'several' republican governors do not want unemployment help for their constituents

[spanone]

this should go over well with the unemployed.....


(CNN) -- Though they support some federal action to help their states recover from the recession, several Republican governors said Sunday they plan to turn down a portion of what's offered in the stimulus bill that President Obama signed last week.

"If we were to take the unemployment reform package that they have, it would cause us to raise taxes on employment when the money runs out -- and the money will run out in a couple of years," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

The Republican governors of Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana have expressed similar concerns. But one of their colleagues, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a message for them Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

When asked about broader complaints from lawmakers such as South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford about the debt that the stimulus package will lead to, Schwarzenegger responded, "I am more than happy to take his money or any other governor in this country that doesn't want to take this money. I take it because I think California needs it.


At issue is a portion of the unemployment assistance stipulated by the stimulus bill, which provides federal dollars to expand unemployment insurance in the states. In exchange for accepting that, states would have to expand the number of people who are given jobless benefits.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/22/stimulus.governors/index.html

[book_worm]

1. Good! GOP Governors turn it down and let other states have it.

Then go and explain to the unemployed workers in your state that you turned down extending them unemployment benefits and why. I'm sure they'll understand.

[peace frog]

2. The GOPer govs are certain the unemployed in their state

will leave and try their luck elsewhere when unemployment benefits cease. Then they can loudly proclaim "we don't need no stinkin' stimulus" in order to reduce the number of unemployed in their respective states, count on it.

[JDPriestly]

3. It's a glorious day in southern California -- sunshine, warm, beautiful.

My lettuce is thriving, and my tomatoes will be ready to plant in a few weeks. Weather like ours makes people want to live here. Right now the economy is rough, but California is such a great place to live that we can attract employers who will pay the extra taxes just to get to be here themselves. I can understand that South Carolina has to grovel to get business to establish themselves in that state. California doesn't have to do that. In addition to everything else, the culture here is wonderful.

[Cid_B]

6. Just out of curiosity...

have you ever been in South Carolina for an extended period of time?

[JDPriestly]

21. No, but if they elect governors like that guy, it must be pretty miserable.

I lived in Alabama when I was in high school. I did not like it at all -- except for the Azaleas and the beach at Dauphin Island which was at that time, long ago, pristine, absolutely beautiful with white sand. Other than that, the place was hot and humid in the summer and just miserable.

[Cid_B]

24. I would say that there is a world of difference

... or at least several states worth between Alabama and South Carolina. That place is heaven on Earth.

[Hello_Kitty]

States have "groveled" their way into bankruptcy

Trying to outdo each other in offering tax breaks and subsidies to businesses.

[MUAD_DIB]

17. What kind of plants do you have, if any, that repel pests?

[JDPriestly]

22. They don't seem to attack succulents that much.

My biggest problems are squirrels and raccoons. And mind you I live about five miles from downtown L.A. in a beautiful hilly area.

[spanone]

4. well, god forbid they would have to expand benefits to more people who are unemployed

jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz

maybe they are banking that the unemployed don't vote?????

[steelmania75]

5. Aren't we trying to get the unemployed back to work? The GOP loves screwing things up

[Liberty Belle]

7. Can we have their share?

Surely our GOP Gov, Schwarzenegger, won't be stupid enough to turn down federal money; he would be drawn and quartered. He's apparently figured out which side his bread is buttered on, seeing as he's skipping the state GOP convention to go meet with Obama instead.

Any Govs selfish enough to turn down money to help unemployed people in their states ought to be recalled by an angry mob.

[spanone]

8. arnold wants the money, but that doesn't help the unemployed in these mostly 'southern' states

this morning when asked about piyush jindal not wanting the money he said 'i'll take it'

[Doctor_Horrible]

9. If only there were a way to make Sanford become one of those unemployed here in SC...

[Life Long Dem]

10. OMG! This makes no sense at all.

They don't want the money because they will have to pay more unemployed money? And this causes the unemployment tax to go up. Oh my my... and for this you helped someone survive that is unemployed.

[theoldman]

11. Talk is cheap.

After the governors get a few phone calls from people who are unemployed, they will accept the money.

[spanone]

12. or when they storm & move into the governor's MANSION

if it's like our mansion, there's plenty of room. our governor doesn't even live in ours....he's uber wealthy on his own

[Ivan Sputnik]

13. This is where ideology meets insanity

[stubtoe]

20. Succinct and to the point!

Well said.

[rcrush]

14. They better not cut off our money

Almost everyone I know is on unemployment right now including myself. If they cut if off we may have to go burn down the govenors mansion. Oh wait someone already did that!

[kestrel91316]

15. Well, the unemployed will now become homeless and then they won't

be able to vote because they have no permanent address. So, you see, there IS method in their madness. Their victims won't be able to exact any retribution at the polls.

[Urban Prairie]

16. What and where do these moran governors think the money

given to the unemployed is spent?

Most of it is spent in their state on goods and services during their job searches.

Seems to me that yes, these assholes are hoping that the rising amounts of unemployed workers will be forced to leave their states to try to find jobs elsewhere, that will at least provide unemployment compensation, if they lose them through no fault of their own.

I can only imagine what McLame would have proposed, had he been elected, he probably would have tried to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, if not cut taxes even further, and reduced government spending for unemployment, SSD, SS, SSI, welfare, Medicaid, and Medicare.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

18. What utter swine these "people" are.

Fuck the unemployed in the name of ideological purity. I hope that the unemployed in these states march on their state houses with ropes and pitchforks and use them with vigor. When Ah-nold is on the right side of a question, just how fucked up is the other side?

[ColbertWatcher]

19. Here is a list of GOP governors who "protested" the JOBS bill ...

* Sarah Palin (Alaska)
* Butch Otter (Idaho)
* Bobby Jindal (Louisiana)
* Hayley Barbour (Mississippi)
* Mark Sanford (South Carolina)
* Rick Perry (Texas)

Does anyone know when these people will be up for re-election?

[backscatter712]

23. Am I right in thinking this is toothless noise-making?

IIRC, in the stimulus law is written language stating that if a state governor turns down money, the responsibility for allocating that money instead goes to the state legislature.

In other words, the governors get to screech about how they're turning down the money, but the state still gets the money.

Cute.