Unemployment - continues

It's not over yet folks. There are 5 more days before the Senate returns and hopefully a YES vote on continuing jobless benefits will be obtained.

Here are some stories from today:

Why the GOP is blocking!

Red card for the Republicans - Blocking jobless benefits is foul play - this sure is the truth! Read about why here.

Florida

Jobless benefits running out for 147,000 Floridians this week - are you a Floridian? Fax, and call your Senators offices (you can find their numbers by state - on my blog How to fax .... ). Call and email your local news stations. Tell them your stories! The article continues by reading here.

Kentucky

Do you belong to the AFL-CIO? Are you in "protest mode"? The Kentucky AFL-CIO will be demonstrating there to protest McConnell's leadership of Republicans against the extension of federal unemployment benefits. Join in! Numbers matter! Senate Republicans face protesters demanding unemployment benefit extension. Continue reading here.

Colorado

Want to read real stories on real people and the way that unemployment has affected them? Wait no longer - Jobless losing safety net as stimulus funds run out - this article from the Denver Post tells all.

Massachusetts

An open letter to Senator Brown - apparently, he doesn't get why unemployment extensions will SAVE our country! Go long, Senator Brown

National

Why did unemployment percentages rates drop? Delay On Unemployment Extension Benefits More About Politics Then the Economy - Continue reading here.

The United States is headed for an even worse deficit should unemployment benefits extensions not pass. This next article explains - most important read if you are a baby boomer, like me!

Extending unemployment benefits isn’t free, of course, and has the potential to keep unemployed workers out of jobs for longer. But it could also be preventing a “lost generation,” economists say. That generation is the crop of 50-somethings who might have worked for another decade. Their outlook isn’t bright. Continue reading ....

Unemployment Extension Standoff, Day 36: Blaming The Unemployed - Why won't Congress reauthorize unemployment benefits for people who've been out of work for longer than six months? This is something we have all asked - find out the answer here.

Corporations Sit On $1.8 Trillion Until They Get Their Way - and let's NOT give them their way. It's corporations, no matter how big or small, that have us unemployed and having to scrape for food, paying bills, and clothing your families.

An excerpt from Crooks and Liars - Note to those who insist on Obama's corporatist stature: Corporations aren't happy. They're kind of angry, actually, because after all the years of freedom from regulation, they're being regulated. And they're being regulated by a Democratic administration, which means they're actually being effectively regulated. Continue reading .....

More ways to Contact the News Media

More on unemployment - I will be posting the ways to contact ABC, NBC, CBS and other national news stations and newspapers. New campaign - tell them your stories! See blog titled: BE HEARD EDITION.

Helpful Hints for Interviews

H.I.R.E. Act

Do you have a job interview? Did you know that there is a H.I.R.E act to help employers in employing more employees? There is! I would suggest printing this out and bringing it with you to any interview or to a company which you want to work with. Find the H.I.R.E Act explained at the IRS website.

Did you know? - Interviews

Years ago, you were hired for your experience within a certain expertise without jumping through hoops. Now, there are companies that have begun using a new type of interview. It may not matter what is on your resume anymore, well some things on it. Instead you need to bone up on how to answer trick questions. Find out how to prepare and rock a behavioral interview - click here.

Human Resources - Bloggers

There are 4 bloggers that I can think of off the top of my head which provide great information on job searching, how to land the job and a variety of other job related articles.

These are:
http://www.hrmargo.com/ She can be followed in several ways @HRMargo and #HireFriday on Twitter - Search for HireFriday on Facebook

http://blogging4jobs.com/ She can be followed on Twitter @blogging4jobs

http://www.infoployment.com/ can be found on Twitter - @infoployment

http://www.cornonthejob.com/ can be found on Twitter - @cornonthejob

http://www.linkup.com/ is a job search site, they often have those jobs that are rarely advertised but open and waiting for someone to snag them up. I personally use this site. They do have a job agent that you can set up.

For those who use twitter, on Monday nights there is a #jobhuntchat. If I remember correctly, it is held at 10pm EDT to 11pm EDT. You can also obtain some good information at other times by following #jobhuntchat.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

I just viewed a video on You Tube by the Great but dearly departed George Carlin. Everyone must watch and listen - it tells exactly what is happening in OUR United States and you'll realize that it's been going on for a VERY long time. Please take a look at it by clicking here.

In the next few days, I'll go back to my original blogging with national and local news. This will continue until the Senate gets back to DC on July 12th. If there is any unemployment news to share, it'll be found under Unemployment News in the daily blog.

Keeping sharing information! Get the word out how to contact your Senators and House of Reps, all the information is found here on my blog in How to Fax ..... look in the June archives at the right of this page, then click on the link. Votes that took place this past week from the House of Reps and Senate can also be found.

STAND UP AND BE HEARD!

We need EVERY voice to be heard - please do your part as others are doing too!

SPECIAL EDITION - UNEMPLOYMENT DAY 5

UPDATE - BETSY MARKEY MUST GO, SHE IS A FOE!

The Colorado Independent shared a story on Rep Betsy Markey of District 4 - Colorado.

http://coloradoindependent.com/56831/blue-dog-markey-votes-against-unemployment-extension?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter

She states that the unemployment bill has no way to be paid for and that is why she voted no. Well in response to Markey, I'd like to offer the following -

A few weeks ago, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) stood in front of the members of Senate and explained just how this program and others CAN be paid for. I blogged about it while watching CSPAN. Senator Coburn and his office are collecting data on duplicate FEDERAL programs, this means OUR tax dollars are being spent for one program that is unnecessary. In addition, did you know that MANY Federal employees owe taxes? They do. Somewhere in the tune of $3 million dollars for back taxes. Did you know that there are many federal buildings just standing empty because they have either built a new one or relocated to a new area? That's right. These buildings are empty and still kept up for maintenance etc. Why not sell or rent these buildings out? There is some law that prohibits it, guess which house provided that law - YES, the Senate!

Most Senators and House Reps are lazy! They don't read a bill up for vote. Just because a bill has the same title (by law) the contents of the bill can be changed, rearranged and reworded.

See my report from Senator Tom Coburn's Speech in front of the US Senate - http://survivingintherecession.blogspot.com/2010/06/news-everywhere.html


As in my prior blog posts, we know that the House of Representatives voted and passed HR 5618 for "jobless benefits". This comes right after the Senate kicked us to the curb by not passing their stand-alone bill which was an amendment to HR 4213. In addition to the Senate kicking us, they also felt it was necessary to go on vacation and return on July 12th. Keep in mind that WE pay THEIR salaries - we voted for these people to work for their constituents - that's US!

What this means for us - we have to wait until the Senate returns from vacation to get another vote. This means no payments from unemployment until the vote is passed. The bill is asking for retro-active payments to us from June 2. The federal payment to you of $25/week is not included. What this means - your monthly benefit will be less $100.

STAND UP AND BE HEARD!

For everyone's convenience, I have posted all names of Senators and House Reps by state with their fax numbers and links to their individual website so you can write to them there.

Personally, I am using my twitter account (@ElaineM925) and my facebook account to make sure that my Senators and House Representatives understand how important a YES vote is. I feel by exposing them this way, I have a larger "audience". I will continue to fax as well.

Here in my state of Colorado, both my Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet voted YES on the HR 4213 amendment. I have thanked both of them for their support in these hard times.

As for my House of Representatives, I will take this time to thank those who voted YES and expose those who voted NO. One no vote came from my own District 6 Representative Mike Coffman who I plan to unseat by my public campaign. My vote will go to John Flerlage and I will encourage others to vote for him.

Without further blogging, here is the vote from my reps in Colorado.
District 1 - Dianna DeGette - NO
District 2 - Jarod Polis - YES
District 3 - John Salazar - YES
District 4- Betsy Markey - NO
District 5 - Doug Lamborn - NO
District 6 - Mike Coffman - NO
District 7 - Ed Perlmutter - YES

Social Media is HUGE and a great way of communicating with others. Use hashtags such as #unemployment, #twittermarch, and #unemployed.

Get your word out, search for your Senators and House Reps on Facebook and Twitter, "like" (which used to be "fan") and follow them. For the ones who voted YES, thank them. For the ones who voted NO, tell them your story, send them your bills, and advise that you will -

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!

And lastly, but most important, my blog is your blog, leave comments, ask questions, give your story if you want, we must UNITE!

Thank you all for visiting!

Thank you ALL!

I just want to take the time to thank EVERYONE who has signed up to follow my blog, view my blog, and have shared it.

My information comes from articles, the official Senate and House of Representative sites.

Thank you all for the faxing, emails, phone calls and other ways you have contacted Senators and House Reps to tell them your story and why WE need a YES vote from them.

My heart breaks for all who are experiencing financial issues. You are not alone.

While doing my own searching and applying for jobs, updating my blog as a way to get the facts out, I will continue on the fax campaign.

SPECIAL EDITION - UNEMPLOYMENT DAY 4 #2

Here are the way House Reps voted on HR5618 today. Fax numbers can be found for each and every House Rep by State on my "How to fax .... " blog. Just click "older posts" from the bottom of this page.

Thank you to all for following along and for your patience in waiting for me to posts the facts.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 423(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)
H R 5618 RECORDED VOTE 1-Jul-2010 3:27 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act

	Ayes	Noes	PRES	NV
Democratic	241	11		3
Republican	29	142		7
Independent
TOTALS	270	153		10

---- AYES 270 ---

Ackerman Adler (NJ) Altmire Andrews Arcuri Baca Baldwin Barrow Bean Becerra Berkley Berman Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Blumenauer Boccieri Bono Mack Boren Boswell Boucher Boyd Brady (PA) Braley (IA) Brown, Corrine Butterfield Cao Capps Capuano Cardoza Carnahan Carney Carson (IN) Castle Castor (FL) Chandler Childers Chu Clarke Clay Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly (VA) Conyers Costa Costello Courtney Critz Crowley Cuellar Cummings Dahlkemper Davis (AL) Davis (CA) Davis (IL) Davis (TN) DeFazio DeGette Delahunt DeLauro Dent Deutch Diaz-Balart, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Dicks Dingell Doggett Donnelly (IN) Doyle Driehaus Edwards (MD) Edwards (TX) Ehlers Ellison Ellsworth Engel Eshoo Etheridge Farr Fattah Filner Foster Frank (MA) Fudge Garamendi Gerlach Giffords Gonzalez

Gordon (TN) Grayson Green, Al Green, Gene Grijalva Gutierrez Hall (NY) Halvorson Hare Harman Hastings (FL) Heinrich Heller Herseth Sandlin Higgins Himes Hinchey Hinojosa Hirono Hodes Holden Holt Honda Hoyer Inslee Israel Jackson (IL) Jackson Lee (TX) Johnson (GA) Johnson (IL) Johnson, E. B. Jones Kagen Kanjorski Kaptur Kennedy Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kilroy Kind Kirkpatrick (AZ) Kissell Klein (FL) Kosmas Kratovil Kucinich Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) LaTourette Lee (CA) Levin Lewis (GA) Lipinski LoBiondo Loebsack Lofgren, Zoe Lowey Luján Lynch Maffei Maloney Manzullo Markey (MA) Matheson Matsui McCarthy (NY) McCollum McCotter McDermott McGovern McMahon McNerney Meek (FL) Meeks (NY) Melancon Michaud Miller (NC) Miller, George Mitchell Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Murphy (CT) Murphy (NY) Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Tim Nadler (NY) Napolitano

Neal (MA) Oberstar Obey Olver Ortiz Owens Pallone Pascrell Pastor (AZ) Pelosi Perlmutter Perriello Peters Peterson Petri Pingree (ME) Platts Polis (CO) Pomeroy Posey Price (NC) Quigley Rahall Rangel Reichert Reyes Richardson Rogers (MI) Ros-Lehtinen Ross Rothman (NJ) Roybal-Allard Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Salazar Sánchez, Linda T. Sanchez, Loretta Sarbanes Schakowsky Schauer Schiff Schrader Schwartz Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Serrano Sestak Shea-Porter Sherman Sires Skelton Slaughter Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Snyder Space Speier Spratt Stark Stupak Sutton Tanner Taylor Teague Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Tierney Titus Tonko Towns Tsongas Turner Upton Van Hollen Velázquez Visclosky Walz Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Watt Waxman Weiner Welch Whitfield Wilson (OH) Wu Yarmuth Young (FL)

---- NOES 153 ---

Aderholt Akin Austria Bachmann Bachus Baird Barrett (SC) Bartlett Barton (TX) Berry Biggert Blackburn Blunt Boehner Bonner Boozman Boustany Brady (TX) Bright Broun (GA) Brown (SC) Brown-Waite, Ginny Buchanan Burgess Burton (IN) Buyer Calvert Camp Campbell Cantor Carter Cassidy Chaffetz Coble Coffman (CO) Cole Conaway Cooper Crenshaw Culberson Davis (KY) Djou Dreier Duncan Emerson Fallin Flake Fleming Forbes Fortenberry Foxx

Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly Garrett (NJ) Gingrey (GA) Gohmert Goodlatte Granger Graves (GA) Graves (MO) Griffith Guthrie Hall (TX) Harper Hastings (WA) Hensarling Herger Hill Hunter Inglis Issa Jenkins Johnson, Sam Jordan (OH) King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Kline (MN) Lamborn Lance Latham Latta Lee (NY) Lewis (CA) Linder Lucas Luetkemeyer Lummis Lungren, Daniel E. Mack Marchant Markey (CO) Marshall McCarthy (CA) McCaul McClintock McHenry McIntyre McKeon McMorris Rodgers

Mica Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller, Gary Minnick Moran (KS) Myrick Neugebauer Nunes Nye Olson Paul Paulsen Pence Pitts Poe (TX) Price (GA) Putnam Rehberg Roe (TN) Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rohrabacher Rooney Roskam Royce Ryan (WI) Scalise Schmidt Schock Sensenbrenner Sessions Shadegg Shimkus Shuler Shuster Simpson Smith (NE) Smith (TX) Stearns Sullivan Terry Thompson (PA) Thornberry Tiahrt Tiberi Walden Westmoreland Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf

---- NOT VOTING 10 ---

Alexander Bishop (UT) Capito Hoekstra

Payne Radanovich Rodriguez Wamp

Woolsey Young (AK)

---

SPECIAL EDITION - UNEMPLOYMENT DAY 4

UPDATE FROM OPENCONGRESS - 8:05pm MDT
http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1960-Unemployment-Extension-Passes-House-But-the-Bill-is-Now-Stuck-in-Limbo

excerpt from article:

The Iowa Independent reported earlier in the day that another Senate vote was possible tonight under an emergency session called by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV], but that does not appear to be panning out. It looks like the Senate will, in fact, stay adjourned until July 12.


UPDATE FROM WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE 3:25pm MDT

http://blog.waysandmeans.house.gov/income-security-and-family-support/2010/07/standing-up-for-the-unemployed.shtml

This is a good read on what is happening and why.



UPDATE FROM NY DEPT OF LABOR FACEBOOK PAGE 2:21pm MDT

Their page can be followed at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/nyslabor

New York State Department of Labor

All – The House has just passed the stand alone Unemployment Insurance Extension bill in a 270 to 153 vote, which included language keeping benefits “retroactive” to June 2nd. However, at this point the Senate does not plan on taking up the measure until after the recess and after Senator Byrd’s replacement is sworn in. They are scheduled to return the week of July 12. We will keep you posted

UPDATE ON HR 5618 - 1:59pm MDT

270-153 House approves Jobless Benefits through November 30, 2010


UPDATE ON HR 5618 - WHAT IT READS - VOTE TALLIES AND FURTHER INFORMATION TO COME

H. R. 5618

To continue Federal unemployment programs.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 28, 2010

Mr. MCDERMOTT (for himself and Mr. LEVIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

---

A BILL

To continue Federal unemployment programs.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010'.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROVISIONS.

(a) In General- (1) Section 4007 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended--

(A) by striking `June 2, 2010' each place it appears and inserting `November 30, 2010';

(B) in the heading for subsection (b)(2), by striking `JUNE 2, 2010' and inserting `NOVEMBER 30, 2010'; and

(C) in subsection (b)(3), by striking `November 6, 2010' and inserting `April 30, 2011'.

(2) Section 2005 of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act, as contained in Public Law 111-5 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note; 123 Stat. 444), is amended--

(A) by striking `June 2, 2010' each place it appears and inserting `December 1, 2010'; and

(B) in subsection (c), by striking `November 6, 2010' and inserting `May 1, 2011'.

(3) Section 5 of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-449; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by striking `November 6, 2010' and inserting `April 30, 2011'.

(b) Funding- Section 4004(e)(1) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking `and' at the end; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:

`(F) the amendments made by section 2(a)(1) of the Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010; and'.

(c) Conditions for Receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation- Section 4001(d)(2) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting before `shall apply' the following: `(including terms and conditions relating to availability for work, active search for work, and refusal to accept work)'.

(d) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-157).

SEC. 3. COORDINATION OF EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION WITH REGULAR COMPENSATION.

(a) Certain Individuals Not Ineligible by Reason of New Entitlement to Regular Benefits- Section 4002 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(g) Coordination of Emergency Unemployment Compensation With Regular Compensation-

`(1) If--

`(A) an individual has been determined to be entitled to emergency unemployment compensation with respect to a benefit year,

`(B) that benefit year has expired,

`(C) that individual has remaining entitlement to emergency unemployment compensation with respect to that benefit year, and

`(D) that individual would qualify for a new benefit year in which the weekly benefit amount of regular compensation is at least either $100 or 25 percent less than the individual's weekly benefit amount in the benefit year referred to in subparagraph (A),

then the State shall determine eligibility for compensation as provided in paragraph (2).

`(2) For individuals described in paragraph (1), the State shall determine whether the individual is to be paid emergency unemployment compensation or regular compensation for a week of unemployment using one of the following methods:

`(A) The State shall, if permitted by State law, establish a new benefit year, but defer the payment of regular compensation with respect to that new benefit year until exhaustion of all emergency unemployment compensation payable with respect to the benefit year referred to in paragraph (1)(A);

`(B) The State shall, if permitted by State law, defer the establishment of a new benefit year (which uses all the wages and employment which would have been used to establish a benefit year but for the application of this paragraph), until exhaustion of all emergency unemployment compensation payable with respect to the benefit year referred to in paragraph (1)(A);

`(C) The State shall pay, if permitted by State law--

`(i) regular compensation equal to the weekly benefit amount established under the new benefit year, and

`(ii) emergency unemployment compensation equal to the difference between that weekly benefit amount and the weekly benefit amount for the expired benefit year; or

`(D) The State shall determine rights to emergency unemployment compensation without regard to any rights to regular compensation if the individual elects to not file a claim for regular compensation under the new benefit year.'.

(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by this section shall apply to individuals whose benefit years, as described in section 4002(g)(1)(B) the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note), as amended by this section, expire after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. REQUIRING STATES TO NOT REDUCE REGULAR COMPENSATION IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDS UNDER THE EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM.

Section 4001 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(g) Nonreduction Rule- An agreement under this section shall not apply (or shall cease to apply) with respect to a State upon a determination by the Secretary that the method governing the computation of regular compensation under the State law of that State has been modified in a manner such that--

`(1) the average weekly benefit amount of regular compensation which will be payable during the period of the agreement occurring on or after June 2, 2010 (determined disregarding any additional amounts attributable to the modification described in section 2002(b)(1) of the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act, as contained in Public Law 111-5 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note; 123 Stat. 438)), will be less than

`(2) the average weekly benefit amount of regular compensation which would otherwise have been payable during such period under the State law, as in effect on June 2, 2010.'.

SEC. 5. BUDGETARY PROVISIONS.

(a) Statutory PAYGO- The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled `Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

(b) Emergency Designations- Sections 2 and 3--

(1) are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-139; 2 U.S.C. 933(g));

(2) in the House of Representatives, are designated as an emergency for purposes of pay-as-you-go principles; and

(3) in the Senate, are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 403(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010.

===========================

In the House of Representatives another vote on HR 5618. http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html

The Senate left us high and dry yesterday and then had the nerve to call for vacation until July 12.

As I sit and watch CSPAN, I wonder why we need to vote to congratulate South Africa on their Human Trafficking Policy. If their policy is good, just do it. Sheesh. This is just one of the many votes and time wasted in both the Senate and House of Reps. I have blogged on this in the past to great length.

What these Senators and House Reps aren't telling us is that there are more and more duplicate FEDERAL programs with PAID employees for each. These are costing US tax dollars! The reason why there are so many duplicates is because each time a vote comes up for another "federal program" to be established, few read the bill and therefore, it's not investigated and found as a duplicate, and it passes. If MORE House Reps and Senators took the time to READ and RESEARCH the bills, and vote accordingly, we'd not be in the mess this government is in today.

While watching CSPAN2, I viewed President Obama discussing illegal immigration and embracing them. NO NO NO! My ancestors came to the United States of America through Ellis Island, how many of yours did too? I'm not in the position to allow illegal immigrants to stay in our country and live off MY tax dollars. NO WAY, NO HOW! It's gone on for too long and must stop.

Another disturbing bit of information on CSPAN2 was that OUR tax dollars built into the "war budget" are paying to bribe drug lords in Afghanistan. Is this horrendous? Are YOU mad? I'm mad as heck and will not lay down and take this.