ago, the DOL staff didn't even know a thing about the 3-year look back. Don't trust what you are hearing from the CSR's, I was told it was ending in July too, many people were told it was ending in July. We put in so many phone calls and emails to finally get an answer that it was June, we were totally freaked out. They knew about this since December 2010, should have taken care of it then. Re-read my post. Dazed

Rose wrote:I just got off the phone with a UE rep on the phone and for them saying how PA is getting better. Wow it sure took over an hour to even talk to a rep. Well she told my friend that there going to send him a EB package and not to worry that she is confident it will get the look back granted for PA.

Rose, the rep. has a job, she/he doesn't care. They are not up on this stuff, until it happens. Your friend got his package because it is still in effect, if the legislation does not pass, EB will stop within 2 weeks. They will tell you anything. We found that out.

Rose, if you live in PA, you should start writing, emailing, calling the DOL, believe on one of these page, I put the phone number for the Minority Chair who just created the legislation. We need all the help we can get. Dazed

I called and talked to a customer service rep and was told Pa goes 3 month tur which is jan., feb. and march and that is the 8 %. they told me there will be no new eb claims after may 20 but there is a 3 week phase out so june 11th is the end.