Republican Matt Doheny says in the latest installment of a series of "prescription pads" to turn around the economy that people on unemployment insurance shouldn't be able to get the benefit for 99 weeks.

Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, his Nov. 6 opponent, had signaled similar opposition to the lengthy benefit.

Previously, those who lost their jobs could get unemployment benefits for 99 weeks. Right now, they can get the benefit for 79 weeks — part of a congressional deal on the payroll tax cut extension that Mr. Owens voted to approve.

Mr. Doheny's camp argued that 99 weeks didn't give the unemployed enough of an incentive to find a new job. It's sometimes referred to as the "reservation wage." Wouldn't you like to earn money for doing nothing, rather than earn a little bit more money for doing something?

The "prescription pad" is silent about whether those benefits should be further curtailed.

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