Politics & Government
Political Group Holds Prayer Vigil for Unemployed Workers Thursday At Rep. Miller's Office
A demonstration will be held Thursday at Rep. Candice Miller's Shelby Township office to urge members of the congress to vote in favor of extending unemployment benefits beyond Dec. 31.
Correction: This story was altered Wednesday Dec. 7, 2011 at 12:32 a.m. to reflect the correct organization spearheading a prayer vigil and demonstration at Rep. Candice Miller's Shelby Township office Thursday, which is a political group called We Are the People.
Local clergy and residents plan to demonstrate Thursday at U.S. Rep. Candice Miller’s Shelby Township office and hold a prayer vigil for unemployed workers to urge Congress to extend unemployment benefits through the holidays.
A rally will kickoff at 4 p.m. followed by a prayer vigil at 5 p.m. outside Miller’s office .
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Similar demonstrations will be held across the state Thursday at representative’s offices from Marquette to Jackson.
We Are the People said in a release that they are asking State Representatives to put aside politics and vote to reauthorize unemployment insurance, which is set to expire Dec. 31 for nearly 160,000 Michigan residents.
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An end to the extended benefits would immediately impact 61,000 state residents who are getting this federal aid after exhausting their 26 weeks of state-funded assistance, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Another 98,743 people who are receiving state benefits would no longer get additional help if they are still jobless after 26 weeks, the paper reported.
“Without unemployment insurance, I wouldn’t be able to keep food on the table or a roof over my family’s head,” said Gilka Calazans, an unemployed worker from Warren in a statement released by We Are the People. “It worries me to think about what would happen to our state if Congress doesn’t act now to help struggling families.”
Michigan’s jobless rate was at 10.6 percent in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If Congress does not renew the program for another year, the unemployment benefits will be exhausted at the end of the month. However, a deal to continue to fund the same program for 2012 is in the works, the Lansing State Journal reported.
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