NC Extended Unemployment (houses, unemployment rate, tornadoes)

[stillunemployed]

I am thinking we won't get anywhere until we get close to the June 30th budget deadline!

[carvallo69]

How sad and pitiful is this!!!

[dazeja]

Originally Posted by stillunemployed

I am thinking we won't get anywhere until we get close to the June 30th budget deadline!

This can't be, there will be people on the streets if it takes that long. Way more than 37000 also by June 30th.

[laidoffafter50]

I wonder how many families whose homes were destroyed by tornadoes, relied on unemployment to survive. indeed.

[abcde12]

Originally Posted by stillunemployed

I am thinking we won't get anywhere until we get close to the June 30th budget deadline!

I am a little bit more optimistic than that. Remember, EB benefits are 100% federally funded this year, so they don't need to be connected to the state budget and its June 30 deadline.

This is just my guess, of course, but I'm thinking days or weeks, not months, before this is resolved.

[greg3973]

Very true, abcde12. My thoughts are on the same track. Missouri, who voluntarily dropped out of EB benefits because of political disagreement, is back on as of this week. Indiana changed their formula to the 3 year look back and averted an interruption of benefits on Saturday, April 16. We will hopefully have some good news in the upcoming days.

[dazeja]

Originally Posted by greg3973

Very true, abcde12. My thoughts are on the same track. Missouri, who voluntarily dropped out of EB benefits because of political disagreement, is back on as of this week. Indiana changed their formula to the 3 year look back and averted an interruption of benefits on Saturday, April 16. We will hopefully have some good news in the upcoming days.

If Missouri can come up with a compromise, surely we can. They did they same thing Michigan did. All it takes is compromise from both sides. Give and take. Every week this situation will get worse. I want to go to the public hearing but I can't afford the gas it will take to drive to Raleigh. It's that bad for me and my family.

[greg3973]

I hear you and support you 100% "dazeja." I too have the issue of not being able to afford gas now, especially after the present close to $4.00. We are all struggling and I urge everyone to continue to flood these legislators with calls and emails. The "loud-crying voice" will quickly get attention! ! The worst thing to do for everyone is to give up the fight and surrender. Do Not Do That! We are all here to be able to get our lifeline benefits back, to be able to afford to pay our expenses and to be able to afford to buy gas to go out and find work. Please, be proactive and optimistic...! ! !

[abcde12]

There's still time for the General Assembly to act on this and make it law before a lapse in benefits at the end of the week. Timewise, it is possible; it's a matter of political will.

The 8 Leaders of the House Commerce and Job Development Committee need to hear from you:

North Carolina General Assembly - Commerce and Job Development (House Standing Committee)

also the 5 Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee:

North Carolina General Assembly - Finance (Senate Standing Committee)

*If this should be enacted into law by the end of the week, individuals would still need to apply for EB Benefits by the end of the week. I don't know if the deadline for that is 5:00 Friday or midnight Saturday night.

[greg3973]

People, I want to share with you an update letter from Alexandra F. Sirota. Please, let's all follow her instructions, and even if we cannot attend this event, e-mail her our stories and situations so that they can be presented to the NC Legislation. Email your stories to the following email:
_________________alexandra@ncjustice.org__________________________________________________ ______________

Another update for you: We are still planning our press conference for tomorrow morning at 10 am at the N.C. General Assembly, 16 W. Jones Street in Raleigh. We will be calling on our state’s policymakers to immediately move to fix the extended benefit trigger by passing House Bill 676 which does not include any of the budget language that was added to the other bill late last week resulting in the Governor’s veto.

We would welcome your participation in the press conference and if you are willing would be interested to have folks who will lose extended benefits an opportunity to talk with reporters. Please get in touch with me if you would be willing to share your story with reporters or speak at the press conference as soon as possible!

To support the bill’s passage, we are also interested in collecting stories from people who are unemployed. We plan to share these stories with state policymakers and on a website. By telling your story, you can help us make sure that our leaders in North Carolina understand that unemployed workers are important to the state’s economy. We can set up a time to interview you in person on video or you can fill out the questions below and send them back to me.

We will be releasing an action alert tomorrow morning urging all North Carolinians to call on their legislators to pass HB 676 and I will send that along to you all and hope you can share it with your networks.

Thanks again for your efforts. Sincerely, Alexandra

Here are the questions:

[LEFT][LEFT]1. Tell me your first name and where you live.[/LEFT][/LEFT]

[LEFT][LEFT]2. In the state legislature, some policymakers in Raleigh are saying that unemployed workers don’t want to work and that is why they are unemployed. What do you think about those kind of statements?[/LEFT][/LEFT]

[LEFT][LEFT]3. What was your job?[/LEFT][/LEFT]

[LEFT][LEFT]4. What was your last day on the job like?[/LEFT][/LEFT]

[LEFT][LEFT]5. How are you coping?[/LEFT][/LEFT]

Send us your phone number if you are interested in speaking to reporters about the importance of extended benefits and supporting unemployed workers.