Friday, February 20, 2009

Hallelujah!! Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) will not take 90M in Recovery Funds

I wrote earlier today that if the principled GOP, Republicans are so appalled by the stimulus bill, then don't take the money. This movement by Jindal to disenfranchise his unemployed constituents, even further, should have folks in that state saying more than "Hallelujah" but "Let's get Jindal out of office!!!"

When President Obama signed the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act last week, it included three different provisions to benefit unemployed workers. The first provided funding to states that allowed for a $25 per week increase in benefits. The second extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program which gives 20 weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits to individuals “who had already collected all regular state benefits,” while the third provision widened the pool of people eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Today, however, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced his intention to oppose changing state law to allow his Lousiana citizens to qualify for the second two unemployment provisions. Jindal said the state would only be accepting money to increase the unemployment insurance payments for those who currently qualify for unemployment insurance.

In all, Jindal turned away nearly $100 million in federal aid for his state’s unemployed residents. Further, as the National Employment Law Project projected on Febuary 13, EUC extension alone would have benefited 24,981 Louisiana residents. Jindal justified his decision by claiming that expanding unemployment benefits would result in tax increases for businesses. read it all here.....

How will Jindal rectify, satisfy, explain denying to take money for his state to help unemployed workers? Because business told him too?

All I can write is this, "GOOD LUCK". The ads are being made as I hit the submit button.

Home Page