Virginia Assembly to unemployed: 'We don't care. Fend for yourself'

[deminks]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040803800.html?nav=rss_email/components

RICHMOND, April 8 -- A divided General Assembly narrowly rejected $125 million in federal stimulus money Wednesday that would have provided additional unemployment benefits to thousands of jobless Virginians.

The defeat was a blow to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who had pushed the matter as the state legislature reconvened for a one-day session.

A visibly angry Kaine berated legislators after the vote and hinted that he might try to find another way to accept the federal money. "There's an awful lot of people who are hurting in Virginia, and the message to them seemed to be: 'We don't care. Fend for yourself,' " he said.

The GOP-controlled House of Delegates, a fiscally conservative body that has long opposed fundamental changes to laws that extend such benefits, killed the proposal after members argued it would translate into higher taxes for businesses once the supply of stimulus money was exhausted.

(end snip) emphasis mine

Thugs at work again. So, is there $125 mil another state can use who actually cares about its people?

[hootinholler]

1. SIGH

Unbelievable.

-Hoot

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kid a]

3. welcome to the "re-education camp" =)

[fasttense]

4. All those unemployed people in VA care.

It's easy not to care about people down on their luck when you have a job. When you're secure in the knowledge that the 2nd Republicon Great Depression is not going to hurt you, and your pink slip ain't coming soon. You can just ignore the 23.5 million unemployed and underemployed American citizens.

This should be the next Republican ad: "Are there no prisons? Are there No workhouse? If they are going to die they should do so, and decrease the surplus population."

But I'll bet you that the minute you really lose your job, you would care that your state just told you to F*** off, and don't bother them. VA legislature has more important things to care about like a minor tax increase to corporations and Chamber of Commerce lobbyists.

[MrBC]

5. You saying I dont care?

I do care...give me some money and I'll prove it.

[Mojorabbit]

6. It seems that they could

change the unemployment laws back after there is a solid recovery? I think if we don't get a good social net in place pretty soon there is going to be major unrest as we have not seen anything close to the bottom of this financial mess.

[MrBC]

7. I agree

Take the fed money, what's the big deal...It's free isn't it? Unless there are a bunch of strings attached to it by the feds that would prevent the state in reverting back to the old unemployment laws after a recovery.

[Statistical]

8. I think and this is my guess....

VA has elected Dem GOV twice now.
However VA has retained a GOP led legislature.

Lets assume it is like that going forward.

GOP likely "fears" that they raise benefits.
Then federal $$$ runs out.
Then they try to change it and current or future Dem GOV vetoes it.
GOP control is not enough to override veto.


However I already see a solution.
Can't they simply write the law to say benefit go up for rest of 2009 & 2010 and then revert back in 2011.

Unless like you said there are some clauses in bailout that prevent that.

Without seeing the exact text (somewhere in those 5000 pages) it would be hard to say for sure.

[Kalyke]

9. Tennessee was capped at $275 weekly for unemployment benefits.

Now it's at $300 weekly because they took the $25 a week.

Big deal. Tennessee needed to raise the cap, anyway, and Virginia probably does as well. No one can live on $275 a week (or even $300) when they made purchases whilst earning $2,000 or $3,000 a month.

I guess you're saying that Virginia doesn't plan to harvest jobs and these people will be on the dole the rest of their lives? Wow - good job Va legislators. :eyes:

[muffin1]

11. How did you feel

about giving your tax dollars - to the tune of $15 billion a month - to an illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq?

[lunatica]

10. They're going to have to pay later as things get worse

They must think unemployment is the fault of the unemployed. What are they going to do when unemployment means the employers close their doors forever? Where are the jobs going to materialize from?

How incredibly stupid and short sighted!