Progress Illinois

As the New York Times editorial board noted this morning, it's becoming more and more clear that the U.S. Senate is in no rush to extend the filing deadline on unemployment aid, even as hundreds of thousands of jobless workers lose their benefits each week. But that doesn't mean some in Congress aren't still trying to figure out a way to push the "extenders" bill through.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said yesterday that she planned to hold a bill to preserve Medicare reimbursements rates -- the so-called "doc fix" measure -- until the upper chamber acts on the jobs bill. As of yesterday, Senate negotiations were focused on swaying Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. The two Maine Republicans are demanding that, in exchange for their vote, the Democrats curtail an extension of the enhanced Medicaid matching fund rate included in last year’s stimulus bill.

Here's the catch: Doing so would blow an estimate $230 million hole in Illinois' FY 2011 budget. (As in numerous other states, lawmakers anticipated receiving the extra Medicaid funds when drawing up the spending plan).  Taking it out would almost certainly mean more budget tightening (i.e., layoffs).  At a time when polls suggest Americans are more worried about jobs than the long-term deficit, that seems like a dumb move politically. But if Collins and Snowe are the only gettable votes from the GOP, it might be the Democrats' only option to keep the unemployed afloat.

Phil Rosenthal reported this week that the Tribune Company is filming pilot episodes of a Jerry Springer-like TV show hosted by Cincinatti radio host Bill Cunningham (titled "Big Willie").  If it gets the green light, the program will air on WGN across the country.  Meanwhile, WGN Radio recently courted Cunningham, who almost moved his show to the Chicago market. 

By the way, this is the same Bill Cunningham who has verbally abused the poor and homeless (even advocating the caning of the latter).  He has also accused "most black people" of being racist and alleged that Barack Obama "wants to gas the Jews."

Keep it classy, Tribune.

It's been 21 days since the filing deadline for unemployment benefits expired and the U.S. Senate doesn't look like they are any closer to fixing the problem. Last week, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked a procedural vote on the Democratic jobs bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said yesterday that the upper chamber "could" take up a slimmed-down version later this week, but Illinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin told WBEZ this morning that he would count on such action because no GOPers are willing to cross the aisle. AFSCME and the liberal group Americans United for Change are turning up the heat on two of the obstructionist Republicans, Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.  They're spending at least $75,000 this week to run a television ad called "Kids." Their pitch is simple: If the government creates jobs now, the increased tax revenue and consumer spending will ease the debt load in the long-run. Watch it:

The National Employment Law Project is also sharing stories this week of unemployed workers fighting to survive now that their insurance (and COBRA health care assistance) has expired. Click through to read the story of C.R., a former non-profit executive from Minnesota.  Closer to home, the Sun-Times profiled Vanessa Garrett, a laid-off Chicago Transit Authority bus driver.