[Marxism-Thaxis] Tough times likely fuel bank heists
Posted: Sept. 7, 2009 Tough times likely fuel bank heists Robberies down this year, but suburbs hit with rash of them BY CHRISTINA HALL FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER It's been a bad couple of weeks for banks in metro Detroit, authorities say. And the recent series of holdups, largely at suburban banks, showed no signs of slowing last week with yet another robbery Thursday at a Comerica Bank in Roseville. Aug. 18 was a particularly bad day: three holdups at three banks -- Huntington Bank in Clinton Township and two Charter One Banks, one in Roseville, the other in Taylor. Ray Roland, 34, who is accused of holding up the Huntington Bank, also faces charges in a spree that included a TCF Bank in Eastpointe on Aug. 17 and a National City Bank in Shelby Township on Aug. 19. The most shocking robbery came Aug. 10, in which authorities say Ihab Maslamani held a gun that may have been used in a murder to a customer's head during a holdup at the Flagstar Bank in Harrison Township. It could be family situations, but I think in this area, a lot could be the economy," FBI Special Agent Sandra Berchtold said of what might motivate robbers. Authorities say the good news is that the number of bank, credit union and savings and loan association robberies logged by the FBI during the first six months of this year is down compared with the same period last year. Nationally, there have been 2,776 robberies reported through the end of June compared with 3,010 for the same period last year. In Michigan, there have been 79 robberies in the first half of this year compared with 130 during the first six months of 2008. The number of bank robberies logged by the FBI in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties also has been trending down. Authorities say the drop could be in part because of the arrest of serial robbing suspects like Alvin Murray, 52, who was known as the Heavy D Bandit and suspected of robbing or trying to rob almost a dozen metro Detroit banks in a two-month span last year. "I think some of those sprees definitely did some damage," Berchtold said. Yet authorities say they most fear a heist like the one in which Maslamani is accused of holding a gun to a customer's head during a bank robbery that occurred a day after police said he carjacked and killed Matt Landry of Chesterfield Township. A hostage situation during a bank holdup "would be the ultimate terror that we would very much like to avoid if at all possible," said Jason Korstange, director of corporate communications for TCF Bank. "It's just a bad deal all over." Contact CHRISTINA HALL: 586-826-7265 or ch...@freepress.com ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] While recovery waits, extend jobless benefits
Posted: Sept. 7, 2009 EDITORIAL Detroit Free Press While recovery waits, extend jobless benefits It's hard to really celebrate Labor Day when 15% of your labor force is out of work, looking and growing increasingly anxious. That is the situation in which Michigan finds itself on this holiday, not only persistently leading the states in unemployment but also with thousands of residents at or near the exhaustion of their jobless benefits. With national unemployment at 9.7% and real estate still in the doldrums, it's not like all these Michigan folks can just sell their stakes here and head for greener pastures. More likely many will be forced to turn to public assistance unless Congress acts this month to again extend their jobless benefits, the preferred alternative, at least for states where unemployment is 9% or higher. If nothing is done, up to 100,000 unemployed people in Michigan will be drawing their last benefit checks before this year is done. Nationally, the number could hit 1.5 million. "Michigan remains ground zero for the nation's economic recession, and that makes help for unemployed workers a critical need," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said last month. "While we may see some glimmers of hope for the economy, we know that our unemployed workers will continue to need unemployment benefits for themselves and their families until the economy fully recovers." Critics say that extending jobless pay just removes incentives to find work. That assumes there is work to be found, which for many people in Michigan today is just not the case. There are pockets of unemployment in excess of 25%. According to the governor's office, Michigan provides up to 79 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits -- 26 weeks of state benefits, 33 weeks of federally funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), and 20 weeks of federally funded extended benefits. Those receiving benefits also draw $25 a week in federal additional compensation (FAC). The EUC and FAC programs expire in December; pending legislation would extend them through 2010. Several members of the White House economic team said last month that President Barack Obama was ready to "do what's necessary" to extend benefits. "I think that is something that the administration and Congress are going to look very carefully at as we get closer to the end of this year," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on ABC's "This Week." A lot of families in Michigan and elsewhere will be looking carefully, too -- for jobs and a little extra help ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
