Families being evicted.
Plenty of families will still be evicted without increasing the weekly payment.

Pay close attention to the “debate” on the Senate floor over whether that body will take up the one time only $2000 payment. It’s a reminder that those who control the agenda have the power. Everybody knows that Covid will be around for many months to come, meaning that the economic crisis will be around and, in fact, will probably get worse. This means that $2000 will be here today and gone tomorrow. Just paying one month’s rent will consume it all for millions. Meanwhile, what’s ignored – more like swept under the rug – is the 50% cut in the weekly unemployment subsidy – down from $600 per week to $300 per week. This means that the day of reckoning – evictions and foreclosures – is simply delayed a month since an additional $300/week won’t enable many workers to pay for their housing costs.

The reason they are dropping the $600/week is that too many employers were complaining that their workers were making more on unemployment than when working and, therefore, didn’t want to return to work. The solution is really simple: Raise workers’ pay!

This is the game the Democrats and Republicans play. Of course, we should support any increase in money going to workers, but we must not allow ourselves to be limited by what they define as the issue.

Some – a precious few – are organizing to demand more. Today in New Orleans there will be a protest for that purpose. In the next day Oaklandsocialist will be publishing more on the issue.