Sen. Cardin to Congress: Extend Unemployment Insurance Benefits!

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin has urged Congress to pass a bill that would extend unemployment insurance benefits in all states in the Union. But there are two bills

A bill pending in the House would allow states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or higher to continue paying out unemployment benefits for 14 additional weeks. But a Senate version applies that change to all states. Maryland’s unemployment rate was 7.2 percent in September.

OK if Congress is really serious in helping workers in this Great Recession, he's what they really should do. Make all unemployment benefits permanent Yes you heard me, make all unemployment benefits permanent, until the person finds a full-time job. The standing beneficial unemployment rate is 6%, right?

Here are the unemployment rates for all counties in Maryland from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Mid-Atlantic Information Office. (Stats are in %.)

Allegany County: 8.6
Anne Arundel County:6.9
Baltimore County: 8.0
Baltimore City:11.3
Calvert County:6.4
Caroline County:8.8
Carroll County:6.7
Cecil County:9.4
Charles County:6.4
Dorchester County:11.5
Frederick County:6.4
Garrett County:7.9
Harford County:7.7
Howard County:5.7
Kent County:7.3
Montgomery County:5.5
Prince George's County:7.5
Queen Anne's County:6.8
Somerset County:9.5
St. Mary's County:6.1
Talbot County:6.7
Washington County:9.7
Wicomico County:8.0
Worcester County:7.3

It's going to take about two years for private sector jobs to be back at the 2008 level at this point. That means for people who have been unemployed by the recession, it's going to take a long time to get a decent job. So instead of extending it 14 weeks and risking another beg session with Congress, why not make it permanent? The unemployed payed their federal unemployment taxes, and corporations who fired their employees are still making record profit, they should have the responsibility for taking care of their own fired people, until they get anohter job, by paying their unemployment taxes.