Georgia’s long-term unemployed about to be abandoned

Georgia’s long-term unemployed about to be abandoned


Unless the state Legislature reverses course quickly, 22,000 Georgia
households are going to be stripped of badly needed long-term
unemployment benefits by the end of June.
The money may not seem like much — an average of $244 a week per
household. But for Georgia families that already have had to survive
months without a regular paycheck in the worst economic environment in
80 years, it’s at least something. It helps put food on the table.

But with only four days left in the 2011 session, state leaders are
oddly reluctant to take action that would save those benefits.
It ought to be a no-brainer. The money at stake — Georgia’s share
would come to an estimated $175 million — has already been appropriated
by Congress. Other states with high unemployment rates have already
taken steps to accept their share. Georgia leaders have to demonstrate
their own willingness to accept it by passing a small, technical change
in state law, but so far, they’ve balked.


The question is why.
Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal, notes that as a
member of Congress, Deal voted against extended unemployment benefits
and is philosophically opposed to them. As governor, Robinson says, Deal
is “studying the issue very closely” but hasn’t decided yet whether he
would sign the necessary bill into law.


“We’re fine with the Legislature moving forward on it” while the
governor makes up his mind, Robinson said. But Deal will neither
champion nor oppose the move.

As head of the state Department of Labor, Labor Commissioner Mark
Butler is responsible for administering unemployment benefits and
looking out for Georgia workers. But through spokesman Sam Hall, Butler
is also taking an oddly passive position.

“The commissioner would support whatever the governor and the Legislature decide to do on the matter,” Hall told me Wednesday.


Of course, it’s not just the long-term unemployed who would benefit
from the program. The $175 million at stake would be used to buy
groceries at local stores. It would be used to pay rent to landlords, or
perhaps fend off foreclosures that in turn would help keep neighorhood
property values from plummeting. It would also generate millions of
dollars in state income tax revenue.If the money is rejected, none of that happens.
Despite all that, neither the governor nor the labor commissioner
want to be seen as supportive of the idea. They don’t want to be
perceived as opposing it; that would make them look heartless and cruel.
But given the ideology that dominates their party, they also can’t be
seen as advocating assistance for the long-term unemployed.

So they choose to “study the issue” or pretend they have no role.
They dump the responsibility on legislators, many of whom are no doubt
making the same sort of political calculation as their leaders have.
They too don’t want to be seen as killing the program, but many may be
perfectly willing to let it die.

Choosing to do nothing is still a choice, however. And it will still
have consequences, both for those who can’t find jobs and for the
politicians who lacked enough courage and spine to take action.


If legislators follow the example set by the governor and labor
commissioner and no action is taken before the session ends, 22,000
hard-up Georgia families in communities across the state will lose their
financial lifeline come June 30. They and their extended families and
friends will have every right to feel betrayed by state leaders who were
elected to serve them, but who chose to serve themselves instead by
doing nothing.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/03/30/georgias-long-term-unemployed-about-to-be-abandoned/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog

Looks like the same thing in Georgia is happening in Missouri and Louisiana too. I think it is hopeless in MO. Lembke has vowed the bill will not pass and haven't heard much from the Democrats. I don't think they really care if the funds are given to other states. How is it that we got to this situation. I just learned tonight on the local news that they are trying to also change child labor laws and eliminate all the Missouri labor investigators. There would be no one to investigate any wage violations or child labor law violations. How could politicians want to put children in harms way. This is starting to get so bizarre.

This makes me so Mad!

What is WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?

Louisiana Gov Bobby Jimdal was on tv tonight talking about how many families are struggling in La. He accepts no resonsibility for this but he was the one who decided this state woukd not accept the money. He was the first to do so and I truly believe he is evil.
He has talked for years about job creation-just that-all talk and no action.

Haley Barbour in Miss. is even worse, he just pretends people aren't fighting to survive in his state and he is going to try to run for President. That scares me.