130 resumes, no offers: 'It's scary'

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - Beyond Washington and politics and filibusters is Joe Beland's garage, his Wyoming home and his 1979 Harley.

This is what he wants to save.

"Actually, it's a whole way of life, and it's not just me," Beland told 24 Hour News 8.

Now, he's looking to Washington, hoping the U.S. Senate will extend benefits. The U.S. House has voted twice to extend benefits through the end of November at a cost of $35 billion, but Republicans have blocked a vote in the U.S. Senate.

That could change by week's end, when the governor of West Virginia is expected to name a successor to the late Sen. Robert Byrd, according to published reports.

"I have to believe that when the Senate comes back this week, that they'll find the way to extend it one last time," U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, told 24 Hour News 8.

Beland worked for 18 months as a quality engineer at Optera in Holland, which made electronic touch screens. But, he lost that job in March 2009. His $1,200-a-week paycheck was replaced by $387 a week in unemployment.

He said he's sent out 130 resumes without a job offer.

"It's getting really scary -- it really is," Beland said.

Then, last week, he was among 16,000 West Michigan people -- 87,000 statewide, 2.1 million across the country -- to receive their last unemployment checks.

Without an extension, he figures, his savings will run out in three months.

"All I can do is hope and do my best and hope," he said.

Beland figures if Congress could bail out Wall Street, it can help the unemployed again with an extension.

"Isn't the American public too big to fail also?"