NC Extended Unemployment (Greensboro: hurricane, house, unemployment benefits)

[greg3973]

People, I urge all of you not to lose hope. I equally do not like the situation, but please try to remain optimistic. I haven't found any news today on the EB matter, anyone with any news to share is greatly welcomed and appreciated.

[greg3973]

Raleigh, N.C. — The Raleigh woman whose home provided the backdrop Wednesday for Gov. Beverly Perdue's update on tornado recovery efforts is dealing with a pending loss of unemployment benefits in addition to storm damage.
"I have other people's lives in my hands as well, and you know, it's just one thing after another, one thing after another," Rosa Morales said.
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Stories like these and people like this, who have misfortune upon misfortune really makes your heart break. I urge everyone to continue their support to change legislation to get our EB benefits, for our sake and for people like the above story who are even more desperate. Our hopes and prayers with them. Any news on the topic welcome and greatly appreciated.

[stillunemployed]

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said the General Assembly tried to address the problem with jobless benefits and doesn't plan to craft another solution following the veto.
"We've sent a bill that fixes the problem. We've encouraged the governor to sign it," Berger said. "It appears that the governor's position constantly is you do it the way she wants to do it, or it doesn't get done."


WOW!!!

[jmichaelp]

Actually, Gov. Perdue was the one playing politics here & she should be held accountable. She had the opportunity to sign it & obtain relief for us but turned it into an issue.

The 13% cut added on to this bill represents the budget proposed in February by the Republicans, it's nothing new. Republicans originally wanted a $18.7 billion budget - and this is still their proposal - compared the the Governor's $20.3 billion - not 13%, so obviously the Governor has increased her projected budget. It's a huge game that Perdue is playing - up her proposed budget, then use the plight of EB to negotiate back down to the $20.3 billion she wanted in the first place. Pretty slimy.

What gets me is that Perdue has to know the economic impact of her decision, but made it anyway. I was just reading that Colorado tabbed the economic impact of letting go 33k public employees as $4.5 billion. If EB helps people hang on long enough for just 10% to get jobs, the economic impact would probably cover that "13%" (actually 8.5% if you look at the budget before she jacked it up.)

[sicntrd]

Just looking on web site NC House and noticed change of text for S383 on Governors desk 4/20/2011. Any one else? What is this?

[sicntrd]

Originally Posted by sicntrd

Just looking on web site NC House and noticed change of text for S383 on Governors desk 4/20/2011. Any one else? What is this?

Sorry that was S343 (H383)

[stillunemployed]

Originally Posted by sicntrd

Sorry that was S343 (H383)

Link to what you are talking about

[sicntrd]

By Laura Leslie
Posted: 8:02 p.m. yesterday
Updated: 12:26 p.m. today
A handful of jobless North Carolinians joined Democratic legislators today to ask Republican leaders to quit playing politics with federal unemployment benefits.
H383, a measure that would allow 37,000 people to continue to receive jobless benefits, was vetoed by Governor Bev Perdue this weekend after Republican legislators tied it to a budget cut provision. GOP leaders said today they’ll try to override the veto, but House Republicans can’t do it without Democratic votes.
Senate Democrats today urged the GOP leadership to move ahead with an up-or-down vote on the benefit extension itself, with no political games. Senate Bill 584, waiting in committee, would do precisely that, said Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt.
“There’s not one reason in the world to wait on an override when we have a bill sitting in committee we can run,” Nesbitt said. “These are very desperate people. Can you imagine the predicament they’re in after being unemployed for 79 weeks?”
Nesbitt and other Democrats also expressed concern that many of those whose checks are held up may also have been victims of the past weekend’s tornadoes.
Senator Ed Jones, D-Bertie, talked about the devastation in his district. “These people lost everything they had, and it wasn’t much to begin with,” he said. “We can’t get caught up in politics right now. We can make sure these folks are taken care of.”
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[/CENTER]

Nesbitt said it’s time for Republicans to separate the benefits, which cost the state nothing, from the state budget provision, which he called a “political ploy.”
“If someone ties a love note to a nuclear bomb, do you take ‘em both?” Nesbitt asked. “I don’t think so. And that’s basically what they did.”

[dazeja]

Originally Posted by stillunemployed

Link to what you are talking about

This is what he's talking about

North Carolina General Assembly - Senate Bill 343 Information/History (2011-2012 Session)

It's a comletely different bill. But I don't understand the = sign on these bills.

if you look up the bill that got Vetoed , you'll get H383=(S343) but when you click on S343 it's a completely different bill. it's the Comunications regulatory bill.

it's really confusing. I really find it irritating that they are voting and passing other bills like there's no pressing need for this one.

[greg3973]

I agree, dazeja. It also really upsets me to see that North Carolina is probably one of the few states that has taken advantage of this issue and is playing tug of war with it since last week. They are simply "playing" with the anxiety that we are going through in this difficult time. I ask myself, why? Isn't it enough that we have been displaced from our jobs for over a year, we can't find respectable employment to take care of our families and expenses, we had the funds from EB benefits to somehow sustain us till we find another job, and now, all of a sudden with a mere two week notice, we're placed on the edge of the cliff, and, if that wasn't enough, they tease us with their games of politics and keep us on the edge, waiting and hoping. This is inhumane, to say the least. Please, do not lose hope and continue to bombard these senators and representatives with e-mails and phone calls. Get friends and family to do the same. Any news and updates on the issue will be greatly appreciated.