However, when they went home, they left some unfinished business. They apparently forgot or did not care about the millions of people whose unemployment benefits will run out Dec. 28 – three days after Christmas. President Bush, with all of his talk about homeland security, also failed to realize that for these people Christmas time would feel very insecure.

These millions of people are not nameless, faceless people. They are our sisters, brothers, neighbors, students, parents, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends. They are husbands and wives. We cannot ignore these people and simply dismiss them as lazy bums who want to lie on the couch and watch reruns of “The Simpsons.”

We all know that you cannot get unemployment insurance unless you have a justifiable reason to be unemployed such as layoffs or downsizing. If you simply quit or get fired for a justifiable reason, it is quite difficult to get unemployment benefits. Moreover, we also know that in many areas – especially rural areas – finding a job is extremely difficult, especially if transportation is an issue.

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The shame of it all is that the special interests groups such as the pharmaceutical corporations and others were rewarded in the Homeland Security Bill for their help in insuring victories for the Republicans. Unfortunately, the poor and unemployed who are struggling to survive were left out in the cold, in the literal sense for some people.

Last week, in President Bush’s radio address, he stated that Americans should help their less fortunate neighbors and friends and remember that we are all Americans. He also stated that more of us should volunteer to help the poor and those who are suffering from the economic downturn. To this, I say I agree with President Bush. Volunteering is important and good. While the president was speaking about how we all should volunteer, I wondered if he had asked his wealthy friends and contributors to his presidential campaign in 2000 to help these families who will not be able to pay rent and buy food on Dec. 29. Maybe they could pay the rent for 15 or 20 families who will not be getting their unemployment checks.

Obviously, there will be more families in need, but if all the Republicans and Democrats who failed to act would ask their wealthy contributors to pay utility bills, buy groceries, pay rent, make house payments and make car payments, this could make a big dent, and we all know they have the money. This is evident when big contributors pay $10,000 a plate to attend a fundraiser. Many of these families could use that money; I mean, who is in a better position to help than big corporate donors?

Nevertheless, there is only so much that ordinary poor and working class volunteers and private charities can accomplish. They are under funded and overworked. Private charities and volunteers do not have the resources that the federal government possesses. Furthermore, employees did not pay volunteers and private charities out of their payroll deductions – they paid into this fund in the event that they became unemployed. As a former volunteer myself, I know that it is rewarding but time consuming and at times inadequate.

Volunteerism should NEVER replace governmental assistance because volunteers and charities cannot meet the needs of the millions of unemployed.

Therefore, in closing this column, I urge all of you who care about this issue to call, write and e-mail your representatives and ask them to show love and human compassion. For some people their unemployment check is all that they have – there is no savings, family assistance or charitable assistance. President Bush said help your struggling neighbor. I say to President Bush:Leadership reflects attitude – sign the bill to extend these benefits.