Extended Benefits cut off

[Kumbricia]

The unemployment rate is 9.3%, but the Extended Benefit program got cut off this week.

The statement on the AZDES web site:

"The Arizona unemployment rate has dropped to the extent that under state law (A.R.S. § 23-630.A.3(b)) the Extended Benefit (EB) Program will end with the week ending June 11, 2011. No EB weekly payments can be made for any weeks ending after that date, even if you have an EB balance remaining."

By comparison, in 2007 the AZ unemployment rate was 3.6%. Thanks for the new normal, Republicans.


As much as this is going to hurt people, I couldn't find much in the news about this besides this letter to the editor, which points out that the Unemployment EB program is free money from the federal government that the state legislature is intentionally rejecting. Because making innocent people suffer is what they do best.

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_b97d72c9-1881-52d8-add2-796fe94fd513.html

[Kumbricia]

1. Children's Action Alliance

Please email your state senators and representatives or go to the link below at the Children's Action Alliance. Turning down federal money not only hurts the unemployed but also Arizona's economy:


https://secure3.convio.net/voices/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=110471&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=4bj3ctffz2.app331b

[PavePusher]

2. "free money" actually isn't. Just sayin'. n/t

[Kumbricia]

3. That may be true

but there's few better or more stimulative uses of federal money than giving it to the unemployed, who are going to spend all or nearly all of it and create demand. Don't forget people who are unemployed did not cause the collapse or make the decision to outsource vast numbers of manufacturing and service jobs, and did not receive the bailouts that the banking industry got to subsidize million-dollar incomes or the billions given to defense contractors. Giving the unemployed the meager help that our thin safety net offers is not what's breaking the bank, as I'm sure you know.