What's Wrong With Getting Unemployment Pay?

Nothing.

Not one thing - and thankfully the Senate today squeaked out a bill to continue payments to 2.5 million jobless Americans. The money - $34 billion - will be quickly spent, yes, but that also means recapturing cash in local economies via spending and local taxes, and reductions in other assistance programs like food stamps and other safety net programs are a likely byproduct too.

And it really galls me that the Republican leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell who approved and cheered the $700 billion TARP bailout for business, won't extend debt one more penny for unemployment paychecks. We all know that the vast majority of jobless weren't half-assed workers - they were loyal employees dumped in a horrible economic disaster.

I know - and so do all those who receive those checks - that it isn't meant to be a permanent replacement, and it usually is just enough to keep lives together. But I absolutely think the millions of people still jobless deserve some extra time and payment. And it's a great incentive for better governing when the costs and the voices from a battered economy are loud and long.