Unemployment benefits: A bipartisan conflict

House refuses to extend unemployment benefits
Democrats plan to bring up measure again after narrow loss.

With the economy as bad as it is at this time it is easy to see how unemployment is on the rise. The unemployment rate has increased substantially and now it is time for congress to do something about it. As stated in the editorial House refuses to extend unemployment benefits, the democrats have attempted to give unemployed Americans 13 extra weeks of benefits. One such benefit is a $300 weekly allowance. The vote required a win of 2/3 but lost by only 3 votes.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who are for the extended benifits are not backing down too easy. However, the republicans are not totally against adjusting the benefits for the unemployed, they simply want to make adjustments where adjustments are needed in a more responsible way.
Reguardless of the loss yesterday against these extended benefits there will eventually be some agreement amongst the two parties. The House and the Senate both recognize the need for a change with these benefits and in due time there will be an agreement between the two and some changes will be made for the benefits of the unemployed.
Other than monetary compensation to the unemployeed, congress should brain storm ideas for helping these citizens become employed. It is like the saying "Don't give a man a fish. Teach him how to fish." If taxes are being used to help these unemployed citizens then that is similar to giving a man a fish. However, if there were more programs designated for these people inorder to help them get on their own two feet then that would be like teaching them how to fish. $300 a week is enough to survive but not much else if an unemployed individual has bills or medical expenses. There is no doubt that this monetary benefit is needed by these individuals but some supplemental job-finder program should be a requirement before recieving the money.

Ever Rising Gas Prices

As most people know, gas prices are at an all time high and there are not many signs of these prices decreasing significantly for a while. As we creep into the hot summer days there have been predictions of future increases in gas prices. Reaching these unbearable prices makes some remember the good old days when it was only $15 to fill up your car.
As noted today in the article Gas Prices Continue Record Climb, the average price for regular-unleaded gasoline is $4.02 per gallon. Economists are afraid that with these ever increasing gasoline prices consumers will be forced to cut cost elsewhere which will have a negative effect on the economy. Economists also fear that if gas prices stay high and consumers cut back on energy use the prices for energy will rise as well as a result. Both of these factors play into the "supply-and-demand" issue.
This seems to be a way of life. Those people incharge of selling the oil recognize the demand for this product in the U.S. and see how easy it would be to make money off of it reguardless of what it may do to the economy. In the U.S. driving a car is a necessity for most people. Others have decided to do their part to help keep the environment clean, meanwhile avoiding these rising gasoline costs.
What will it take for gas prices to drop? Will people have to stop driving to work eventually? Will the supply and demand factor for bicycles when gas reaches outlandish prices rise too? Will people keep spending hard earned money to fill up their cars instead of spending money elsewhere? For the sake of the U.S. citizens, let's hope not!