Anger Rises Among Unemployed Over Governors Who Want To Reject Stimulus Funds

[babylonsister]

Jobless Angry at Possibility of No Benefits


Harry Cabluck/Associated Press

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has said he may decline some federal stimulus money rather than change state policy on benefits.

By MICHAEL LUO
Published: February 26, 2009



As governors in nine states, mostly in the South, consider rejecting millions of dollars in federal stimulus money for increased unemployment insurance, there is growing anger among the ranks of the jobless in those states that they could be left out of a significant government benefit.

The stimulus bill recently passed by Congress includes incentives to states to expand benefits to many more jobless people, including part-time workers and those who have cycled in and out of the work force, who are not covered in many states.

The Republican governors of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, along with Alaska and Idaho, have raised protests, saying that expansion could eventually require them to raise taxes.

On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee became the first Democratic governor to express reservations on the issue.

For people like Henry Kight, 59, of Austin, Tex., the possibility that the money might be turned down is a deeply personal issue.

Mr. Kight, who worked for more than three decades as an engineering technician, discovered in September that because of complex state rules, he was not eligible for unemployment insurance after losing a job at a major electronics manufacturer he had landed at the beginning of the year.

Unable to draw jobless benefits, he and his wife have taken on thousands of dollars in credit-card debt to help make ends meet.

It is precisely these kind of regulations, involving such matters as the length of a person’s work history or reason for leaving a job, that the federal government is trying to get the states to change. Such a move could extend benefits to an estimated half-million more people, according to the National Employment Law Project, a liberal group in New York that supports the changes.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/us/27govs.html?_r=1&hp

[Bozita]

1. They do sell pitchforks in Texas, don't they?

[villager]

4. and the unemployed should be free to occupy the various governors' offices...

...for as long as it takes...

[Better Believe It]

16. Now that is a very good idea! And at some point that and similiar direct action ideas will ....

come into play in a massive way.

[Avalux]

2. I sent Perry an email on this topic last week.

Told him I'd personally lead a protest on the steps of the Capitol w/my fellow unemployed Texans if he didn't accept the money. :mad:

I'm not kidding either.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Good for you

Be sure to give all us DUers all the details. I have relatives in Texas that I'll inform, including an unemployed brother in law.

[Avalux]

8. Sounds good.

If he doesn't accept the money, I'm going to make it happen.

[acmavm]

15. Do you really really think he's gonna have the balls to say no?

I don't.

But hell, it's Texas and you just never know.

[Avalux]

17. He wants to pick and choose.

Infrastructure money OK but doesn't want to take money for unemployed. IF he is able to do this, there will be hell to pay. I'd like to say he doesn't have the balls but this guy's awful, so who knows.

[Cha]

13. Thanks,

Avalux!

[Avalux]

18. You bet!

I'm waiting right now. If Perry is idiotic enough to not take the money for unemployment benefits, I'll get started. I've got some pent up resentment and anger that need an outlet. ;-)

[Cha]

19. Yeah, when he quits playing rw politics..

we'll see what happens.

[Duer 157099]

3. Naturally it's only the democratic unemployed who are upset, right?

The unemployed Republicans no doubt are pressing their governors to reject the funds, right?

Right??

[KansDem]

5. "The unemployed Republicans no doubt are pressing their governors to reject the funds..."

Of course! It's easier to be raptured when you aren't weighted down with a lot of job responsibilities!

[truedelphi]

20. Republicans (Some of them) can be quite sensible

After all, Obama would not be President if some of the more centrist Repugs didn't vote for Obama.

Here in Lake County, 10% of the Registerred Repugs voted for Ron Paul. They got tired of our spending oodles of money to fight wars we are not winning. And tired of all the terrible economic ideas of the elite.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. We are changing our priorities, governors

"We are all in this together" is our mantra now, not "lower taxes." Or like my bumper sticker says, "When everybody does better, EVERYBODY does better." For every $1 in expanded unemployment benefits given, the economy reaps $1.40 or something like that--the unemployed aren't socking the money away in bonds and stocks--they are spending it, which is exactly what we need to do.

[jtrockville]

9. So... these governors think they'll need to stay in "crisis mode" forever?

Isn't that the only way these supplemental benefits would raise taxes - if they were made permanent after the crisis is over? Don't these folks "get it" that you need to do things DIFFERENTLY when there is a CRISIS?

[dana_b]

10. to hell with politics when you can't afford to feed your family

these brainiacs running these states need to stop projecting their thoughts onto the people in their states just because they want to look tough. Either that or they need to personnaly attempt to support themselves and their families with no income coming in.

[Fresh_Start]

11. RECALL them

assuming your state supports that sort of thing

[Towlie]

12. Florida Governor Charlie Crist - the next best thing to a Democrat!

[specimenfred1984]

14. Let the South try to live with their elected officials and policies

It's the only way the stupid hicks will ever learn and if they don't, then suffer pigs! They called me a traitor for 8 years, told me to shut up and not protest, outed CIA agents, conspired to commit war with WMD lies, etc...etc...

FUCK THEM.

[phantom power]

21. By all means, keep telling your constituents to eat cake.

Make your bad selves politically irrelevant for the next 50 years, instead of the next 25.