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This is my first post. It's purpose is largely to thank all of you for the information that's been given on this board. It's the first place I go to now for UI or ESC news! Sadly, I don't have much new to contribute. However, I did receive an update email from Rep. David Guice's office concerning H676(He's been the only Rep of my area to respond back to my emails!). The overall tone of it sounds hopeful to me. But, then, hope is all many of us have left...
Mr. Alfrey,
I sent your concerns to our research department here at the General Assembly and below is the information we have received back:
Rep. Guice and Kerry:
In response to your inquiry about the possible termination of the payment of extended unemployment benefits, I spoke with Lockhart Taylor, Director of Governmental Relations, NC Employment Security Commission (ESC). He provided the following information:
The payment of extended benefits (EB) is “triggered” based on a formula defined in G.S. 96-12.01. The way it works is if you compare the state’s unemployment rate over the past three months to the same three-month period from the previous two years, and the state has reached an average unemployment rate 110% or greater above the average rate from either of those prior years, EB is “triggered on.” At that point, claimants can file for EB. The week before last, ESC received notification from the U.S. Department of Labor that unemployment rate statistics for NC for the week ending April 2, 2011, would “trigger off” of EB, because the threshold trigger number had fallen below 100% for the previous two years. Thus, unless NC’s unemployment rate goes back up, there will be no more federal dollars for payment of EB.
Lockhart said that recognizing that using current statutory formulas would compare economic downturn conditions to pre-economic downturn conditions, Congress passed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, which authorized states to change their laws to allow for a third-year lookback, as opposed to the two-year lookback previously authorized. As a result, NCESC recommended what was introduced on as House Bill 676 on April 7, 2011, and referred to House Commerce. HB 676 will affect 37,000 people currently drawing EB, at the rate of $12 million per week in benefits. The money will come from the federal government, and will not affect employer tax rates or the state unemployment trust fund (which is currently at a $2.7 billion deficit). One-hundred-percent federal funding of this new EB program will expire on January 1, 2012.
I hope that this information has been helpful. If you have additional questions, please let me know.
Hopefully this information answers your questions and the legislation that has been introduced will be passed and help those who continue to remain unemployed during this economic downturn. Please let us know if we may be of further assistance.
Sincerely, Kerry L. Guice
[CENTER][CENTER]Kerry L. Guice, Legislative Assistant
Office of Rep. W. David Guice
North Carolina House of Representatives, District 113[/CENTER][/CENTER]
528 Legislative Office Building
300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 715-4466
It seems like a no brainer, and it would also seem like a no-brainer than Governor Bev Purdue would support(her being a Democrat and ALL). It goes to show how similar both parties truly are and have always been if you look back through presidential policies(considering similar military spending,war/oil support,tax breaks for the wealthy going back from Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton.....until President day). It feels like now, more than ever, politicians(unless they are democratic minority leaders, or "true" leftist politicians..whatever that means anymore) are no longer looking out for the working man/woman. I can't believe so many people are in this position of dependence on unemployment for survival! I know that if this bill passes it will be retroactive, and I am not sure why the state government is stalling on pushing it through? To save money? They are already 2.5 million dollars in the hole. I'm also pretty sure the federal government has agreed to fund the EB extension(whether or not they expect to get paid back I am not sure).
I think we will see some action on this bill by Friday. Paying retroactive payments seems like more trouble than just pushing the bill through in a timely manner. This bill will pass, it is just a matter of when.
I'm thinking the same thing. The retroactive bill of EUC08 this past winter was horrific. I was in line at the unemployment office three weeks after that bill passed. It was a nightmare with people saying that they either didn't get the retroactive amount or still hadn't received anything after filing for that week. I'm sure everything worked out but it had to be a pain to get it to work. They could have the same problem with this one and that number of 40,000 goes up exponentially every week they don't get this solved.
The top 50 percent of wage earners pay 97.3 percent of all federal personal income tax. The top 25 percent pay 86.34 percent. So I don't know if the tax brackets are as unfair as you claim.
I sincerely hope you didn't acquire this tax information from this website I quickly googled(and of course it was a conservative/republican POV skewing the numbers). The Truth about Taxes, the Rich, and the Poor
Oh yea this information was on Rush Limbaugh website too. One of the worst bigot/racist, uninformed radio personalities pushing the conservative agenda. Top 50% of Wage Earners Pay 96.03% of Income Taxes
I got my information from a well-researched historian and activist Howard Zinn, A Peoples History of The United States, 2003, p.580, paragraph two. His research was based on a book by Donald Barlett and James Steele, who traced the path by which tax rates for the very rich got lower and lower. "Barlett and Steele noted that a schoolteacher, a factory worker, and a billionaire could all pay 28% tax on their income"(p.580). He is talking about incomes over $400,000 a year and how in WWII they were taxed 91%, currently they are taxed at 28%. All of the tax reforms post WWII were in favor of the rich(no matter Democrat or Republican) and have not been in favor of the dwindling middle class. It has been a "cut and run" economy since our industrial infrastructure disappeared to the suburbs, then eventually overseas. It is the perfect example of completely unfair. It is a numbers game, and a poorly covered up numbers game at that.
I know more about history than I do economics, but often, they become inextricably intertwined.
Also very rich people don't pay income tax. They have very little income except for dividends and interest payments. They pay 15% capital gains on the money they draw for personal expenses. When Bill Gates was CEO of MS he was regularly reported as being the worst paid CEO in western Washington. He didn't need to draw a salary.
The reality of the EB is apparent today: Claim Status: BENEFITS EXHAUSTED Active Issues: No
You should at least get this weeks. Why aren't you getting this weeks of EB? Then hopefully something is passed by the 17th.
BTW does anyone know the process and path of a state bill. I had know idea it went through the committees that it's going through. After it goes through these committees does it still have to voted on my the House and does it go through the same amount of committees in the senate before it's voted on in the senate? Also what requires a bill to be signed by the governor? I notice on the sight that it says it will be signed by her "If Needed" Sorry for all the questions. Just trying to understand the process.
I sincerely hope you didn't acquire this tax information from this website I quickly googled(and of course it was a conservative/republican POV skewing the numbers). The Truth about Taxes, the Rich, and the Poor
Oh yea this information was on Rush Limbaugh website too. One of the worst bigot/racist, uninformed radio personalities pushing the conservative agenda. Top 50% of Wage Earners Pay 96.03% of Income Taxes
I got my information from a well-researched historian and activist Howard Zinn, A Peoples History of The United States, 2003, p.580, paragraph two. His research was based on a book by Donald Barlett and James Steele, who traced the path by which tax rates for the very rich got lower and lower. "Barlett and Steele noted that a schoolteacher, a factory worker, and a billionaire could all pay 28% tax on their income"(p.580). He is talking about incomes over $400,000 a year and how in WWII they were taxed 91%, currently they are taxed at 28%. All of the tax reforms post WWII were in favor of the rich(no matter Democrat or Republican) and have not been in favor of the dwindling middle class. It has been a "cut and run" economy since our industrial infrastructure disappeared to the suburbs, then eventually overseas. It is the perfect example of completely unfair. It is a numbers game, and a poorly covered up numbers game at that.
I know more about history than I do economics, but often, they become inextricably intertwined.
Also very rich people don't pay income tax. They have very little income except for dividends and interest payments. They pay 15% capital gains on the money they draw for personal expenses. When Bill Gates was CEO of MS he was regularly reported as being the worst paid CEO in western Washington. He didn't need to draw a salary.
Thanks
Well, everyone has an agenda. But the tax numbers I posted appear to be accurate. All I know is if all the government waste was eliminated then EVERYONES tax rates could probably be cut in half. At least.
Folks, I may not be that active on this thread anymore but I would like to point out that we lost this resource before by drifting off topic. I recommend we try to keep it focused on the subject line so we don't risk losing it again.
The winter was tough, this current issue is tough but if the moderator judges that this thread has drifted just think how tough it will be if it's no longer here. This is the #1 resource that I can think of for UI issues in the state. Please keep in mind that many many other people are reading that do not post and there is enough panic just being unemployed.
GCharlotte, I second your opinion 100%... We all need to stay focused here on the issue at hand which is the EB Benefits and Bill H676. Any new information on the bill's status is greatly appreciated. I most strongly urge everyone to contact the members of the jobs and finance committee and to demand support for the sake of everyone on UI benefits at this point.
Folks, I may not be that active on this thread anymore but I would like to point out that we lost this resource before by drifting off topic. I recommend we try to keep it focused on the subject line so we don't risk losing it again.
The winter was tough, this current issue is tough but if the moderator judges that this thread has drifted just think how tough it will be if it's no longer here. This is the #1 resource that I can think of for UI issues in the state. Please keep in mind that many many other people are reading that do not post and there is enough panic just being unemployed.
peace
If you look back at my past posts you will see that I have stayed "on topic". I have encouraged many posters, and provided information about UI. This topic is very near and dear to me, as both of my parent(who are unfortunately a hair too young to retire) are going to be future 99er's. We are all pushing for the H676 bill to pass, and are staying updated by using this site. Would you like people to make redundant complaints, or provide the same suggestions over and over again. Taxation, and the infrastructure of our economy is how we got where we are now. That is why people are riding out almost two years of unemployment. Knowledge is power. It is the only thing you can arm yourself with.
Lets get back on topic. We are waiting for the state to push through h 676, nothing has happened since Friday in NC. Other states have jumped on board which is a good thing.
I have contacted our representatives(to the point of being a nuisance). I encourage anyone to do the same. Use your voice in this democracy. This thread is an excellent resource and public forum.
Just a clarification, I am not talking about any one in particular. I'm not judging. If you were here when the thread was lost it was over something teeny tiny teeny tiny off topic. In fact it was about ESC just not extended benefits. So please don't read anything in about anyone or any particular messages.
As far as the thread goes, you guys have done wonders with H 676. I know for a fact that the press have been here reading because I sent them.
I can't think of a more emotional thread than this. Not the thread itself but the emotions everyone has gone through. It starts with not knowing what's going on when things are normal then goes to panic with unhelpful messages (from ESC website or letters) and then the shock at being jerked around with less than 2 weeks notice being told you have to pay back money and now this.
A lot of people have graduated from this thread and not by finding a new job. Our experiences show all classic sides of grief and this latest trick is the worse until you end up exhausted at 99 weeks. Some very good people and early thread starters ended up in that boat and I'm too depressed to read backwards to find out how they are now.
I think half the state reps are going to end up co-sponsoring the bill!
Anyway, just a bit of caution from my own experiences. The moderator here is a good guy but it's gotten out of hand before and we're lucky he let it come back because of the headaches it can cause if things go crazy.
It isn't crazy now but with everything going on and the new emotions so many are experiencing I thought I would jump in as non-judgmental as I could.
Peace and again good work everything and I hope it works out for all of us.
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Where did you get this information from?
