When Mark Fischenich’s on, he’s among Minnesota’s finest reporters. In Walz, Demmer: Big differences, small agreement, he spells out the difference between the two party candidates.
Perhaps the most telling difference is illustrated by their disagreement on extending unemployment benefits. Randy Demmer might not have served in the military, but it’s clear that he doesn’t mind enlisting a bit of class warfare in his fight to get elected to Congress.
Fischenich reports:
As for extending unemployment benefits, approved by the House but not the Senate, Demmer would be reluctant.
Unemployment checks serve as competition with private employers seeking to hire, Demmer said. He’s talked to business owners who want to add employees but have been turned down by those who choose to stick with their unemployment benefits.
“We have people not taking a job because they have unemployment,” he said.
For those who reach the end of their benefits, Demmer is confident a job will be found.
“People are resourceful,” he said. “When they’re put in a position to really go and find something, I think they will.”
Walz strongly disagrees for a couple of reasons.
“One is just the human side of it,” Walz said of people needing help in a bad economy. “The other is the economic side of it. It’s the fastest way to get money into the economy.”
That’s a pretty sharp contrast, alright. Read the whole article.
The Albert Lea Tribune recently reported:
According to Minnesota’s Labor Market Information office, about 128,000 Minnesotans have lost jobs since 2008. The unemployment and underemployment rate is 7 percent and 14 percent, respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate in 2000 was just 3 percent.
Perhaps Demmer’s jobs program involves people working fewer hours than they need to support themselves, or or taking low-paying jobs that don’t use their skills. That will get this country back on track.
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