All states should have emergency funds socked away for special elections.

[Joe Fields]

What cost democracy? Well, in Illinois it is 60 million dollars. That is the price tag, according to the governor, for a special election for governor. The state says it doesn't have it. And right now, democracy is up in the air. Who decides who the next governor of Illinois will be?

No one yet knows.

I never really gave this matter much, if any thought, until the Blago scandal, but why doesn't every state have an emergency fund set up for special elections? You never know when a lawmaker will keel over from a heart attack, or become involved in a deadly accident, or get arrested on corruption charges. It seems like a logical, responsible move.

Just thinking out loud this morning.

[T Wolf]

1. Let the rules change when a repuke seat is up fro grabs. Not on our watch.

[babylonsister]

2. The states are out of funds to pay for unemployment at this point.

This is not going to happen in the foreseeable future. So many problems, no money to fix them.


States running out of money for jobless benefits

Aaron Crowe
Dec 15th 2008 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Career, Recession

States are running out of money to pay unemployment claims, forcing them to borrow money from the federal government or increase taxes on businesses to pay the benefits, according to a New York Times story.

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies reports that 30 states are at risk of not having the money to pay unemployment benefits. Indiana, which has a 6.4% unemployment rate, and Michigan (9.3% unemployment) are already borrowing from the feds and other states that are in a financial crisis, such as California, may be in line soon.


http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/12/15/states-running-out-of-money-for-jobless-benefits/