2008-04-11T16:53:46Z opencongress.org tag:opencongress.org,2007:/person/comments/400429 2008-04-11T16:53:46Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-04-11:/comment/5247 Anonymous Thank You for introducing the TARGET bill . Michigan thanks you 2008-06-11T20:49:25Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23522 Anonymous MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR FOOD FOR SALIVA WHEN YOU GO OUT TO EAT. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT A LOT OF FORMERLY UNEMPLOYED AND NOW FLIPPING BURGERS UNDEREMPLOYED WILL BE SERVING YOUR FOOD. GOD OR WHATEVER YOU WORSHIP HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL. THANKS FOR NOT CARING! 2008-06-13T08:18:17Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-13:/comment/24920 Anonymous Rep. Weller should have introduced that motion behind the scenes and worked out a deal before going to the Floor. Don't believe the hype. He is just trying to screw people out of benefits. 2008-06-13T07:39:49Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-13:/comment/24906 Anonymous Hey folks, maybe the two amendments proposed by Weller aren't so bad after all? If the Democrats adopted the two amendments, the 20 week rule, and the target rule, then this legislation would have passed. Here is a copy of what Weller proposed. Found the new version of the Target Bill, proposed 6/12/08 FLOOR STATEMENT OF REP. JERRY WELLER MOTION TO RECOMMIT H.R. 5749, THE “EMERGENCY EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACT OF 2008” JUNE 12, 2008 (REMARKS AS DELIVERED) Thank you Mr. Speaker, this Motion to Recommit supports extension of unemployment benefits for long term unemployed- those who’ve exhausted their unemployment benefits. This Motion to Recommit makes three simple changes to the bill. It adds a requirement of 20 weeks of work for workers to qualify for the extended unemployment benefits; it targets benefits to high unemployment States; and it provides additional money to many of the newly hired individuals to help them deal with the high price of gasoline. I particularly want to thank my colleagues Mr. Kirk, Ms. Biggert, Mr. Bilirakis, and others for the help that they’ve given in crafting this Motion to Recommit as we work towards an extension of unemployment benefits for those that need help. First, I would note that this motion re-inserts the current law requirement that workers who qualify for Federal extended unemployment benefits must have worked at least 20 weeks before being laid off. This requirement was removed by the Majority with the underlying legislation. This commonsense Federal requirement has been in place since 1981, and was included in the temporary extended benefits program Congress created in 2002-our last extended benefits program. Nearly every Democrat Member voted for that bill then, and as we have discussed on this floor for the past two days, there is no good reason- there’s no argument that’s been made by the other side- to oppose the reestablishment of this longstanding Federal policy now. Second, this motion would specify that only individuals in States with unemployment rates above 5% or that have seen a sharp rise in unemployment would be eligible for 13 weeks of Federal extended benefits. As under H.R. 5749, individuals in States with unemployment rates above 6% would be eligible for up to 26 weeks of Federal extended benefits. Today 22 States have unemployment rates above 5% or have seen a sharp rise in their rates, including 6 States above 6%. So workers in nearly half of the States would be eligible for extended benefits, which could rise- or more would be eligible- if States experience a rise in unemployment rates. In contrast with H.R. 5749, this motion would NOT extend benefits in States that currently have unemployment rates below 5%, and I would note that 5% is low by historical standards, and that have not experienced rising rates. They will continue to be eligible for their basic 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. So I would note that they will continue to have unemployment benefits available to laid-off workers. Moreover, by targeting benefits to where they are needed most, this motion actually reduces the cost of the bill, meaning it is more fiscally responsible than the untargeted, unpaid for, and in violation of the House rules legislation, that has been offered by the Majority. Third, we all know that every American family is struggling with record gas prices. That struggle is especially pronounced for unemployed workers and in particular the long-term unemployed. Those who return to work, however, may face high commuting costs, starting with the high price of gas they must put in their tanks to get to a new job. I would note that this Democratic Congress, which is the least popular Congress in recorded history because of it’s lack of action on energy, has refused to allow for increases in domestically produced fuels which we need to help our economy. In fact, it’s Democratic policies in the last year and a half—since January 2007- which is responsible for an increase in gasoline prices of $1.73, basically a doubling in gasoline prices since our Democratic friends gained the majority, and that’s why gasoline prices are over $4.00. We want to help alleviate the high price of gasoline for unemployed individuals. This motion would provide one extra week of extended unemployment benefits for those who return to work without exhausting their extended benefits. On average this would mean an extra $290 per eligible worker. For an unemployed mother who goes back to work, with two kids, that could mean up to four tanks of gas at today’s $4 prices, probably enough to get her to and from her first full month on the job. Especially for someone who might not have much money left after a long spell of unemployment, that’s real relief where today it is desperately needed – at the pump and in the pocketbook. Mr. Speaker, this motion provides timely, targeted, and temporary assistance- something the Speaker herself called for earlier this year as we talked about boosting the economy. I urge its adoption so that we can send this bill to the Senate and down to the White House as soon as possible. As the President has said, he will veto the underlying bill; passage of this Motion to Recommit will give us a bill the President will sign, it will become law, and we can help unemployed workers. I urge an aye vote 2008-06-13T18:36:50Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-13:/comment/25221 Anonymous Wellers new address: Statesville prison in Joliet, IL Center Maximum Security Prison Route 53 P.O. Box 112 Joliet, IL 60434 2008-06-11T21:12:09Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23533 Anonymous You look like a crook in your picture Jerry. Oh I forgot you really are a crook! Down with the Republicans! Vote yes on HR5749!!!!! 2008-06-11T22:52:06Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23585 Anonymous JERRY YOU SOLD US OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 2008-06-23T23:02:59Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-23:/comment/27855 Anonymous This is what happens Rep. Weller when the Government cuts off people's unemployment and when the economy is weak and there are no good paying jobs. Is Illinois next? L.A. seeing more people living out of their cars By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 23, 2:48 PM ET LOS ANGELES - Having lost her job and her three-bedroom house, Darlene Knoll has joined the legions of downwardly mobile who are four wheels away from homelessness. ADVERTISEMENT She is living out of her shabby 1978 RV, and every night she has to look for a place to park where she won't get hassled by the cops or insulted by residents. "I'm not a piece of trash," the former home health-care aide said as she stroked one of five dogs in her cramped quarters parked in the waterfront community of Marina del Rey. Amid the foreclosure crisis and the shaky economy, some California cities are seeing an increase in the number of people living out of their cars, vans or RVs. Acting on complaints from homeowners, the Los Angeles City Council got tough earlier this year by forbidding nearly all overnight parking in residential neighborhoods such as South Brentwood. But some people are just crowding into other parts of the city, including the seaside community of Venice, where dozens of rusty, dilapidated campers can be seen lined up outside neat single-family homes. The stench of urine emanates from a few of the vehicles, and some residents say they have seen human waste left behind. "They're nasty and gnarly," said Venice resident Jeff Scharlin. "We've heard about drug dealing and prostitution in them. I've never seen it, but visually they're a blight and they take up parking space." In Los Angeles, as in many other cities, it is illegal to live in vehicles on public streets. But the law is not easy to enforce. Police have to enter a vehicle to find signs that people are living there, such as cooking or sleeping, and occupants often refuse to answer when cops knock. An easier way is to restrict overnight parking. In L.A., a first offense carries a $50 fine, and subsequent violations can cost as much as $100. Parking-enforcement officers often give vehicle owners a warning and tell them to move on before issuing a ticket, and that usually solves the problem, said Alan Willis, a city transportation engineer. But other cities in the area are not as lenient. "I had my motor home towed in Culver City. It cost me $500 to get it out," said Desiri Hawkins, who lives in a small RV in Venice. "I got ticketed in Santa Monica and had to go to court." Tourist states with temperate climates, such as California and Florida, have long been magnets for the homeless. Los Angeles is the nation's homelessness capital, with an estimated 73,000 people on the streets. A survey of 3,230 homeless people last year in Los Angeles County found nearly 7 percent living in vehicles, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. "It's trending toward an increase," said Michael Stoop, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. "People would rather live in a vehicle than wind up in a shelter, and you can't stay on a friend's couch forever." People living out of their cars or campers tend to be more well-off than the homeless on the street. They usually have jobs or disability checks that enable them to maintain an old camper but do not allow them to afford rent. "For more working-class and lower-middle-class people, the car is the first stop of being homeless, and sometimes it turns out to be a long stop," said Gary Blasi, a University of California, Los Angeles, law professor and activist on homeless issues. Some Venice residents are clamoring for overnight parking restrictions. But parking limits in oceanfront neighborhoods are problematic because the California Coastal Commission requires communities to accommodate surfers, fishermen and other early-morning beachgoers. "The complaints are getting louder and louder," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl. For years, some cities such as Santa Barbara, Calif., and Eugene, Ore., have accommodated people who live out of their vehicles. Activists in Venice are looking at some of those ideas. Santa Barbara, for example, allows vehicles to stay from 7 p.m to 7 a.m. in church and city parking lots. Knoll said she can barely afford to drive around with the rising price of gasoline eating away at the $950 monthly disability check she receives because of mental illness. She said she is also sick of police waking her up in the wee hours by pounding on her vehicle with their nightsticks, and she is tired of fighting with residents who call her "lowlife scum" and hurl other insults. "We need somewhere we can have a safe haven, where we won't be harassed," Knoll said as the wind from a passing car rocked her RV. "I never thought I'd be living like this, but I'm stuck. This is it for me." 2008-06-11T20:35:08Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23512 Anonymous Is your opposition worth the misery of millions Jerry? Sleep well you let a whole lot of folks down including those in Illinois. Illinois is ashamed of you tonight! Vote yes on HR5749 tomorrow for God's sake. 2008-06-11T20:22:28Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23501 Anonymous Remember in November-down with the Repubilcans crowns!! a divided party we fail-change , yes we can 2008-06-11T22:54:51Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-11:/comment/23586 Anonymous JERRY YOU ARE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY CORPORATE AMERICA. YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE A LONG TIME AGO. 2008-06-12T18:30:27Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-12:/comment/24569 Anonymous Weller read a paper , look around you , see what is happening to the economy!!! 2008-06-12T18:32:56Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-12:/comment/24574 Anonymous Thanks for selling out once again for the middle class on the unemployment extension. I hope karma will pay you back in life. 2008-06-17T09:19:18Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-17:/comment/25947 Anonymous Wellers new address: Statesville prison in Joliet, IL Center Maximum Security Prison Route 53 P.O. Box 112 Joliet, IL 60434 2008-06-17T09:49:30Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-17:/comment/25959 Anonymous Illinois Congressman Jerry Weller,Refco and the collapse of Guatemala's Bancafe Bank http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/10/348288.shtml 2008-06-12T19:01:28Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-12:/comment/24591 Anonymous I will not vote for any republicans in this upcoming election, Too bad you are not running so I could vote against you. 2008-06-13T16:58:03Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-13:/comment/25195 Anonymous To be fair Jerry Weller never did call unemployed people lazy and losers. That just was the implication never explicitly said. Weller you are a rotten bastard and were probably born with a silver spoon in your mouth. To ignore loads of evidence for unemployment extensions is either incompetence or criminal . You should leave Illinois everyone knows you now and no one wants you back here!!!!!!! 2008-06-13T14:14:00Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-13:/comment/25111 Anonymous Does it feel good to bully the poor. What kind of human being are you? 2008-06-19T15:34:01Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-19:/comment/26815 Anonymous Hope you get a Target bill for ue extensions going soon. Have you seen the unemployment numbers for Illinois? 6.4%. That means the rate was going up a lot as you argued against HR5749. And now we get a whopping 13 weeks? Great job. Get some jobs in Illinois instead of fighting unemployment Weller. 2008-06-12T18:29:41Z tag:opencongress.org,2008-06-12:/comment/24567 Anonymous YOU AND YOUR REPUBLICANS COLLEAGUES SUCK AND EVEN THOUGH YOUR NOT RUNNING (TAX CHEATER) YOUR PARTY WILL PAY FOR TURNING YOUR BACK ON AMERICA